Who’s Your Paul, and Where’s Your Timothy?

- Do you have anyone in your life whose character you are trying to emulate, and do you also have anyone in your life whom you believe you have the privilege and responsibility of training?...

- another way of asking that from the perspective of the early history of the church is…Who’s Your Paul, and Where’s Your Timothy?

- during the Biblical Counseling Training Conference, we made several changes including hosting dinners for our guests at various houses…

- since last year’s conference was entirely virtual, we were glad that about half of the registrants this year chose to attend in person…and we looked for as many ways as we could to try to add value to the experience…

- of course if the pastors are involved these days, it probably involves making Pastoral Pizza Pie…so we had those on Tuesday and Thursday night of the conference at our house, and several other places…

- if you remember the conference week, you may recall that the weather on Thursday evening was pretty rough…

- the weather forecasts were for quite a bit of ice and then snow…but that day we didn’t get as much as they were calling for…

- plus we had all the ingredients ready, so we figured people could just select out if they preferred to stay put…

- a lot of our guests are from snowy climates so I decided to just go ahead with the plan…

- quite a few people chose to attend, and we parked everyone in our yard like we usually do, but we kept their front wheels on the driveway so they could get some traction when they were leaving…

- we did get a fair amount of ice and snow after everyone arrived…but it looked like our plan was going to work until we faced an unforeseen detail…

- am I the only one who occasionally faces unforeseen details?...

- what we didn’t know was that one of the guests had been dropped off by a member of their team who was driving a church mini-bus…

- had we known that, we probably would have offered to just go pick them up at the church and drop them off at their hotel later…

- so when the driver returned to pick up the person, she inadvertently got the wheels of the mini-bus off our driveway and stuck in our front yard…

- this was complicated by the fact that this group was from Long Island, and they had a 14 hour drive in front of them even under normal weather conditions…so they really needed to leave first thing in the morning…

- so we needed to get the bus unstuck…which is far easier said than done…[the words “bus” and “unstuck” aren’t just far away from one another in the dictionary…]

- we first tried to push it out…rocking it back and forth…and we were close…but close really doesn’t count in buses that are stuck in the mud…plus, the more we tried, the deeper the ruts were becoming which was making the problem worse…

- so then we decided to call a towing company…did I mention that it was snowy and icy?...apparently some people about as smart as me had made similar driving decisions…so here’s what the towing company said…call us back in two hours…

- not, we’ll be there in two hours – call us back in two hours…

- so at that point, I did something that I don’t like to do but I’ve done more times over the years than I care to admit…I called my neighbor Pete…

- Pete’s the kind of guy who has any tool you might need, who can fix whatever’s broken, and will always come when you call…

- he also has 2 teenage sons, Cody and Connor whom he and his wife are raising to help out their neighbors whenever there’s a need…

- so we’re standing outside feeling fairly helpless and useless when Pete and Cody and Connor pulled up…

- it’s snowing pretty good at that point – you have a mini-bus stuck in your front yard…it just wasn’t a good look…

- but what immediately struck us wasn’t just that dad came…but so did these two teenagers…why would they be willing to come out in a snowstorm…and where did they learn that?...

- then what transpired next was fascinating to me…Pete the dad got out of their four-wheel drive vehicle and had Cody their oldest son drive…Conner was helping by attaching and adjusting the towing strap…

- so Pete wasn’t only helping us out – he was showing his sons what to do, not by them watching him, but by them doing what dad said…

- there wasn’t any yelling, there wasn’t any talking back…

- they were emulating their dad…and their dad was training his sons…

- and eventually, they successfully got that mini-bus out of my front yard in a snowstorm and our guests were able to safely get back to their hotel and get some sleep before their long trip the next day…

- let me ask you again -- Do you have anyone in your life whose character you are trying to emulate, and do you also have anyone whom you believe you have the privilege and responsibility of training?...

- Who’s your Paul and where’s your Timothy?

