Sermon Tone Analysis

INTRODUCTION

I have no one like him.

That’s how Paul described Timothy in v. 20 and its quite the statement.

But it’s a statement we might overlook unless we think about it a bit.

[ILLUS] I heard a story this past week about Bruce Lorenz, an 86-year-old man who was once again reelected as mayor of Ruso, North Dakota.

He received 100% of the vote with 100% voter turnout in his town… which sounds impressive until you learn that Ruso, North Dakota only has three residents!

Bruce has actually been living in an assisted nursing facility since his health began to decline this past Spring and his daughter had to remind him that it was election day.

Upon hearing that he once again won (making it about three decades of service for Bruce), he said that he would have to go down the street and get a cigar.

Maybe we can imagine the other two residents of Ruso, North Dakota, going to the poll to vote for mayor and thinking to themselves, “We’ve got no one like, Bruce,” when what they really meant was, “We’ve got no one besides, Bruce!”

That’s not what Paul was saying about Timothy here in v. 20.

He wasn’t saying that he had no one besides Timothy.

He said that he had no one like Timothy.

Paul had others who served with him at various times.

There was Luke, Titus, Tychicus, Aquila and Priscilla, Lucius, Jason, Sosipater, Tertius, Gaius, Mark, Justus, Aristarchus, Epaphras, Silvanus, and others.

And, yet, he only said this about Timothy, “I have no one like him...” (v.

20).

What did Paul mean?

Well, he could have also meant that he had no one else who was so much like himself.

As Paul wrote in v. 20, he and Timothy served together like father and son (v.

22) and most sons at least resemble their father.

But most certainly he meant that he had no one else so well suited to minister to the Philippians; no one else who would be so “genuinely concerned” for the welfare of the Philippians (v.

20) and the interests of Jesus Christ (v.

21).

There were plenty of people who would seek their own interests.

So many, in fact, that Paul generalizes with the word all in v. 21.

He writes, “For they all seek their own interests...” (v.

21).

Now, I said this was a generalization because it wasn’t true that literally all sought their own interests.

Paul didn’t.

Epaphroditus didn’t.

And Timothy didn’t, which is Paul’s point.

Paul meant to contrast Timothy’s individual selflessness with the world’s general selfishness.

The world is generally selfish.

Followers of Jesus are called to be individually selfless.

This selflessness was the way of Jesus who gave his life as the sacrifice for our sins on the cross.

This selflessness was the way of Paul who wanted to become more and more like Jesus (v.

10).

This selflessness is the life that God calls all of us to in ...

[CIT] This selflessness was exemplified in Timothy, Paul’s son in the faith and faithful partner in ministry.

[CONTEXT] Paul was under house-arrest in Rome awaiting trial, so he could not go to the Philippians personally, but he could send them Timothy.

And Timothy’s selfless example would be the antidote to the poison of selfishness that had crept into the Philippian church.

Now, just as we said last week when we talked about Paul’s selfless example, Timothy was only following the example of Jesus in his selfless way of living.

And while Timothy (like Paul) is not a perfect example, [PROP] he is a good example that if followed will help us to follow the selfless way of Jesus more faithfully.

[INTER] So how did Timothy follow the selfless way of Jesus?

[TS] Let’s look at four WAYS...

MAJOR IDEAS

Way #1: Timothy followed the example of Jesus in his care (v.

20).

[Exp] There are traits we naturally receive from our parents.

There are traits in our parents that we have to work to adopt or work to avoid depending on what they are, but the ones we receive naturally, we don’t have to work at.

For better or for worse, they are naturally instilled in us.

Timothy’s genuine concern (ESV, NASB); his sincere care (NKJV) or natural care (KJV) for the Philippians and others was a trait that he had picked up naturally from his spiritual father, the Apostle Paul.

Paul cared so he preached the gospel, planted churches, pastored churches, visited believers, wrote to believers, sent godly men to strengthen believers, and prayed for believers.

Paul did all of that while Timothy observed and naturally picked up the same genuine concern for others that Paul had.

In , Paul said that Timothy was “doing the work of the Lord as (he was).”

Timothy was following the example of Paul as Paul followed the example of Christ.

Also, we should remember that Timothy’s godly mother and grandmother, Eunice and Lois, are lauded for their sincere faith in .

There’s no doubt that their sincere faith was demonstrated in a sincere concern for the well-being of others.

As Timothy watched, they no doubt modeled the kind of care that Paul praised Timothy for here in .

We also should consider that Timothy was gifted to care as he did.

He not only learned it by watching Paul and his mother and grandmother, the Spirit of God had gifted him to care as he did.

We are commanded to care genuinely and sincerely, but it seems Timothy was gifted to care naturally.

It seems to be the normal expression of personality once he devoted his life to following Jesus.

In his commentary on Philippians, J. A. Motyer wrote, “There was nothing forced or artificial about Timothy’s concern: it was the genuine product of a regenerate (i.e., Christian) nature...”

Motyer, J. A. (1984).

The message of Philippians (p.

140).

Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.

[Illus] There was an elderly lady who made frequent trips to the post office in her town.

All she ever bought was stamps.

One day she arrived at the post office and was greeted by a long line of people.

Patiently she took her place in line and waited.

When she finally got the counter, the postal worker greeted her by name and asked, “Why don’t you just use the stamp machine?

You can put in your money, the stamps will come out, and you won’t have to wait in line.”

The elderly woman replied, “Yes, but the stamp machine won’t ask about my arthritis.”

[Illus] A cashier in a grocery store noticed that one of her regular customers always chose the longest line at checkout.

He would come up to the cashiers like most folks.

Look at the lines of people waiting to check out and then he intentionally chose the longest one instead of the shortest one like most people do.

She asked him why he did that and he said it was because there would be more time to talk and more people to talk to as he waited in the longest line.

[App] Even in the connected age in which we live, people are increasingly lonely and desperate for someone to genuinely care about them.

They want someone to listen to them, talk with them, pray for them, encourage them, check on them.

They want someone to be genuinely concerned about their welfare.

They don’t want to be a burden, they just want to be known and loved.

If you’re lonely, let me encourage you to care for the lonely.

They don’t want to be a burden, they just want to be loved.

As followers of Jesus, we can care for people like that.

Because I have been saved by God’s grace through faith in Christ, rather than ask, “Why isn’t anyone caring for me?”

I can choose to care for others.

As devoted followers of Jesus Christ, we can and should genuinely care for people as Timothy did.

[TS] Way #1: Timothy followed the example of Jesus in his care.

Way #2: Timothy followed the example of Jesus in his devotion (v.

21-22a).

[Illus] Your high school probably had a yearbook like mine did.

In that yearbook, there were pictures of all the students; pictures of classes, clubs, and sports teams, but you surely remember pictures labeled “most” or “best.”

[Illus]

There was “most popular,” “most likely to succeed,” “best dressed,” “best eyes,” “best hair,” and “cutest couple.”

(I’m sure all those relationships worked out!)

But you surely remember pictures labeled “most” or “best.”

If Paul had been yearbook editor, Timothy’s picture would’ve had “most devoted” below it.

[Exp] What was it that made Paul admire Timothy’s devotion?

One thing was that Timothy was focused on the interests of Jesus Christ while everyone else sought their own interests.

When Paul said, “all seek their own interests,” it was a general statement.

Surely, most people seek their own interests, so many in fact that it seems by comparison as if all live to please themselves.

Most everyone we meet is devoted to themselves.

Most everyone we meet is devoted to themselves.

Now, we might think of Timothy as primarily devoted to Paul and Paul’s interests, but that’s not how Paul saw it.