Choosing a Co-Laborer
Acts: The Second Missionary Journey • Sermon • Submitted • Presented • 41:20
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Introduction:
If you have your Bibles let me invite you to open with me to the book of Acts chapter 16.
Last week’s text marked the beginning of Paul’s second missionary journey.
At the end of chapter 15, Paul came to Barnabas with the suggestion that they should return to the churches they had planted, help fight off false teaching, and strengthen them in the faith.
Paul and Barnabas seem to agree that another trip was a good idea, but they disagree on who should join them on the trip.
Barnabas recommended they take John Mark.
Paul disagreed.
We learned that John Mark had abandoned them on the previous journey for a not so good reason.
John Mark, in Paul’s eyes, wasn’t trustworthy enough to join them on the trip.
Paul doesn’t argue that John Mark was a heretic, or that he wasn’t a Christian.
Its just that based on his recent acts of immaturity, he can’t come on this trip.
15 years later, Paul actually invites John Mark to participate in a missional endeavor.
11 Luke alone is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is very useful to me for ministry.
At the very least there is a redemption story for John Mark, and he proves useful for the ministry,
but in Acts 15, Paul doesn’t believe John Mark is ready or trustworthy for the task at hand.
So Paul and Barnabas part ways.
Interestingly, and I think intentionally, the author Luke transitions in chapter 16 to provide the details surrounding another young man who was Ready.
The author transitions to describe a young man who Paul did want to join the missionary endeavor.
John Mark, at least in Paul’s eyes, was not ready, and could not be trusted at this time to join the work.
But now, in chapter 16, we are introduced to a man who is ready, a man who can be trusted, a man who Paul chose for the work - a young man named Timothy.
Now this is a big deal In the narrative.
This is the first time we are being introduced to young Timothy who will go on to be one of Paul’s most trusted, and most involved co-laborers.
Timothy becomes so essential to Paul’s ministry, that he is actually designated as the co-sender of 6 of Paul’s New Testament letters.
So we want to explore how he is introduced?
And we want to ask this questions:
What is the apostle Paul looking for in a missionary partner for the cause of Christ?
What does it look like to be ready for the work of the Lord in your life?
Let’s read and pray for understanding.
1 Paul came also to Derbe and to Lystra. A disciple was there, named Timothy, the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer, but his father was a Greek.
2 He was well spoken of by the brothers at Lystra and Iconium.
3 Paul wanted Timothy to accompany him, and he took him and circumcised him because of the Jews who were in those places, for they all knew that his father was a Greek.
4 As they went on their way through the cities, they delivered to them for observance the decisions that had been reached by the apostles and elders who were in Jerusalem.
5 So the churches were strengthened in the faith, and they increased in numbers daily.
Lets Pray
Imagine with me that your gathering with the believers in Lystra and the apostle Paul joins you for the service.
He is looking for a co-laborer.
He needs someone to join the missionary work.
He needs someone to travel the world with him, endure hardships, share the gospel, plant churches, and combat false teachers.
Would you be ready to go?
Would you already be the kind of co-laborer he was looking for?
Or would you feel unprepared?
As we track through the text this morning, I want to ask this question: What is Paul looking for in a missionary co-laborer?
1 Paul came also to Derbe and to Lystra. A disciple was there, named Timothy, the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer, but his father was a Greek.
What made Timothy ready for this opportunity?
I think we can make at least three observations about Timothy.
#1 Timothy Was A Disciple of Jesus
#1 Timothy Was A Disciple of Jesus
Timothy was already a disciple of Jesus.
The word disciple means follower or learner of the way of Jesus Christ.
So before Paul arrived,
before Paul invited Timothy to this adventure of missionary service,
before Timothy ever got to add his name beside Paul’s name on the six inspired letters of the New Testament,
Timothy was following Jesus.
He was living the normal, faithful, Christian life in a city where the apostle Paul had been stoned and left for dead.
How is it that Timothy was ready for Paul’s invite to travel the world planting churches?
He was already a faithful disciple of Jesus right where he was.