- with that in mind, please open you Bible to Philippians chapter 2, verse 19…page 155 in the back section of the Bible under the chair in front of you…

- Our church’s theme this year is Growing in Gospel Gratitude

- Paul’s in prison for proclaiming the gospel…but he takes the time to write to the brothers and sisters at Philippi to thank them for their support of him as one of their missionaries…they had participated in the gospel with him, he said – both in their prayers and their financial generosity…so this is very much like a thank-you letter, or one of the missionary letters we have the privilege of receiving on a regular basis…

- part of what’s surprising is that Paul is not complaining or focusing on his hardships…this book is filled with joy…because Paul affirms that what is transpiring had resulted in the furtherance of the gospel in all sorts of ways…even by some in Rome who were preaching Christ out of envy and strife trying to add to Paul’s troubles…but his attitude was…at least the gospel is being proclaimed and in that I rejoice…and will continue to rejoice…

- what makes that possible…and perhaps better stated, Who makes that possible, is unpacked in chapter 2…one of the most beautiful and comprehensive expressions of Christology (the doctrine of Jesus Christ) in the entire NT…

- Paul said… Philippians 2:5–8 - Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

- so Paul was able to handle this trial joyfully, because he was emulating someone…in this case, his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ who was working in and through him…

- but at the same time…someone was watching Paul…and who was that…it was his son in the faith, Timothy…who by this point would have been one of Paul’s closest companions for the last 10 years…

- and not surprisingly, Timothy was becoming more and more like Paul…as both Timothy and Paul were becoming more and more like their Savior…

- let’s pick up the story in verse 12 of chapter 2…but our main focus is going to be on verses 19-24.

- [read Philippians 2:12-24].

- so we’re asking this morning, Who’s Your Paul, and Where’s Your Timothy?

- and with the time we have remaining, let’s consider 3 characteristics of people we should emulate, and of people we should seek to train.

- first of all, people…

I. Who are Willing to Accept the Task at Hand

- let me invite you to hold your hand here in Philippians 2, and turn back to Acts 16 for a few moments…page 106 on the back section of the Bible under the chair in front of you…

- this is truly a fascinating point in the history of the development of the church…

- by now, Paul and Barnabas had completed the first missionary journey…that started back in chapter 13 when the leaders at the church at Antioch were praying and they were instructed by the Holy Spirit to set aside Barnabas and Saul (that was Paul’s name before his conversion, but that is the name the Holy Spirit used in Acts 13) for the work to which they had been called…

- and that was to travel around and proclaim the gospel, and then organize churches wherever a group of people were ready and willing to follow Christ…

- their pattern was to start with any Jewish persons who might be present in any city…but then to broaden the message to any Gentiles as well…

- illustrative of the response they often received was Acts 14 when they were preaching in Pisidian Antioch - Acts 13:44–48 - The next Sabbath nearly the whole city assembled to hear the word of the Lord. But when the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy and began contradicting the things spoken by Paul, and were blaspheming. Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly and said, “It was necessary that the word of God be spoken to you first; since you repudiate it and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold, we are turning to the Gentiles. “For so the Lord has commanded us, ‘I have placed You as a light for the Gentiles, That You may bring salvation to the end of the earth.’ ” When the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord; and as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed.

- you talk about being on an adventure…and Paul was right in the middle of it because he had been willing to accept the task at hand…

- by chapter 15, this inclusion of the Gentiles was causing enough concern that a council was called by the leaders in Jerusalem…and it is a tremendous example of how decisions were to be made by the church…and it was determined that what Paul had been doing was right…then at the end of that chapter we read that Paul and Barnabas were going to go back out on a second journey but they disagreed over whether John Mark should be allowed to come along because he had deserted them on the first trip…

- so Paul and Barnabas parted ways over that…but this is where Timothy comes into the picture…

- read Acts 16:1-5

- can you imagine what it would have been like to have been invited to accompany the apostle Paul on a missionary journey?...

