I urge you. I encourage you. I challenge you. I charge you. I beg you. I plead with you. I appeal to you. I’m asking you. Wow! That’s a lot urging.

Sometimes it takes a lot to get people to do things.

One dental worker said: At the busy dental office where I work, one patient was always late. Once when I called to confirm an appointment, he said, "I’ll be about 15 minutes late. That won’t be a problem, will it?"

"No," I told him. "We just won’t have time to give you an anesthetic." He arrived early.

The idea of suffering pain was a pretty good motivation. That’s always a good motivator! Most of us don’t like pain!

Bank robber Willie Sutton, when asked why he robbed banks, replied, "Because that’s where the money is."

Money is also a good motivator. As the bumper sticker reads: "Hi ho, hi ho, it’s off to work I go." Or it’s more like, "I owe, I owe, so it’s off to work I go."

There was once a jockey who had an unbelievable winning record. Just before the end of any race, the jockey would lean way over and seemingly speak to the horse. A reporter asked the jockey what he did that made such a difference in the horse’s speed. He replied: "I simply quote a little verse in his ear: ’Roses are red, violets are blue; Horses that lose are made into glue!"

Mercy. Yes, I guess the thought of death would be a good motivator for most folks. However, I’ve known of doctors to say to some people, "If you don’t stop what you’re doing you’re going to die."

And some of those people just keep right on doing what they’ve been doing. Maybe some doctors should say even more, like, "If you don’t stop that wild living not only are you going to die, you may also spend eternity where you don’t want."

On a Western Airlines flight to San Francisco, fried chicken tycoon Col. Harland Sanders, at age 89, had made himself agreeable to staff and fellow passengers, then dropped his chin to his narrow black tie and closed his eyes. Somewhere in the back of the plane a child had been shrieking for some time. One stewardess told another helplessly, "I’ve tried candy, books and games, but nothing seems to make any difference."

"I’ve got to speak to that child," said the colonel. He rose to his feet and, with the aid of his cane, made his way back. The staff watched and shrugged, as if to say, "What can he do?"

When the colonel came back, not long afterward, his charm had produced a minor miracle. There was only the sound of chatter and newspapers. The stewardess came up to him and said, "Thank you for helping us, Colonel."

"I didn’t do it for you," he replied. "I did it for the child." And he closed his eyes again and settled down. HE DID IT FOR A CHILD.

Children should motivate us to do good in life; at least, to do good for them. Our own children and others.

Motivation makes the difference. And the Lord’s word should be enough to motivate us to do certain things in life but sometimes it takes even more motivation. God’s Word urges us to do good in life.

God urged Timothy through Paul to do certain things.

God is urging us, thru Paul's words, to make spiritual growth a priority!

1- I urge you to pray

2- I urge you to be godly

3- I urge you to seek salvation

I.  I URGE YOU TO PRAY

1 Tim. 2.1-2:     "I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone—  2   for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness."

I urge you to pray! We shouldn’t have to be urged to pray. It should come naturally for the child of God. We should want to pray. We should want to talk to God constantly.

A little girl came home from a neighbor’s house where her little friend had died. "Why did you go?" questioned her father. "To comfort her mother," said the child. "What could you do to comfort her?" "I climbed into her lap and cried with her."

How could you not want to talk to someone who would do this for you/with you? How could you not want to talk to one who would always sympathize with you and even cry with you?

Hebrews 4:14-16: "Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need."

Did you get the message? Since Jesus was tempted just as we are, He knows what we’re going through! He knows how it is down here!

Consequently, He understands and He is completely compassionate. He is quick to cry with us, demonstrate mercy and give us grace. WHY WOULD WE NOT WANT TO TALK TO HIM? He’s even better than the best friend you now have!

When Robert Louis Stevenson was a boy he once remarked to his mother, "Momma, you can’t be good without praying." "How do you know, Robert?" she asked. "Because I’ve tried!" he answered.

I agree. I don’t think any of us can be what God wants us to be without prayer. Our relationship with God calls for prayer, much prayer. Much time alone with Him. We need Him to be good!

1 Tim. 2.1  "I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone."

Not only should we be talking to God about what concerns us but also what concerns others!

Ephesians 6:18: "And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints."

Colossians 4:2-4: "Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should."

I get the impression that we ought to be praying all the time for everybody we can. We should be praying for people who are sick, hurting, hungry, crying, needing Christ, etc.

We should be asking God on the behalf of others! We should be asking God’s blessing and help on people. And when we pray for others, God will act!

We need to intercede on behalf of others. Intercede? What’s that? It’s like being a lawyer on someone’s behalf in a court of law only in this case you plead to God for them! And your pleading in the name of Jesus will do more good than any lawyer, in any courtroom, pleading to win his case. WHY? BECAUSE WE HAVE A LOVING, COMPASSIONATE FATHER!

Matthew 7:11: "If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!"

I urge you to pray and pray more than you ever have in your life!

II. I URGE YOU TO BE GODLY

Pray that we may live peaceful and quiet lives IN ALL GODLINESS AND HOLINESS. I think God wants us to be holy or godly. He wants to be better people than we now are! But this is not an easy task given the world we live in. Why? Because we don’t live in a very nice world.