Let me pause here briefly and say this to the seminary students in the room and those aspiring to vocational ministry in the room…
If your being a disciple of Jesus and your following after Jesus is somehow contingent upon the ministerial opportunities you get
or the job you want
or the specific ways that you want God to use you in the future,
then you need to be careful because it may not be Jesus you are pursuing, but rather a particular kind of life and recognition that you are following.
Timothy was a genuine disciple of Jesus
before he ever was a disciple of the apostle Paul traveling the world to plant churches
That means at some point in his life, he repented of his sins, believed in his heart that Jesus bore his sins on the cross, and rose again from the dead to offer him eternal life.
He had been made new.
He was born again.
and he was actively following after the way of Jesus.
Make sure you get the order right.
Follow Jesus well first and foremost that you might be ready to serve him with what ever opportunities he gives you.
Now, we can assume from this text and its confirmed in other texts,
that Timothy was a disciple of Jesus because his mother was a believer in Jesus who had successfully passed the faith on to him.
That assumption is later confirmed in Paul’s letter to Timothy which slightly pulls the curtain back on Timothy’s childhood.
This is Paul later writing to Timothy.
5 I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, dwells in you as well.
14 But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it
15 and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.
Timothy was made ready for such a God-honoring, kingdom-shaping, world-changing ministry…
because he had a faithful grandmother
and a faithful mother who had begun to teach him the way of Jesus from an early age.
**side note - parents in the room, you do not grasp the depth of the significance of your ministry to your sons and your daughters.
When you are fighting through a family devotion and no one is paying attention,
when you are changing diapers and cleaning up dinner and changing laundry,
and dealing with the latest tantrum….
You cannot see what your gospel life and gospel words are doing, and accomplishing, and preparing your child for.
Eunice, Timothy’s mother, had no idea that one day 2,000 years later, we would read about Timothy’s faithful missionary work among the nations.
And take note of this as well.
The text does not suggest that Timothy’s father was a believer.
The mother is described to be a Jewish believer, and the Father is just described to be a Greek, not a Greek believer.
That means that Timothy’s upbringing was not perfect.
He likely did not have the ideal Christian upbringing with both parents unified in their faith, yet God still blessed the faithful discipleship of a mother.
What kind of co-laborer was Paul looking for?
First and foremost he was looking for a true and genuine disciple of Jesus.
And Timothy was such a disciple of Jesus…,
in part because he was a disciple of his believing mother Eunice.
Paul recognized something special about Timothy’s knowledge of the Scriptures and his pursuit of Jesus…,
but Paul also saw that he was not the only one who saw these things in Timothy.
look at verse 2.
2 He was well spoken of by the brothers at Lystra and Iconium.
#2 Timothy Was a Disciple Well Spoken Of (v.2)
#2 Timothy Was a Disciple Well Spoken Of (v.2)
Timothy’s life and ministry was well known and well spoken of in two adjacent cities.
This means that he was already living a life of integrity
He was already living a life of ministry among the believers in these cities.
He was stewarding well the life and the opportunities that the Lord had sovereignly given him
He was faithfully ministering in relative obscurity,
but the brothers took notice of his life
and they spoke well of it.
This theme of being well-spoken of is a repeated one in the book of Acts.
This is what the congregation in Jerusalem were to look for when appointing deacons over the widow ministry.
3 Therefore, brothers, pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we will appoint to this duty.
This is what was commended in Cornelius who was seeking the Lord
22 And they said, “Cornelius, a centurion, an upright and God-fearing man, who is well spoken of by the whole Jewish nation, was directed by a holy angel to send for you to come to his house and to hear what you have to say.”
And again, the man God used to open Paul’s blind eyes is described in similar terms.
12 “And one Ananias, a devout man according to the law, well spoken of by all the Jews who lived there,
Later, Paul will actually include this quality in the qualifications for those who could serve as an elder in the church.
In fact, besides the desire for serving as a pastor,
it is the first qualification for pastors outlined in 1 Timothy 3.
2 Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach,
To be above reproach, to be well-spoken of by multiple people in multiple cities, means that Timothy consistently followed Jesus.
His walk with Jesus was not contingent upon his environment.
He represented Jesus well in different spheres of life to different kinds of people regardless of circumstance or location.
