2022.04.10 The End of the World As We Know It: You're not Paul, You're Timothy

The End of the World As We Know It: You’re not Paul, You’re Timothy

Acts 13:1-3 • 1 Timothy 1:1-5

First, thank Pastor Aaron Wheaton for filling the pulpit in my absence last week.

Sometimes, when a pastor is gone, they watch last week’s service to see if they need to do any damage control. With Pastor Aaron, I watch to learn something and to hear a great message. So, thanks to Aaron for serving last week.

Secondly, I want to tell you, I’m not going to talk about the events of Palm Sunday. It was a great celebration, and the same people who were waving palm branches shouting, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” will later this week be shouting, “Crucify him!” The rest of this week is the big news. So not to diminish today at all, but today is simply the beginning of the Passion we see the rest of this week. Come Maundy Thursday, and Good Friday, and you’ll see his Passion. Come next Sunday to Sunrise and our regular service and you’ll see His glory!

It’s been a couple of weeks, so you may have lost track of the series we’re in the middle of. So let me refresh your memory a bit. We have a collection plate on the Communion Table that contains the names of people we believe the Holy Spirit inspired us to work toward a faith conversation. Notice I chose my words very carefully on that. God does not expect us to CONVERT those people. Why?

Because conversion is the Holy Spirit’s job. For decades, the church has been trying to steal the Holy Spirit’s job … as if God needs us to be better at convicting people than he is! The Holy Spirit is much better at convicting and converting people than we will be. In fact, if I have converted someone … they are just as condemned as they were before we started!

The goal here, is to develop genuine concern for someone’s eternity, and seed opportunities to tell YOUR STORY! We don’t have to know everything there is to know about God or the Bible. We have to know what WE’VE EXPERIENCED! And then, we have to be available to tell that experience to other people.

We began with prayer. (I hope that’s still continuing. Maybe add yourself and your courage to the prayer list, too.)

Then, we seeded a conversation to ask them about their faith experience. (You had another 2 weeks since I asked last time. Show of hands … How many of you had those conversations?)

I want to caution you of a few things here. I could be the best speaker ever to see this planet. I could be the most theologically sound human being to ever proclaim the Gospel. I could be the kindest, most compassionate pastor you’ll ever know. But there are a few things I cannot do.

One of those things … I cannot make you care about your friend enough to overcome the awkwardness of beginning a faith conversation.

You have to do that on your own. In this series, I am hopeful that you’re receiving practical ways to prepare the person and yourself for that conversation.

At this point, they shouldn’t have heard your faith experience unless they’ve asked about it.

Praying doesn’t necessitate you telling them anything at all.

And asking them about their faith experience is all about them. If you’re like I am … you tend to blather on about yourself and your own experiences. So asking them about their faith life and just sitting back and listening with rapt attention may be the hardest step in the whole series.

If you still haven’t had that conversation, I hope you’d be courageous enough to ask. People like talking about themselves. And when you don’t respond by telling how wrong they are or where they would be so much better off being like you … you open the door to a deeper conversation later on. You demonstrate that you really want to KNOW ABOUT THEM, because you care about them.

Two weeks ago, I encouraged you to Eat Together

This wasn’t a faith thing at all … it was a “getting to know you” thing. The more you know about them, the more you’ll care about them … it’s human nature. And the more you know about them, the more specific your prayers can be about their life.

Show of hands, how many of you have started planning that meal? How many have already had that meal?

Would anyone like to share how it went?

If you’ve struggled with the first three steps, today’s may relieve you a bit … or it may step on your feelings a little bit.

In a 1988 Vice-Presidential debate, fellow Hoosier and then-Senator Dan Quayle made a comparison between his and John Kennedy’s levels of experience. In response, the now forgotten Senator Lloyd Benson responded, “Senator, I served with Jack Kennedy. I knew Jack Kennedy. Jack Kennedy was a friend of mine. Senator, you’re no Jack Kennedy.”

I’ve already told you that you’re not the Holy Spirit. Let me add another obvious statement to that, “You are no Jesus.”