A. With all of the unknowns and excitement

- just picture the conversation…tell me again what these trips are like…

- well, we go around proclaiming the good news of Jesus Christ…and not everyone likes it so sometimes we get beat up or thrown out of town…but often people admit their sin and place their faith in Jesus Christ…

- and what’s Timothy’s response?...sign me up…[even if you believe that, purely out of deference to the Jewish people that we will be proclaiming the gospel to first in each city, that I should be circumcised…sign me up for this spiritual adventure…]

- in other words, he was…

B. Wise enough to “find a Paul”

- every one of us is following someone…we’re emulating someone…we have an idea of someone who has gone before us whose lives we respect or admire…

- friend, who’s your Paul…who have you put in that position in your heart and mind?...

- Paul could speak of Timothy as a man who was his…

• · My true child in the faith - 1 Tim. 1:2

• · My beloved son – 2 Tim. 1:2

• · My beloved and faithful child in the Lord – 1 Cor. 4:17

• · My fellow worker – Rom. 16:21

• · Our brother – 2 Cor. 1:1

• · A fellow bondservant of Christ Jesus – Phil. 1:1

- if you’re going to develop a close relationship with someone, choose a person like Paul who is making an eternal difference in the way he’s choosing to live…

- and be such a blessing and encouragement to that individual that you would be described with this kind of terminology…

C. Often served as Paul’s “troubleshooter

- many of the tasks Timothy accepted had to do with going somewhere and trying to find a solution to some problem that had arisen in Christ’s church…

- for example – we know that the book of 1 Corinthians reveals an immature church that was riddled with pride and division, some directed at Paul himself…so do you remember what he did?...he sent Timothy…

- 1 Corinthians 4:17 - For this reason I have sent to you Timothy, who is my beloved and faithful child in the Lord, and he will remind you of my ways which are in Christ, just as I teach everywhere in every church.

- how would you like that ministry assignment?...

- the same was true with the Thessalonians…which wasn’t a troubled church, but Paul and the team had to leave so abruptly because of the opposition that he was concerned about how this young church was doing…so who did he dispatch?...our man Timothy – who had no idea what he might be stepping into…

- 1 Thessalonians 3:2–3 - and we sent Timothy, our brother and God’s fellow worker in the gospel of Christ, to strengthen and encourage you as to your faith, so that no one would be disturbed by these afflictions; for you yourselves know that we have been destined for this.

- the idea is that false teachers could have come in and undermined the gospel by saying that because Paul faced many hardships, that must mean his message wasn’t true…so Paul sent his trusted associate to, as the esteemed theologian Barney Fife used to say, nip that in the bud…

- the same was true with Ephesus…

- 1 Timothy 1:3–4 - As I urged you upon my departure for Macedonia, remain on at Ephesus so that you may instruct certain men not to teach strange doctrines, nor to pay attention to myths and endless genealogies, which give rise to mere speculation rather than furthering the administration of God which is by faith.

- imagine that conversation – listen, I have to go now – but I need you to stay and instruct these men not to teach strange doctrines…OK bye…

- the point is – Timothy had a Paul…someone he could watch as he sacrificed his life for the gospel and follow that example…

- and Paul had a Timothy – someone he could train and trust and send…

- when Kris and I were considering ministry opportunities 34 years ago, we were finishing up my doctoral work and there were 4 opportunities on the table…1 involved planting a church, 2 involved being the lead pastor at established churches, and the other was coming here and working under Pastor Goode as His associate…

- and we looked at that and thought – it would be better to work under all these “Pauls” – Pastor Goode, Doc Smith, Pastor Nichols and Pastor Riley…for those who go way back and remember those names…along with an excellent group of deacons and all the pastor/deacons’ wives and then dozens and dozens of lay leaders…there were Paul’s and Pauline’s everywhere…

- and we believed it would be better to work under all these established leaders and learn from them…

- that turned out to be one of the best decisions we ever made…

- they in turn did everything they could to train a young Timothy…putting me in all kinds of leadership positions and allowing me to cut my teeth in ministry…

- it’s like Paul would codify in 2 Timothy 2:2 - The things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, entrust these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.

- that’s why I’ve tried to train an entire team of strong, godly, gifted men and women around me…there’s no success without successors…plus I’m just convinced that God is not impressed with superstar pastors – there’s plenty of evidence to support that claim…so we serve together as a team, as a church family…

- the point is -- there should constantly be this interplay back and forth in the church…those who are younger in the faith should be looking for a Paul…and those who are older in the faith should be looking for a Timothy…or better yet, a whole bunch of Timothy’s

- this is why he was…

D. Available to visit the Philippians on Paul’s behalf.

- Philippians 2:19 - But I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you shortly, so that I also may be encouraged when I learn of your condition.