What kind of co-laborer was Paul looking for?
He was looking for someone who consistently reflected Jesus no matter where they were or what they were doing…
so much so that they have a certain kind of reputation among the people.
Now let me pause and ask you…
Are you well spoken of?
Do you reflect Jesus in all of your relationships or just some of your relationships?
What about at the work place with co-workers?
What about when you are traveling out of town?
What about with your old high school or college friends?
What about at home with your immediate family?
Would you be embarrassed if your community group heard the way you were speaking to your spouse just before they arrived?
Would you be embarrassed if your Christian friends the way you talk around your non-Christian friends?
There is a consistency and faithful ministry to others that marked Timothy’s life so much so that Paul heard the same testimony bout Timothy in Lystra as he did in Iconium just over 20 miles away.
Thats important. Tulane students in the room. Tulane university is about 12 miles away. Your team is a whole different world of relationships.
Is there a consistency in the way you talk and interact with those your with here today and those who train with day and day out on your team on campus?
Our ministry is that of being a consistent witness to our Savior…,
so Paul wanted a co-laborer who was a consistent witness,
someone who remained the same regardless of situation or company.
With this description,
Timothy is shaping up to be a good candidate for the work.
but there is a a problem.
There is a striking detail in verse 1.
1 Paul came also to Derbe and to Lystra. A disciple was there, named Timothy, the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer, but his father was a Greek.
Timothy was from a mixed family.
A Jewish mother and a Greek father.
Its a relationship that devout Jews would have seen as unlawful,
the mixed relationship alone would have effected Timothy’s social status
but it also leads to another problem.
Due to what seems to be the influence of Timothy’s Greek Father,
Timothy did not receive the sign of the covenant as a baby that all Jewish boys were supposed to receive.
Timothy, though half Jewish, had not been circumcised.
So not only does he come from a mixed family, he had not received the physical sign of being one of God’s people when he was a baby.
For devout Jews, this meant Timothy was a disgrace.
As far as the Jews were concerned, because of this, Timothy was disobedient and had turned away from the one true God, and to the pagan gods of his father.
This would have been a stumbling block to Timothy’s witness to the Jews.
Once people found out, they would reject him before even hearing him.
So before joining the missionary team, at the counsel of Paul, Timothy takes a self-sacrificial action.
3 Paul wanted Timothy to accompany him, and he took him and circumcised him because of the Jews who were in those places, for they all knew that his father was a Greek.
Whats absolutely clear is that Timothy did not have to get circumcised in order to earn right standing with God.
That issue was debated, decided, and declared at the Jerusalem council in chapter 15.
Peter was clear.
11 But we believe that we will be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, just as they will.”
Jews were trying to teach that the Old Covenant sign of Circumcision was necessary to be saved from sin, but that was declared to be a false teaching.
Salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Jesus alone
In fact, part of the mission Paul was on was to deliver that message from the Jerusalem council.
Thats what verse 4 tells us.
4 As they went on their way through the cities, they delivered to them for observance the decisions that had been reached by the apostles and elders who were in Jerusalem.
Part of those decisions was the declaration that circumcision was not necessary for salvation.
So if its not required for Timothy to go through this procedure as a grown man in order to be saved, why in the world would he go through the pain of it before launching off on the mission with Paul?
Pauls says it was “because of the Jews who were in those places”
So This was a painful and self-sacrificial act not so that Timothy could be right with God…,
but it was done so that those Jews who would have other wise written him off, might listen long enough to hear how they could be right with God through faith in Jesus.
This seems to be Paul and Timothy’s attempt to remove an unnecessary stumbling block to Timothy’s ministry among Jewish people.
In this we learn at least one more detail about Timothy.
#3 Timothy Was a Disciple Who Put the Needs of Others First
#3 Timothy Was a Disciple Who Put the Needs of Others First
Convenience and comfort was obviously not Timothy’s god.
He was willing to embrace sacrifice for the cause of Christ.
He was willing to bear pain and difficulty if it meant that others might hear the gospel message.
This one act is consistent with how Paul later describes Timothy.