Now, let me make a less obvious statement. Friend, you are no Paul of Tarsus! You may fashion yourself a stalwart of the faith when you talk with friends. You may envision yourself as one who goes about boldly telling people about Jesus … but your own inactivity has demonstrated you’re no Paul.

So, let me suggest a better comparison: You’re a Timothy.

You’re not the Holy Spirit, who does things unseen in people’s hearts. You’re not Jesus who boldly told the religious leaders where they were askew from God’s heart. You’re not Paul who goes to foreign lands to tell strangers about the Savior. Most of us are having trouble even asking people we know about their own faith experience. None of us are Paul!

No, we’re Timothy. Paul (or Saul as he’s called in today’s passage from Acts) was sent out to foreign lands. He was the traveling missionary. And when Paul went through an area, he spent time in that area. He got to know the people. He preached Jesus, and him crucified, in the language of the local people. He used local examples, and local customs to demonstrate the God they didn’t yet know. The Holy Spirit used Paul’s words to convict and convert countless thousands. And then, it was time for Paul to go to the next city. Do you just leave these baby Christians behind without any guidance or support? No. You leave behind someone like Timothy. Timothy converted under Paul’s leadership, and Paul made him into a colleague by leaving him behind as the pastor of the Church at Ephesus. (He later became the first bishop of Ephesus, so perhaps we’re not so much a Timothy as we may like, either.)

But Timothy is the residue of Paul. Like ashes after a fire has gone, when Paul left, Timothy remained and led the fledgling church. Paul’s letters to Timothy are pastor-to-pastor: Mentor-to-mentee.

Did Paul leave Timothy behind as a fire and brimstone preacher? no.

Did he leave Timothy behind to make connections between the church and local politicians? no.

Did he leave Timothy behind to keep people in the Church happy? no.

Paul left Timothy behind as a servant. Timothy may have served those other functions from time to time, but Paul’s reason for leaving him in Ephesus was to serve this new Church and keep them on a trajectory toward Heaven.

1 Timothy 1:3 NASB 2020

3 Just as I urged you upon my departure for Macedonia, to remain on at Ephesus so that you would instruct certain people not to teach strange doctrines,

1 Timothy 1:5 NASB 2020

5 But the goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart, from a good conscience, and from a sincere faith.

Timothy doesn’t think himself as Paul’s replacement. He sees himself as a servant, helping keep the Church on the trajectory Paul helped set for them … a trajectory toward Heaven.

[Mom driving story : “Stay in your lane, Betty!”]

Dad was right. If Mom didn’t stay in her lane, everyone in the car was in peril.

In the early Church, if Timothy didn’t stay in his lane, the people known as the Church at Ephesus were in peril.

And your friend … the name you placed on your piece of paper … that person is in peril. And it’s because the Church hasn’t stayed in her lane.

We’ve seen our lane as political emissary; or social problem solver; or some even as rabble rowsers. Our lane is one thing:

Do not read the passage

Matthew 28:19 NASB 2020

19 Go, therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,

Make disciples … make NEW disciples … talk with unchurched and dechurched people about the love of Christ that lives within us. We exist to tell people about how deeply God loves them. And we’ve been too busy telling them how much God hates their behavior. That makes enemies, not disciples. Your friend deserves better because the creator of the universe loves them with a fiery hot passion.

Do not read the passage

Matthew 28:20 NASB 2020

20 teaching them to follow all that I commanded you; and behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

There is a second part to making disciples for those of us who are already in the family … but that’s another message for another day.

We are to be a servant in making disciples of Jesus Christ.

If you google “serve” Bible, you’ll find all sorts of references:

10 Key Bible Verses on Serving

25 Bible Verses about Serving Others & Loving our Neighbor

27 Bible Verses about Serving Others that Will Motivate You

50 Inspirational Bible Verses About Serving Others

This week is Passion Week, or Holy Week.

John 13:14 NASB 2020

14 So if I, the Lord and the Teacher, washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet.

At the Last Supper, Jesus - creator of the world - wrapped a towel around his waste, dropped to a knee and washed the feet of his disciples … his underlings … his lessers … his creatures! Then, he told us to do the same.