- another important piece here is the little phrase “in the Lord Jesus”…

- one of the reasons Timothy could trust Paul and follow his requests was because he knew Paul was seeking to do the Lord’s will, not his own…

- and one of the reasons Paul could make such significant requests was because he believed caring for the spiritual health and well being of this dear church was God’s work, not his…

- so as we said a minute ago – Timothy was becoming like Paul…and that’s exactly what Jesus had predicted would happen… Luke 6:40 - A pupil is not above his teacher; but everyone, after he has been fully trained, will be like his teacher.

- so let me ask you a question that I’m going to repeat in several different forms for the rest of the morning…

- if you’re younger in the Lord – do you have a Paul in your life?...especially from the perspective right now of a man or woman who is willing to accept challenging ministry tasks?...

- and if you would say no – maybe one of the takeaways for you is to find one…

- and your response is – how would I do that – take a look around here at people you believe are making a difference for God, and ask them if you can help them, if you can watch them, if you could lighten their load…

- and I’ll tell you this – you won’t have to ask twice…

- and if you’re too shy, or feel too new to make a connection like that – reach out to one of your service pastors – they’ll be more than happy to facilitate a mentoring relationship like that…

- if you’re a Paul – you know what I’m going to ask, right?...where’s your Timothy?...

- people who are seasoned in ministry should rarely (and perhaps never) be doing things by themselves…share the load, find someone to pour yourself into (because with all due respect, you’re getting older)…this church needs as many Timothy’s (and whatever the feminine version of that word is) as we possibly can get…

- now let’s press further into the text…because it’s not just availability, it’s also…

II. A Moldable and Compassionate Heart

- Philippians 2:20–21 - For I have no one else of kindred spirit who will genuinely be concerned for your welfare. For they all seek after their own interests, not those of Christ Jesus.

- wouldn’t you want a godly saint to be able to say that about you?...a kindred spirit who will genuinely be concerned about the spiritual health and well-being of others…

A. “One-souled” with Paul

- kindred spirit – isopsuchos – (iso – equal), (psuche -- soul) – “one souled”

- Paul couldn’t be in two places at once…and obviously his imprisonment left him unable to go see the Philippians himself…

- but this dynamic was occurring throughout this book…

- of some who were no longer serving the Lord with a singular focus…

- like those described back in chapter 1…

• · Philippians 1:15 - Some, to be sure, are preaching Christ even from envy and strife, but some also from good will;

• · Philippians 1:17 - the former proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition rather than from pure motives, thinking to cause me distress in my imprisonment.

- and that can happen in a church…where people will serve if there’s something in it for them…if it advances their agenda in some way…

- and that approach to ministry will invariably burn out…

- you may remember the sad story of a man named Demas, who at one time was a faithful co-worker of Paul’s in Rome – he even mentioned him at the end of the letter to the Colossians - Colossians 4:14 - Luke, the beloved physician, sends you his greetings, and also Demas.

- well, how did his story end up?... 2 Timothy 4:10 - for Demas, having loved this present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica…

- 2 Timothy 4:16 - At my first defense no one supported me, but all deserted me; may it not be counted against them.

- what was lacking in all of that?...they weren’t kindred spirits…Demas and others never adopted and developed the kind of compassionate heart that Paul had for Christ and the people of God…but Timothy did…

- that’s why if you take me on my challenge to have a Paul, or Pauline in your life…don’t just try to mimic what they do…ask questions to find out why…

- because it’s when you understand their passions, their values, their priorities, their heart-motivation…and the Savior who makes all of that possible…

- that’s when you can become one-souled…kindred spirits…

- that’s what Timothy became with Paul which meant that…

B. His concern was authentic.

- Philippians 2:20 - …who will genuinely be concerned for your welfare.

