Paul and Timothy

Introduction: Have we settled? Ex. elite sports teams - make each other better

The Church, and the world, need men who make each other better in Christ. In our text today, we see the beginnings of that as we are introduced to Paul’s relationship with the young man Timothy.

We need older men who mentor the younger, and younger men who support and come alongside the older as we live out our calling and witness.

Some will be ministers, preachers, teachers, fathers, coworkers, coaches, uncles, friends. All in need of Godly examples and all needed as Godly examples.

Read Acts 16:1-5

Pray

Importance of Timothy...

Timothy’s name shows up 24x in the NT

Paul referred to him as his “true child in the faith” (1 Timothy 1:2) and “beloved son” (2 Tim 1:2)

grandmother Lois and mother Eunice both believers (2 Timothy 1:5), father a Greek (likely deceased)

Adopted at a young age as companion of Paul and Silas on their second missionary journey, he became a fellow missionary and helped in establishing churches throughout the regions.

Was with Paul from then, again later in Corinth, in Ephesus on the third journey and even in Rome during Paul’s first imprisonment.

Included in introduction of letters to 2 Corinthians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 and 2 Thessalonians and Philemon.

He’s mentioned in Hebrews (by Paul?), having been released from prison and hopefully coming with the author to visit the church.

Two books bear his name as Epistles written from Paul to him for the purpose of helping him as he leads and established the Ephesian church.

I want to highlight from our passage in Acts three areas that can either stall, or strengthen your walk with God as well as how these relationships in the church can be key in unlocking out spiritual potential to the glory and praise of Jesus Christ our Lord.

Timothy’s history

(v.1, 3) - Mother Jewish believer, father a Greek

He could be written off by certain Jews who despised his mixed lineage, and by those Greeks who had a certain disdain for Jews.

Could have stalled his walk and witness, if he let it be a thing in his heart and mind.

I can’t because… (Identity crisis)

New identity in Christ! (Heard the gospel and responded in faith)

2 Corinthians 5:17 NASB95

Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.

Now a child of the King, now forgiven, now your soul secure. No longer primarily Jewish, or Greek - but in the family and nation of God in Christ!

Brother/sister, you have a history. It, too is mixed. It is filled with good, bad, shameful and honorable. Some things you had no control over, others that were all on you. Events and circumstances that have left and lasting mark on your heart and life.

Here’s the question - will your history continue to stall you out, keep you frozen and unable to move forward - or will it become the part of your story that highlights and enhances the effects of God’s grace in your life?

Many are forgiven of their sins by God but struggle to walk in the freedom of God’s love because they never fully received the affirming love of a parent.

Some have spent so much time and effort trying to run and hide from their past that they have had to completely shut off parts of themselves from their family, from God and from their brothers and sisters in Christ.

Confession. Ex. AA - self inventory

Tether ball - What is the distinguishing mark of a tether ball? (tethered to the pole)

We can be like that ball, tethered to the pole of our past, identifying with the poles and try as we might we cannot break away on our own. We find ourselves again and again coming back to it, flying in the same orbital patterns of thoughts, feelings, insecurities, fears. Our identity is no longer that pole. Christ has cut the tether and now we are flying free in Him.

Where does your identity lie, dear friend? In your past, your history or in the justifying, redeeming, transforming love of God for you poured out in the death and resurrection of Our Lord? Every circumstance, every evil deed (done by or to you), every sorrow, everything that stops you in your tracks or seems to tether your heart (while a part of who you are) is redeemable through the precious blood of Jesus! What stalls you can become a strength, if you will face it and bring it to be washed in the fountain of life!

(you don’t have to do it alone…)

God loved Timothy, saved Timothy and sent Paul to Timothy.

Paul saw potential and was willing to invest in him.

Brother, you need someone you can talk to, you can share with. It won’t be everyone. But you need at least one!

There are Paul’s in this room that need to find and invest in a Timothy. There are Timothy’s in this room that can come alongside and support a Paul.

Paul could identify with Timothy because he was like Timothy. He too had a history. He too was of Jewish and Greek heritage. He knew firsthand how God could use it and redeem it.

(Jesus’s lineage!) God would redeem that history as a trophy and tool of His grace for others

That’s Timothy’s History. But your history isn’t the only thing that can stall or strengthen your walk...

Timothy’s holiness

(v.2) - Well spoken of by the brethren who were in Lystra and Iconium

Timothy, in spite of his youth, was well-known and had a good reputation among the Christian community in that region.

Not only had He been justified by faith in Christ and declared Holy by God, He was giving evidence to saving faith by the way he conducted himself.