As of the second week of May Elaine and I have been here 7 years. Can you believe it? Seven glorious, beautiful, peaceful, peace-filled, quiet, godly years! OH?

Elaine did remark that after we moved here how many churches there were. It seemed like there was a church on nearly every corner. Well, not exactly, but a lot. They are only outnumbered by banks! Which means what? More money than godliness.

Seriously, the town of Jonesboro is a pretty good place to live, especially when you compare it to Chicago, IL, Detroit, MI, and a few other places. However, as good as Jonesboro might be or might seem to be, we still lack holiness and godliness.

There is meanness and nastiness going on all the time in this town. And in the midst of this ungodly world wherever we live we are urged to be holy and godly.

I once worked with a guy in church camp who was originally from Chicago, IL. He said he still some family there but he hated to go back to that city. I got the impression that he feared for his soul in that city, that is, that there was just so much temptation and sin there that he didn’t dare go there again.

It’s the idea that he wanted to stay out of the devil’s territory, which was Chicago to him.

Where’s the devil territory for you? It could be Jonesboro. It could be places or even certain people in Jonesboro. We all need to stay out of the devil’s territory where we are most tempted and we need to stay from certain people who cause us trouble!

Nevertheless, we’re here and we are urged to be holy and godly. WE MUST BLOOM WHERE WE’VE BEEN PLANTED and for now, we’ve been planted in Jonesboro, AR. And you can be or can become holy and godly in Jonesboro! BUT ONLY IF YOU WORK AT IT.

Goodness and godliness don’t come easy to us. We’ve been stained by Adam and Eve’s sin. It’s easy to sin, but it’s much more difficult to be holy .. It’s easier to be a sinner than to be a saint.

Paul said that we should pray in such a way as to develop holiness or godliness in us. We need to pray for the right atmosphere where these things can be accomplished.

What kind of atmosphere is needed for godliness and holiness to grow or take place? I’m not sure a rock concert would be a good place to become more holy nor the Indy 500 nor a bar, etc.

Psalm 37:7: "Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; do not fret when men succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes."

Psalm 46:10: "Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth."

Holiness or godliness cannot be acquired in a noisy atmosphere or a nasty world. We must be alone with God for Him to rub off on us. We must be with Him for us to become holy.

Take time to be holy.

The world rushes on.

Much time spend in secret with Jesus alone.

By looking to Jesus, Like Him thou shalt be.

Thy friends in thy conduct His likeness shall see.

I urge you to work at becoming godly.

III. I URGE YOU TO SEEK SALVATION

1 Tim. 2.3-7:  "This is good, and pleases God our Savior, 4  who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. 5  For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, 6  who gave himself as a ransom for all men—the testimony given in its proper time. 7  And for this purpose I was appointed a herald and an apostle—I am telling the truth, I am not lying—and a teacher of the true faith to the Gentiles."

God wants all people to be saved in Jesus, which means to believe the truth of His Word. How are we going to get the job done? God is urging to seek the salvation of all mankind! What are we going to do about it?

Perhaps this news item will help us in this department. Do you remember golf great Tom Watson? Here is what he said about his fellow golf great, Tiger Woods. Golf legend Tom Watson says Tiger Woods needs to "clean up his act" and show some humility in public when he returns to the circuit after sorting out his tangled personal life.

"Tiger has to take ownership of what he has done," said the 60-year-old. "He must get his personal life in order. I think that’s what he’s trying to do. And when he comes back he has to show some humility to the public. I would come out and I would do an interview with somebody and say, `You know what? I messed up. And I admit it. I am going to try to change. I am trying to change. I want my wife and family back."

Watson, who dueled with fellow legend Jack Nicklaus at the peak of his career, also criticized Woods for his behavior on the course, upbraiding him for bad language and angry outbursts.

"I feel that he has not carried the same stature that other great players that have come along like Jack (Nicklaus), Arnold (Palmer), Byron Nelson, the Hogans, in the sense that there was language and club throwing on the golf course,"

Watson went on: "I think he needs to clean up his act and show the respect for the game that other people before him have shown."

I think Tom Watson is very straight and very powerful in what he is advising Tiger Woods to do in order to get his life in order. HOWEVER, THERE IS SOMETHING BETTER. Someone else did better, gave better advice.

Do you remember when Fox news analyst, Brit Hume, pointed Tiger Woods to Christ? Hume said, "I think that Jesus Christ offers something that Tiger Woods badly needs." ISN’T THIS THE TRUTH OF ALL TRUTHES? Amen. And it’s what we need to do with every lost human soul we know! We need to point them to Christ as the only Savior of the world!

I urge you to seek the salvation of lost people by pointing them to Jesus!

CONCLUSION  ---------

Enveloped in a cloud of dust, the county agricultural agent drove into the farmyard and bounced onto the old farmer’s porch. The farm looked pretty much run-down, and the farmer sitting in the creaking rocker did too.

The agent began sharing what he thought were exciting ideas for improving the farm, but the old man stopped him in mid-sentence and said, "Simmer down, sonny; already I ain’t farmin as good as I know how."

All of us know a whole lot more than we are doing. We know how to live better than we do. We know that we need to pray more, be more holy and lead more people to Christ.

What’s the key? Not more education, not more and better equipment, but more or better motivation. And our motivation is: THE LORD TOLD US SO!