Investing in the Next Generation

Introduction

Paul and Barnabas have now parted ways, each continuing to faithfully serve the Lord. Barnabas with John Mark and Paul now with his new companion Silas.

As Paul and Silas begin this second missionary journey, their paths crossed with a young man named Timothy, who showed great promise, and Paul took a special interest in him.

One of the keys to the furtherance of the gospel and the strength and health of a church is that current ministry leaders are investing in the next generation who will one day become ministry leaders.

We see Paul begin what would ultimately become somewhat of a mentorship with young Timothy that would result in Timothy’s spiritual development to the point of becoming one of Paul’s closest ministry partners and an influential leader in the early church.

Timothy’s Testimony (Vs. 1-2)

Timothy was a young man that was very likely personally led to Christ by the apostle Paul during his previous time in Lystra. /

Timothy was a young man that exhibited a good Christian testimony, as such the believers in Lystra and Iconium took notice and shared a report of him with the apostle Paul.

The faith of Timothy was passed down to him by a faithful mother and a godly grandmother.

Parents you have a responsibility to do all that you can to pass your faith to your children.

Children you have a responsibility to maintain a good testimony. I am convince that many young people that could have been mightily used of God never had the opportunity because of a ruined testimony.

Timothy’s testimony was something that caused him to stand out from the crowd and marked him as someone with wonderful potential to be used of God.

Paul’s Discernment (Vs. 3a)

Paul was able to see the potential that Timothy had for serving the Lord. Paul received the report of Timothy’s good testimony from the believers in the area who had witnessed Timothy’s life.

Paul hand chose Timothy to come along with he and Silas as they continued their missionary journey. Timothy would have the opportunity to learn ministry from one of the greatest missionaries who ever lived.

So often we who are ministering are so busy with our ministry that we do not notice that there is another generation with great potential for serving the Lord.

We ought to be constantly on the lookout for someone that we can mentor and invest in because one day it will be the next generation who will be responsible for the ministries of High Plains Baptist Church.

If you are a ministry leaders then you ought to be seeking out someone who can come alongside you and learn from you with the hope that one day they can fill your shoes.

Elijah & Elisha- 8 years, Moses & Joshua- 40 years, Paul & Timothy- around 10-12 years- it is a biblical pattern for ministry leaders to find someone to invest in.

Paul’s Investment (Vs. 3b)

Paul deliberately takes Timothy under his wing and begins to invest in his spiritual development. Timothy would accompany Paul and go on special missions for him over the next 10-12 years of his life.

Paul immediately begins to invest in Timothy, no doubt teaching and instructing him in the Word of God and helping him to prepare for ministry.

Part of this preparation was to have Timothy circumcised. It is important that we realize that Paul was not giving credence to the legalists demands by having Timothy circumcised.

Instead Paul had the wisdom to know that Timothy would be most effective in ministering to Jew and Gentile without offense by being circumcised. Paul certainly would not have suggested this had not Timothy been raised by a Jewish mother in the tradition of the Jews.

- all things to all men

Paul was already doing what he could to help Timothy to be successful in ministry. He had a desire to give him any advantage possible to promote his future success in the gospel ministry.

You and I ought to be investing time and energy into the next generation to help them prepare for service to the Lord. This will often involved a great deal of time and much simple but practical instruction.

Paul saw the potential that Timothy had and saw the investment of time and energy he would make into his life as a worthy investment.

Timothy’s Commitment ( Vs. 3b)

Timothy’s commitment to the work of the ministry is revealed in the fact that he was willing to undergo circumcision at Paul’s instruction for the sake of the ministry.

Timothy was obviously committed to following Paul’s instruction. He had witnessed firsthand the success of the apostle’s ministry and was committed to yielding himself to be mentored and groomed so the he might also experience such success.

Too many young people today have somehow come to the conclusion that they know a better way of ministry or that they have a new idea that will work better than the ideas of the generation before them.

Every young man or young lady interested in serving the Lord in any capacity should seek the counsel and wisdom of those who have come before them.

This does not mean that there is no room for new methods of outreach or new approaches to ministry but we should always seek the counsel of the godly men and women who have come before us even in these new endeavors.

Timothy was committed to receiving wisdom from the apostle Paul and submitting himself to Paul to learn and grow under his leadership. Timothy would become one of Paul’s most loyal and trusted companions in ministry.

Conclusion

Ultimately Paul, Silas, and their new ministry partner Timothy would continue their journey, delivering the message of salvation by grace through faith to the churches and dealing with the seeds of legalism that had been sown in the church.

They were also sharing with the churches the instructions (standards) that had been recommended by the church at Jerusalem under the leadership of the Holy Spirit.

- the standards set forth for the gentile churches.

The churches gladly received both messages and in the end they were strengthened and continued to grow. It is the preaching of the gospel that grows churches and it was the standards that preserved the testimony of the early church leading to continued growth.

The standards were integrated preserving the church’s testimony and promoting unity and fellowship thus allowing them to preach the gospel with a greater impact.

Many would say that standards will kill a church, but the opposite is actually true. Biblical standards will preserve a church’s testimony and promote unity in the church, allowing the church to have a greater impact on the community.

The churches gladly received both messages and in the end they were strengthened and continued to grow. It is the preaching of the gospel that grows churches and it was the standards that preserved the testimony of the early church leading to continued growth.

Both the preaching of the gospel and adherence to the standards given at the direction of the Holy Spirit, were necessary to the church’s continued strength and growth.