What was he well spoken of for? Maybe it was zeal, or giftedness. Certainly it was his conduct

What contributed to Timothy’s reputation of holiness?

It was due to God’s grace and the renewing power of the Holy Spirit, but also to the instruction of his mother and grandmother (2 Tim 3:15) and Paul’s evangelistic efforts in ministering the gospel to them.

Mom, Grandma - don’t underestimate the influence of a Godly, praying, woman who teaches her kids and grandkids the Way

2 Timothy 3:14–15 NASB95

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.

Maybe they’ve strayed, are struggling or running from God. Keep praying, hoping, investing spiritual truth in love that those seeds that were planted might grow and they might come to Christ yet!

Paul came and shared Christ, through which God reached this young man. God uses means! He uses human visits, human words, and human efforts. Seldom does God magically zap someone into the kingdom out of nowhere. Instead He calls men and women to go and to share the message.

Romans 10:17 NASB95

So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.

Examples: Gospel conversations! Preaching! Teaching! Nursery!

How can the issue of holiness stall or strengthen your walk?

Because we can ignore it completely (Hebrews 12:13-15) to our harm and the harm of others.

Because we can focus too much on what we think we are or aren’t instead of connecting with the One who makes us what we are declared to be!

Ex. List to check off versus relationship.

Assuming/thinking we have to get more Holy to face God instead of running to Him and embracing His Grace and Love that brings holiness!

Like being thirsty in the desert and thinking you must feel quenched to come to the well

(Remember David!!! )

Because of wrong thinking about ourselves and other Christians - we all struggle with holiness and sin! We all need help in the fight! Godly connections and relationships is part of the remedy!

Remember, Paul was the one who wrote Romans 7! And yet he called on others to follow his example.

Romans 7:24–8:1 NASB95

Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, on the one hand I myself with my mind am serving the law of God, but on the other, with my flesh the law of sin. Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

We need a short memory for sin, and a vast memory of God’s grace and calling (Read, Pray, Listen to, Meditate on the Word of God/gospel!!!)

Then, we need to be willing to live in transparency and integrity among our Brothers and Sisters in Christ for our good and theirs. (Takes being together)

Paul took notice and poured into Timothy. He modeled discipline and holiness, encouraging him also to be an example of holiness - 1 Timothy 4:6-8, 12, 15-16

Through Paul and Timothy’s example, the church was strengthened, the gospel proclaimed, souls saved and God glorified!

Who needs your Godly example? Who are you following as an example? Who are you enlisting in the fight for holiness and against sin?

Brother, don’t battle alone!!! What has been a cause for stalling out in your walk can become a strength that God uses! Don’t quit! Don’t hide! Run to him and engage! (How will we do this?...)

Timothy’s humility

(v.3) - took him and circumcised him

Timothy knew the Humble Christ who sacrificed for His own

Paul called Timothy to sacrifice in humility and love for Christ and His people

Paul encouraged him in devotion and deference for the body.

He modeled it , pointing to God’s grace as a reason for endurance and humble devotion (1 Tim 1:12-16) , and later as a prisoner for Christ (2 Tim 1:8-12, 2:3*) ,

He taught about it - Examples as soldier, athlete and farmer to impress upon him the need to labor for the prize in Jesus Christ (2 Tim 2:3-10)

Timothy was willing to sacrifice - (ex. circumcision, even prison - Hebrews 13:23)

for the sake of the church

for the sake of the gospel and the lost

Brothers, we must call each other to sacrifice for our King and His people.

encourage it - Thank you for your sacrifice and service! (We get to!)

model it - bring someone along!

teach it -

In what ways is pride holding you back? Fear of rejection? Fear of exposure? Insecurity? So what if you aren’t that person, they aren’t what you think they are anyway! You are you and God has called you to be you. Just a humble, holy, mold-able version! Humble yourself, be ready to sacrifice for Christ, your brothers and the lost! Let’s go!!!

What needs cut away? What sacrifice or discomfort do you need to go through? Christ was fully exposed, that we may be covered! He was utterly rejected that we might find full and final acceptance in Him! Know who you are! Run into it with boldness and faith! Then grab the guy next to you and help him do the same!!!

Paul poured into Timothy and received a lifelong friend, son in the faith and partner in the ministry. Through this relationship the church was greatly encouraged and many came to hear and believe on Jesus’s Name. Who are you pouring into? Who’s pouring into you? Let’s connect for the glory of God, the good of His church, and the proclamation of the Good News that this world so desperately needs to hear!