This description of Timothy has always struck me.
19 I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, so that I too may be cheered by news of you.
20 For I have no one like him, who will be genuinely concerned for your welfare.
21 For they all seek their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ.
22 But you know Timothy’s proven worth, how as a son with a father he has served with me in the gospel.
At this point in Paul’s ministry years later,
from prison, he writes, “I have no one like Timothy, who will be genuinely concerned for your welfare.”
Thats the kind of co-laborer Paul wanted.
Thats the kind of co-laborers we should strive to be.
The kind of people who genuinely care for others welfare without strings attached, without clauses in the contract, without self-seeking.
The kind of people who care for others even if it is costly to us.
Timothy was willing to be circumcised in the flesh as a grown man if it meant more fruitful ministry for those who didn’t now Jesus.
And as Luke does throughout Acts, he marks this moment a description of its effect.
5 So the churches were strengthened in the faith, and they increased in numbers daily.
Timothy was ready when the opportunity came to join the work of God.
He was already a disciple
He was already well spoken of by the brothers
He was already the kind of man willing to put others before himself.
He was already the kind of man willing to leave mother and father, and the safety of home, to venture out with the apostle Paul on this mission.
But why are all these things important for the task?
Why do we recognize these traits as commendable?
Because in these traits we see shadows of our savior.
Jesus Connection:
Jesus is the most above reproach servant to have ever ministered on Earth.
There was no inconsistency in Jesus, no sin, no wavering, no difference in righteousness depending on where he was or what was happening to him.
22 He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth.
23 When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly.
Jesus was perfectly above reproach, yet Jesus willingly took the reproach upon himself.
Timothy willingly took circumcision in the flesh for the good of others, but Jesus took on crucifixion of the flesh for the salvation of others.
24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.
Paul describes Jesus as the perfect example of putting others needs before our own:
3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.
4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.
5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus,
6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped,
7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.
8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
This is what Paul had in mind, when he describes Timothy in the same chapter.
20 For I have no one like him, who will be genuinely concerned for your welfare.
21 For they all seek their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ.
When we live our lives in submissive, self-sacrificial ways for the spread of God’s Kingdom,
We simply reflect what our Savior has already done for us.
Thats what it means to be a powerful witness to Christ our Savior.
We speak about him AND we embody to others what Jesus is like by the way we live our lives.
We receive the grace of his selfless care for us and we share that selfless care with others.
Conclusion
I want to conclude with just a few questions about your readiness to participate in the mission of God…
Are You a Disciple of Jesus?
The Scriptures are clear. You become a disciple of Jesus by faith.
9 because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
10 For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.
11 For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.”
12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him.
13 For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
But notice that believing in Jesus is a believing upon Jesus as Lord.
Trusting someone is your Lord leads to following them as Lord.
A disciples is a follower and a learner of the words of Jesus and the ways of Jesus.
If thats not you, I urge you today, to call upon the name of the Lord and ask him to make you one of his disciples by his grace.
If you are a disciple today, recenter your focus.
Remember that it is Jesus you follow, not a person, not a position, not recognition.
Its Jesus.
And he wants you to follow him now in the small things.
Don’t hold off until the big apostolic invitation of Paul…
Follow Jesus and be faithful where he has placed you just as Timothy had done before Paul ever arrived and offered him the invitation to join him.
2.) Are You Representing Jesus Well?
We are always failing at this, but praise be to God we are always improving in this.
In what areas of life do you need God’s help representing Jesus?
Is it in your marriage?
your parenting?
your job?
your friends?
Where are you putting your own comforts, conveniences, and needs before the needs of others?
What would you need to repent of or change in your life for you to embody the care of Jesus to others?
This is the secret to any relationship.
We must live a curciform shaped life… that is a life where we are always crucifying our own selfishness, our own flesh, our own desires, for the good of those we love.
This is how marriages survive.
this is how friendships thrive.
This is how churches multiply.
We are a people who are always crucifying our flesh, and thus who are always walking in resurrection life.
And as we do the Lord accomplishes his mission through us.
5 So the churches were strengthened in the faith, and they increased in numbers daily.
Lets pray to that end.