- this is a very important word in the Bible – concerned for - merimnao

- in a number of places in Scripture, it’s translated as worry, something believers shouldn’t do…

- in fact, later in this same book, it’s the same word translated as “anxious” - Philippians 4:6 - Be anxious for nothing…

- [which is a great example of our principle of Bible study (hermeneutics) that insists that words derive their meaning from the context]…

- but of you’ve been involved in ministry to others…you know that your concern can become so intense and focused that it’s pretty close to worry…

- it’s surely the opposite of those who Paul goes on to say…

- Philippians 2:21 - For they all seek after their own interests, not those of Christ Jesus.

- some people are so worried about their own stuff that they have no bandwidth left for genuine concern for the spiritual and material needs of others…

- this is why Jesus taught in the Sermon on the Mount - Matthew 6:25 - For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?...But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

- one observation we should make somewhere along the line is the power and impact of Timothy’s mother and grandmother in this story…

- Timothy’s mother Eunice was Jewish and his father was Greek and apparently an unbelieving man…

- but Timothy’s mother and grandmother Lois were followers of Christ…and they taught him the Word of God and the gospel of Jesus Christ…

- how do we know that?...it’s sandwiched in between two fascinating passages of Scripture – one about the characteristics of the end times in 2 Timothy 3…and the other at the end of that chapter about the transforming power of the inspired and sufficient Word of God…

- but in between those two concepts is Timothy’s spiritual heritage… 2 Timothy 3:13–15 - But evil men and impostors will proceed from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. You, however, continue in the things you have learned and become convinced of, knowing from whom you have learned them, and that from childhood you have known the sacred writings which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.

- you may here this morning as a single parent, or married to a person who does not know the Lord…the lesson and admonition here would be – please don’t give up hope…and don’t minimize the impact your life can have on your children even if you feel like you’re doing it alone from your particular perspective…

- you could be raising a son or a daughter to be the next Timothy…who watched your sensitivity to God and His people…and eventually became just like you…

- so, Timothy was willing to accept the task, and he developed a moldable and compassionate heart, and lastly, he had…

III. Proven Character Over the Long Haul

A. Even when tested

- Paul said – Philippians 2:22 – But you know of his proven worth

- doikimen – proof after testing

- if you look at each time Timothy is mentioned throughout the NT, it’s interesting how often that is said…you can trust him, he’s proven himself…

- Paul just wanted to find out how his brothers and sisters in Philippi were doing…and he knew Timothy was the guy who could handle that assignment and make the situation better, not worse…

- and the Philippians would have felt the same way…Oh, Paul is sending Timothy, that will be good…his worth has been proven…

B. Serves well with others

- Philippians 2:22 - …that he served with me in the furtherance of the gospel like a child serving his father.

- so friend, who’s your Paul, or Pauline – someone whose life you can emulate and who can train you in love for Christ and sensitivity to the needs of God’s people, along with a real delight in serving and showing compassion to others?...

- if you don’t have one – let’s take steps to make that happen…

- btw – if you don’t yet know the Lord – the more fundamental question is – who’s your Savior…you have to have the Jesus of the first half of Philippians 2 before you can become like the Paul and Timothy of the second half of the chapter…

- if you’re older in the Lord and have allowed God to develop you into a more mature follower of Christ – who’s your Timothy?...

- there are some very specific ways this interchange is playing itself out right now in the life of our church…

1. Our strategic ministry planning process…I had the privilege to review the comments from our 2200+ ministry surveys…one of my responses was, a lot of people here have genuine concern for our church, these are thoughtful comments…written by Pau’s and Timothy’s…that’s a sign of real health…lets thank the Lord for the power of this process…

2. Serving in our Mulch Madness’s…and bring your kids…[develop]…

3. Serving in our children’s ministries…

- we’ve just come through a period of time where the local government actually threatened to criminalize gospel ministry to minors…

- and their hearts were laid bare as some of them suggested that children belong to the government, or to the community – not to their own parents…

- I hope this church redoubles our efforts to challenge and equip parents to raise their children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord…

- choosing to participate in children’s ministry provides a ready group of potential Timothy’s…and the impact can be eternal…