Matthew 23:11 NASB 2020

11 But the greatest of you shall be your servant.

He taught his followers that the greatest among us is the servant.

Mark 10:44 NASB 2020

44 and whoever wants to be first among you shall be slave of all.

He said that getting behind is really getting ahead. The servant will be first among us.

John wrote that love IS serving. Love is not an emotion, it’s action to be taken:

1 John 3:16–18 NLT

16 We know what real love is because Jesus gave up his life for us. So we also ought to give up our lives for our brothers and sisters. 17 If someone has enough money to live well and sees a brother or sister in need but shows no compassion—how can God’s love be in that person? 18 Dear children, let’s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions.

So ...Have you loved your friend?

By this definition, does your friend know you love them?

You see, you aren’t in this person’s life to preach eloquent sermons to them, like Paul.

You’re there to demonstrate love, like Timothy.

You have been placed in your friend’s life … to be a servant.

Here’s where it would be easy to go theoretical on what it means to be a servant. That’s not what this is about. Theory never helped anyone discover God’s love for them … or YOUR love for them.

1 John 3:18 NLT

18 Dear children, let’s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions.

When we wrote their names on a slip of paper and commited to pray for their salvation … that was practical.

If we scheduled a time and sat down and listened to their faith experience … that was practical.

Planning a ‘get-to-know-you-better” meal … that’s practical.

So, let me help make serving them practical, too:

If you know their favorite cereal, order a case of it on Amazon and have it delivered to their house with a simple card that says “I care” or “I see you”.

Get in line in front of them at the cafeteria and tell the cashier you’re buying their lunch, too.

If they’re part of a small business that sells something you use, start buying products from their company instead of your usual source.

If they’re female, send them flowers with a card that just says, “You matter”

Heck! TELL THEM they matter!

Offer to take their car to the car wash … or wash it by hand. AND BRING IT BACK WITH A FULL TANK OF GAS

Offer to drive them somewhere they need to go (shopping; doctor’s office; dentist; eye doctor). “I know you’re going there, and I’d like to go with you. Can I drive you?”

Put together a care package of things you know they like.

If you’re handy, repair something on the outside of their house.

If you know what they like, order pizza online (so you can prepay) and have it delivered as they’re getting home from work.

Well, Pastor Chris, those are fantastic ideas, but with this economy, money’s really tight:

If they’re lonely, invite them to your Easter brunch or whatever celebration you have with your family.

Mow their lawn. Unless they have a field for a yard, you won’t notice the added cost for a single mowing.

If it’s a neighbor, watch for them unloading groceries and go over and start picking up bags. Don’t offer, just do it. When they come back out to their car, hand them the already gathered bags for their next trip - many people don’t want you in their house - so serve from the driveway.

Pour a cup of coffee for a coworker you know likes coffee and deliver it to their desk.

Take a bottle of water to someone at work.

Take a squeegie and go clean their car windows after the Winter of muck we’ve had thrown on them.

If you see them working on something, go over and work with them … don’t ask if it’s okay … ask, “What can I do to help you?”

Try to find a menial task they’re responsible for at work and do it for them.

Offer to babysit their kids!

There are a thousand ways to serve people in a practical way. Some of them cost a little bit of money. Some of them just cost time. What would your friend appreciate? Do it. And don’t tell them why until they ask you why.

And your answer is simple: “You matter, so I want to serve you.”

We began with prayer.

We listened to their faith story

We ate together

Now, we serve them.

Aren’t they worth it?

Some of you have done some extravagant serving to other people in this room - some of you have served my family extravagantly.

Is it too much to serve the people on your list in some non-extravagant, simple way?

John 13:14 NASB 2020

14 So if I, the Lord and the Teacher, washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet.

Serving is at the center of God’s heart. Serving was at the center of Timothy’s heart. “Stay in your lane, Betty.” Serving should be at the center of our hearts.

The End of the World As We Know It: You’re not Paul, You’re Timothy

Holy Spirit, inspire us. Keep these names in the front of our minds and hearts. And inspire us to think of specific ways to serve these people to SHOW them our love and yours. To your name be the glory, honor, and praise. Amen.