“An Examination of those who were Faithful and those who were Unfaithful.”
Sermon • Submitted • Presented
0 ratings
· 6 viewsNotes
Transcript
Welcome:
Announcements:
Read the Text:
9 Do your best to come to me soon. 10 For Demas, in love with this present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica. Crescens has gone to Galatia, Titus to Dalmatia. 11 Luke alone is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is very useful to me for ministry. 12 Tychicus I have sent to Ephesus. 13 When you come, bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas, also the books, and above all the parchments. 14 Alexander the coppersmith did me great harm; the Lord will repay him according to his deeds. 15 Beware of him yourself, for he strongly opposed our message.
If you have ever watched an awards ceremony it is always interesting to here the person who is getting an award thank all the people in their lives who have been instrumental in helping them as they journey through life and get to where they have been or to help them receive the award they are getting. In this case, we see that Paul takes time to address the many friends and several foes who have influenced his ministry in some shape or another.
Paul realized that especially in ministry there is no way than anyone can serve alone or even pastor alone. The church is made up of many parts. Listen to this wonderful passage that we see in 1 Corinthians chapter 12.
14 For the body does not consist of one member but of many. 15 If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. 16 And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? 18 But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. 19 If all were a single member, where would the body be? 20 As it is, there are many parts, yet one body.
What we know is how important the body was too Paul and having a team of fellow workers to encourage him as he faithfully served Christ. Some of these men that served along side of Paul were old friends, some of them were new. Some of these were very consistent in their service too Paul while others eventually dropped off and became in love with the world. Some of these men were willing to give of their lives like Paul while others were not willing, but their were many folks that Paul mentions here that were instrumental in his life.
In passing on this ministry baton to Timothy, Paul shares some important things about these men and women that Timothy needs to know about. There are certain individuals who would be helpful to Timothy and there were also certain folks to be aware of as they had brought harm to the name of Jesus as well as Paul. In this final section that Paul gives us this has been given to the church to know about these people in Paul’s life and to learn from their faithfulness and their failure.
9 Examples for us to learn from. Several of these examples were people who were unfaithful and others were great examples of faithfulness.
1. The first faithful example that Paul gives us is Timothy.
9 Do your best to come to me soon.
What we learn here is that Paul wants Timothy to come to him as soon as he can. This sense of urgency indicates to us that Paul believed his time was short. The winter months would be coming and would not allow people to travel. Plus this shows how close these two men were. Paul wanted desperately to see his spiritual son before he left this earth. Timothy had become a very positive influence in Paul’s life. Timothy had been there for Paul in the beginning of his ministry and now would be there in the end. This is how much Timothy meant to Paul as we see in chapter 1.
3 I thank God whom I serve, as did my ancestors, with a clear conscience, as I remember you constantly in my prayers night and day. 4 As I remember your tears, I long to see you, that I may be filled with joy.
2. The second person that Paul lists here in verse 10 was Demas. This man was an unfaithful example.
10 For Demas, in love with this present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica. Crescens has gone to Galatia, Titus to Dalmatia.
While our friends and co-labors in ministry can bring great joy to us, they at times can also bring tremendous discouragement and heartache. Notice here that Paul tells Timothy that Demas at some point was loyal to Paul but now had deserted him. This Greek verb here is a very strong word meaning to utterly abandon and leave someone in a helpless and dire situation. When Demas abandoned Paul it truly brought heartache to him. This man Demas had been a positive help to Paul but sadly he drifted away and became in love with the things of this world. Men how careful we too must be not to become more in love with the things of this world than our love for Christ. Who or what holds first place in your hearts? Is Jesus Lord of your life? Is Christ the most important thing to you? When He is than you will begin to see that the things of this world grow less and less important everyday.
As we think about Demas loving this present world we are not told specifically what he went after all we know is that he deserted Paul. Paul gives us this challenge in Romans chapter 12 to think on.
2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
When we have misplaced affections or wrong loves, we will have a wrong or unfaithful life. Demas knew Paul, he was part of Paul’s ministry and later he leaves it all to follow the world. Here is the warning for us men.
12 Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall.
God help us as men to be faithful to you and to stand firm in the midst of temptation and trials. May this be our prayer as we journey through this life.
3-5. Paul now mentions several folks who have also departed from him, however these would be faithful examples.
10 For Demas, in love with this present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica. Crescens has gone to Galatia, Titus to Dalmatia. 11 Luke alone is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is very useful to me for ministry. 12 Tychicus I have sent to Ephesus.
-Crescens has gone to Galatia. Crescens and Titus it seems to have been sent out on missionary journeys. Crescens went out to Galatia which was across the Aegean Sea. Nothing else is known about this man in the New Testament, but a tradition connects him with a number of churches in Gaul which would have been in France.
-Titus has gone to Dalmatia. Titus is no stranger to us because we know that Paul also wrote a short letter to him as well. Titus finished his mission in Crete and was now given a new assignment. This is what Paul has to say about Titus.
4 To Titus, my true child in a common faith:
Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior.
Titus was a great friend to Paul as well as a gospel partner. Titus brought great comfort to Paul and seems to be a great equipper of leader. Paul trusted Titus to lead in the churches that really struggled.
5 This is why I left you in Crete, so that you might put what remained into order, and appoint elders in every town as I directed you—
So, we can assume that his mission to Dalmatia would probably be similar to what he had already done in strengthening the church as well as it’s leaders.
-Tychicus I have sent to Ephesus. In verse 12 Paul also writes about Tychicus. This man seems to have been a positive influence in Paul’s life as well. He was a loyal bearer of the letter to the Colossians and the Ephesians.
21 So that you also may know how I am and what I am doing, Tychicus the beloved brother and faithful minister in the Lord will tell you everything. 22 I have sent him to you for this very purpose, that you may know how we are, and that he may encourage your hearts.
7 Tychicus will tell you all about my activities. He is a beloved brother and faithful minister and fellow servant in the Lord. 8 I have sent him to you for this very purpose, that you may know how we are and that he may encourage your hearts,
Think about the assignment that Tychicus had been given. He was hand delivering the very word of God to these first churches and it is possible that he took this present letter to Timothy as he is now being sent to Ephesus where Timothy would have been.
6. Paul mentions here in verse 11 that Luke alone is with him.
11 Luke alone is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is very useful to me for ministry.
We know of course that Luke is responsible for writing the Gospel of Luke as well as Acts. Luke was also the dearly loved physician who was a very loyal friend and companion too Paul. He of course would stand in contrast to Demas. We also know that Luke was Paul’s biographer and the “we” passages in Acts indicate that he was with the apostle during some of the most difficult times of his life. So, surely Paul was very glad to have Luke with him.
7. The next individual that Paul mentions here is John Mark.
11 Luke alone is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is very useful to me for ministry.
Paul writes to Timothy that he would bring John Mark with him because he is useful to Paul in the ministry. The story of John Mark should be an encouraging story to us. Mark would have been an eyewitness of Jesus and may have been the young man who ran away naked at the arrest of Christ.
51 And a young man followed him, with nothing but a linen cloth about his body. And they seized him, 52 but he left the linen cloth and ran away naked.
Needless to say that Mark would have been very familiar with the life and ministry of Jesus. When Paul went on his first missionary journey Mark went with him. For some reason however Mark went home. Later on Barnabas wanted to take John Mark with him but Paul was not having it because he viewed Mark as a deserter. However, Barnabas took Mark with him while Paul chose Silas.
But Mark eventually gets restored and is later part of Paul’s ministry during Paul’s first imprisonment.
10 Aristarchus my fellow prisoner greets you, and Mark the cousin of Barnabas (concerning whom you have received instructions—if he comes to you, welcome him),
What is so encouraging here is that Paul calls John Mark useful to him. Some 20 years after their separation Mark now has become a faithful partner of Paul’s. Despite rejection, shame, hurt feelings, and even failure, John Mark is restored and was found useful to Paul. He of course was useful to the Lord and helped under the divine inspiration of the Holy Spirit to write the Gospel of Mark.
8. The next individual that Paul mentions here is Carpus.
13 When you come, bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas, also the books, and above all the parchments.
In his request to Timothy Paul mentions the name Carpus. When you come bring the cloak I left in Troas with Carpus, as well as the books and parchments. As a apostle/missionary/pastor there is nothing more important than your books. For some reason Paul had left these important things there in Troas with Carpus maybe due to him being arrested. Also, Paul’s cloak was important to him because he realized that the days were coming where it was going to get cold in Rome especially being in a jail cell. These personal items that Paul desired were evidently very important to him. These were possibly written accounts of the Lord’s words and deeds irregardless they contained very important material that would help Paul to guard the truth.
Commentator John Stott says this about current circumstance. “When our spirit is lonely, we need friends, when our body is cold, we need clothing, when our minds our bored, we need books.”
9. The last individual Paul mentions here is someone who brought great harm to Paul and would have been considered and unfaithful example. Paul mentions this man Alexander the coppersmith.
14 Alexander the coppersmith did me great harm; the Lord will repay him according to his deeds. 15 Beware of him yourself, for he strongly opposed our message.
Alexander was an obvious opponent to Paul and the gospel that Paul stood for. Notice here that Paul tells us that this man brought great harm to him and that he strongly opposed our message. He may of actually been involved in Paul’s second arrest. This coppersmith may have been the idol maker who resented Paul because Paul was cutting into his source of income. In first Timothy Paul mentions an Alexander whom he delivered over to Satan.
20 among whom are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan that they may learn not to blaspheme.
We are not for sure that this was the same Alexander, however it sure seems so. Paul now tells Timothy several thing about this man. First of all, Paul tells Timothy that the Lord will repay him according to his works. Paul knows that the Lord is the righteous judge, and there was coming a day where God would give out His ultimate judgment on this man. The Second detail that Paul gives Timothy here is that he warns him to watch out for him yourself and to be on guard against his evil opposition.
Men may we be aware of the many people in this world who will come against the name of Jesus and this gospel message. May we ultimately be aware that the even greater enemy is Satan himself. He is a liar, deceiver and will do everything he can to keep us from sharing the good news of Jesus with others. May we as men stand firm in these evil days.
Questions?
Close in Prayer:
