The Discipleship Of Timothy - [Philippians 2:19-24]

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Subtitle of that book is how the master shaped his disciples for greatness and what he wants to do with you
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Now we know Jesus spent 30 plus years walking the earth and of that his the time that he spent in ministry the bulk of it
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He spent pouring his life into as MacArthur notes 12 very ordinary men
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So this morning what we're gonna do is we're gonna take a look at another discipleship relationship that we see in the scriptures
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And we're gonna see what we can learn from that relationship, and how we can apply it to us First we're gonna talk about what a disciple is, but actually we'll pray first Father in heaven, thank you so much for bringing all of these people to us this morning.
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I think of The holiday weekend I think of July 4th the independence of this country and father even the
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Birthings of this great nation that people would flee from Europe desiring to worship
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Worship you freely, and I just praise you and thank you that you've given us a nation that allows us to do that I pray father for this teaching this morning that you would
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Be with me as I as I speak that you would just use these words to prick the hearts of those who are listening and that you would just Always help us to desire a true discipleship relationship your name we pray
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All right, so everybody wanted to find the word disciple for me anyone
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Don't all raise your hands at once. I know we got a packed house tonight. No, it's better a Follower good good.
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I'll just help you out here One who follows one's teaching is the definition right out of vines
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There's a sort of a sub definition says this a disciple was not only a pupil but an adherent
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Hence they are spoken of as imitators of their cheat of their teacher Now when
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I think imitators, you know in a biblical concept The first thing I think about is 1st Corinthians 11 where Paul says this be imitators of me as I am of Christ we see the same thing in Matthew Matthew 16 24
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Christ says this if anyone would come after me let him deny himself and take up his cross and Follow me
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No, I Didn't do a lot of Greek study on on this message but here this word here follow is a clue fail which basically means to join as a disciple to become his disciple or to side with his party so we have the same idea here with follow of Joining as a disciple of discipleship
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When we talk about disciples again, we think about the Great Commission right Matthew 28 19 go therefore and Make disciples of all nations baptizing them in the name of the
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Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit Teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.
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So What's the question after that? Okay, we've now been commanded to go and to make disciples So the question becomes how do we do this?
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I kind of talked about it a little bit earlier, but You know, I just sort of pondering this thought and I was like How easy would it be if we if we could just say
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BAM disciple the emerald agassi school of discipleship? It doesn't really work out that way
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Unfortunate for us. We we can look at the example of Christ and that's not that's not what he did He didn't say you you're my disciple.
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We're done But he spent his life and he poured his life into these men and he made his disciples through discipleship so Next step.
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Let's look at discipleship Strong's defines discipleship as an adherent to a teacher's faith It sounds a lot like vines when it defines disciple when it says a disciple is an adherent, right?
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So these are these make sense these go together We're tracking on the same thing here now Listen to Paul's description of a disciple like relationship in 1st
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Corinthians 4 verses 14 to 17 Paul said this I do not write these things to make you ashamed but to you to admonish you as my beloved children
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For though you have countless guides in Christ You do not have many fathers for I became your father in Christ Jesus through the gospel.
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I urge you then be Imitators of me that is why I sent you Timothy my beloved and faithful child in the
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Lord to remind you of my ways in Christ as I Teach them everywhere in every church
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So let's talk about Timothy a little bit and I think the the bulk of This message is going to be talking about Timothy in that relationship that Paul has with Timothy Timothy was in every way
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Paul's disciple. I think we know this the two of them spent a lot of time together Now listen to this.
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I figured this one out yesterday. I thought it was really interesting Paul wrote 13 maybe 14 books in the in the
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New Testament, right of those 10 of them include references to Timothy 10 of the 13 books that Paul wrote in the
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New Testament Contained references to Timothy they knew each other. So while they began to think alike they began to speak act similarly, right
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Timothy was Paul's protege in basically every sense of the word. He followed Paul. He imitated Paul So if we take a look at Philippians 2 we do actually get a little bit of a peek into that relationship
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So that's where we're gonna go for our main text. We open your Bibles to Philippians 2. We're gonna go 19 verses 19 to 24
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Philippians 2 starting verse 19 I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon so that I too may be cheered by news of you
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For I have no one like him who will be genuinely concerned for your welfare For they all seek their own interests not those of Jesus Christ, but you know,
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Timothy's proven worth How is a son with a father? He has served with me in the gospel
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I hope therefore to send him just as soon as I see how it will go with me
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And I trust that in the Lord that shortly I myself will come also Philippians 2 19 to 24
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So verses 20 to 23 here is really this picture that Paul is painting of Timothy who is arguably his
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Most eager or truest disciple. I mean, there's there's many other examples of Co -laborers with Paul, but I think that as you study his writings
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Timothy is Definitely the one that we see the most and we see that that there's something about Timothy.
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That's just very very special So in these verses we find this model of discipleship and as we seek to grow as Christians in our walk
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With the Lord, this is the kind of model that we should seek and that's what we're gonna talk about I touched on this already, but I'll say it again discipleship often manifests itself in imitation
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There's teaching obviously But imitation is is something that we see a lot of I mean we see this all the time, right?
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I mean everybody knows imitation is the highest form of flattery, right? I mean, I I kind of think about this and I think about you know
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The the sort of okay. This is the Manny Ramirez stance, right? This is how I'm gonna hit the ball, you know I was reading an article on CNN.
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I don't know why I was reading this but I was Michelle Obama Warren wore an outfit from the gap I don't know when it was but the article was this week and it completely sold out across the country in about 48 hours
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I mean that is imitation Being the highest form of flattery I'm not a fashion person, but apparently she's got great fashion.
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I don't know All right So later in Philippians and it's it's actually all over the scriptures and I and I you know mentioned first Corinthians 11 already
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Paul encourages that imitation He says in Philippians 3 17 brothers join in imitating me and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us
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Now Studying MacArthur's Philippians commentary and he said this actually about some later verses but I think it applies here and and it's sort of a thought that really sort of Blew my mind a little bit.
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Listen what MacArthur said? He said had he been perfect Paul would not have been an example believers could follow
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We need to follow someone who is not perfect so we can see how to overcome our imperfections
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Someone who can show us how to handle the struggles of life its disappointments and its trials
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Someone who can show us how to handle pride resist temptation and put sin to death
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Christ is the perfect standard model and pattern for believers to emulate but Christ never pursued perfection
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He had always been perfect Paul was a fellow traveler on the path toward the unattainable spiritual perfection and thus a model for believers to follow
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So Christ is the perfect standard we have Christ up here the supremacy of Christ Hebrews But Paul is an easier example to follow so this idea was actually really interesting to me like because we you know, what was the big thing in that, you know in the
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Late 90s WWJD, right? Well, I think maybe BBC should start, you know Maybe putting out those
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WWPD bracelets because it might be a little bit of a better representation of what we should do, right?
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So So looking through this passage what we're gonna see is four ways that Timothy imitates
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Paul. I'm just gonna give them to you right now It's cheating so you can believe in five minutes and you'll have the outline for the message.
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All right one surpassing care for the churches verse 21 to Paul seeks the interests
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Timothy seeks the interests of Christ again in verse 21 3 verse 22
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Paul serves in the gospel ministry and number 4 Paul serves and set Timothy serves and sacrifices for Paul in verse 23
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Now again, I'm gonna go over these so don't worry if you didn't get those down Okay, so the first way that Timothy imitates
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Paul is in his passionate care for the church verse 20 says this for I Paul have no one like him who will be genuinely concerned for your welfare
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Now just about every commentary I read on this Said that the words here where it says
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I have no one like him is actually better translated as I have no one of equal soul
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So Paul made of all said I have nobody else who has the same soul that I do. I kind of mentioned this before again
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Timothy has the same goals and desires and passions and cares that Paul does because and I'll talk about this more later.
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Paul is is Timothy's spiritual father If he cares passionately about the
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Philippian Church, he is following the directive that we saw from 1st Corinthians 11 The entire first chapter of Philippians is filled with descriptions about Paul's selfless love for the church
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In cornerstone youth youth ministry, and by the way, if you have high school age kids and you're not sending the cornerstone shame on you
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But we work through the book of Philippians this year and So all the leaders were just blessed to be able to teach through this to the youth so flip back one page maybe look at 1st
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Corinthians of Philippians chapter 1 verses 22 to 26 Listen what Paul says if I Paul and to live in the flesh that that means fruitful labor for me
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Yet, which I shall choose. I cannot tell I am hard -pressed between the two My desire is to depart and be with Christ for that is far better But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account
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Convinced of this I know that I will remain and continue with you all for your progress and joy in the faith
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So that in me you may have ample cause to glory in Christ Jesus because of my coming to you again
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Paul indicates his desires. He's not hiding them. He's saying look all things being equal. I'd rather be with Christ But he he also tells him that he's willing to discard those desires for the sake of the
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Philippian Church It's the same self -sacrificing spirit that we see in Timothy as He emulates
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Paul now Paul's concern wasn't limited to the Philippian Church either We see in 2nd Corinthians 1128 and apart from other things.
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This is Paul speaking. There is the daily pressure on me of My anxiety for all the churches, so this isn't
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I mean You can make the argument. There's something special about Paul's relationship with the Philippian Church, but definitely we see that Paul's Care for the brethren his concern for the brethren is is across all of the churches
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Now listen to what Stott says on this the word genuinely where where Paul says Genuinely concerned for your welfare talking about Timothy contains the idea of as a birthright
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Something possessed by spiritual parentage. That's kind of interesting If you if you study acts, you'll see that Timothy.
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It's it's likely that Timothy's mother And grandmother were Jewish in heritage, but his father was
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Greek so when we look at this and we talk about a parentage With this tradition of learning things from your father and things carrying down from your father
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It's not likely that this was a physical parentage right and stop even says that he's a spiritual parentage So so Timothy's genuine care for the welfare of the
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Philippian Church is something that he received and developed as a spiritual birthright from his Spiritual father anybody knows who's who
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Timothy's spiritual father was I think I've hit it a couple times Paul exactly Thank you. Somebody's listening.
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All right. So the first way that Timothy imitates Paul is in his passionate care for the church the second way that Timothy Imitates Paul is that he seeks the interests of Christ Verse 21 for they all seek their own interests.
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Not those of Jesus Christ He's contrasting the other people in that area with Timothy here versus 20 and 21 together
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Indicate that Timothy's concern was in line with Christ Paul talks about Christ mine is loving submissive mind in the beginning of chapter 2 verses 1 to 5
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He says this so if there is any encouragement in Christ any comfort from love any participation in the spirit any affection and sympathy
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Complete my joy by being of the same mind having the same love Being in full accord and of one mind do nothing from rivalry or conceit but in humility count others more significant than yourselves
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Let each of you look not only to his own interest But also to the interest of others have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus Timothy exhibits
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This pattern just like Paul says it Gordon Fee said this Paul's description of Timothy Especially as that stands in contrast to those in Rome who out of rivalry are trying to increase his affliction
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Lies at the heart of what Paul understands Christian life to be about Reflecting the kind of concern he has raised by way of appeal
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He reminds the Philippians that Timothy's coming to them would reflect his genuine concern about them
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Timothy is simply not one to seek his own interests ahead of those of Christ Jesus In a very real way here when when
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Paul's talking about sending to Timothy and then later when second Timothy when
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Paul basically transfers the mantle of pastoral responsibility to to Timothy There's a sense that Timothy is serving as Paul's substitute.
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So Paul Paul is basically saying I have nobody else who's Like -souled who has the same cares and concerns and passions that I do
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Other than Timothy and if you think about the sacrifice that must have been for Paul to have you know Remember he Paul's Paul's in prison when he writes this when he writes this letter and and he has you know
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Timothy there with him, right? I mean we think about the trials that we've been in and sometimes all you want is just one person that you can share that With and you know
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Paul has that in Timothy. I mean Nobody else that he can be that close to but he's saying look I'm gonna send him to you.
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So there's a lot here and part of it is is Paul's again Showing his his willingness to sacrifice
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Okay, so, let's see, so we've talked about Timothy's surpassing care for the churches how
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Timothy seeks the interest of Christ And now we're going to talk about how Timothy served with Paul in the gospel.
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This is another way that I mean he served with Paul. It's it's obviously a way that he imitates
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Paul and that they're both serving in the gospel This is the casualty of reworking your message
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Verse 22 says this but you know Timothy, you know, Timothy's proven worth how as a son with a father
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He has served with me in the gospel This is really where you start to begin to understand as if we didn't already know just how
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Interwoven and tight -knit that relationship is between Timothy and Paul Does anybody does anybody know where in the
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New Testament? We're gonna look there anyway, but where Paul Timothy meet anybody
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It's in the book of Acts All right. Okay, so if you'll open your Bibles briefly to acts
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This might be a bad idea. Okay 14. I Wrote it down. Thankfully I'm gonna start just in verse 5.
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We're gonna flip around an axe a little bit I just want to show you sort of the process here
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Acts 14 starting in verse 5 When an attempt was made by both Gentiles and Jews with their rulers to mistreat them and to stone them them being
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Paul and Barnabas They learned of it and fled to Lystra and Derby cities of Lyconia and to the surrounding country and there they continued to preach the gospel
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Okay, so Paul Barnabas are in Lystra and Derby now Let's move forward to Acts 16 first starting in verse 1
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That was Paul's first missionary journey, and this is his second missionary journey This is this
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Acts 16 verse 1 Paul also came to Derby and to Lystra a Disciple was there named
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Timothy the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer, but his father was a Greek I talked about that earlier He was well spoken of by the brothers at Lystra and Iconium Paul wanted
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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
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Greek and As they went on their way through the cities They delivered to them for observance the decisions that have been reached by the
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Apostles and elders who were in Jerusalem So the churches were strengthened in the faith and they increased in their numbers daily
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So in Paul's first missionary journey That's almost certainly where he met
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Timothy and there's references to that in first Timothy. I didn't think I had time to go there and that that is most certainly when
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Timothy was converted to Christ and then Paul returns to the same area in his second missionary journey, and now we see that Timothy has been well spoken of By by the brethren there, so he's now someone who's held in in a fairly high regard within the church
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And this is something that Paul keys in on and he sees Timothy and just the attributes of godliness in him and No doubt at this at this time
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Timothy's a young man most most people think that he's probably in his late teens early 20s so there's no doubt here that that Paul's is looking at this man and saying this is someone who's young who's vibrant who has an earnest passionate desire for God and He says
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I'm gonna take this man and I am going to shepherd him and I'm going to teach him And that's exactly what he did and we know
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Going back to that. You don't have to turn there. It's okay Tim Timothy is with Paul all through this With a brief interruption when when
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Timothy sent ahead all the way down So we're gonna go through x16 through x17 1714 said this
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Then the brothers immediately sent Paul off on his way to see but silence and Timothy remained there.
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So What we see here is That Basically Paul and Timothy are serving together
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Until that point and and all through chapter 16 is talking about being in the church in Philippi.
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So we know that Paul and Timothy were serving together at the Church of Philippi and that's kind of where I was going with that and that's why
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You know Paul can say but you know Timothy's proven worth because Timothy has been there and he's been laboring with me and you know him so let's take a look at the second half of verse 22, which says as a son with a father
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He served with me in the gospel Anybody here work in a like a family business anyone
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I know we have some people that in the General Assembly Who who sort of work in a family business?
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It's a lot more common, you know 50 years ago than it is now because everybody's changing jobs all the time now, but It it was it was pretty well known that that you know, oftentimes you would do what your father did
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It could become your name My wife's maiden name is sexual which comes from satchel because it's pretty likely that her family was a family of satchel makers
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You know these kinds of things so it becomes a family thing So when Paul talks about he says as a son with a father he is sir with me in the gospel
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He's making reference to this idea that It's almost like the Gospels our family business our spiritual family business and that's what he's talking about here
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I mean, we know that that Timothy isn't Paul's blood -related son But he is conjuring up that that imagery
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Their kinship is such that Timothy's discipleship was a lot like an apprenticeship in the gospel
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So we've seen now that Timothy has served with Paul in the gospel surpassing care for the churches number one
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He seeks the interest of Christ number two. He served in the gospel ministry number three and the fourth way that Timothy imitates and serves
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Paul is that he serves and sacrifices for him verse 23 I Paul hope therefore to send him
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Timothy just as soon as I see how it will go with me Now you notice what he said there.
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He doesn't say We prayed together and we've come to the conclusion that we think that Timothy should go to you
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He says I hope to send him just as soon as I see how it will go with me
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So there's something that Paul wants Timothy to stay there with him for We don't really know what it is
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It probably has to do with the fact that he's in prison and he might be getting out and there's some kind of legal legal thing going on there
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But the important thing that we see here is the submissiveness of Timothy I read so much this week about this that I couldn't even tell you who said this but you know
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You think about Timothy and again, I talked about how Timothy was a young man When Paul basically said, you know,
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I think you should come with me And you think about the desires of a young man
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I mean, do you know anybody who's really fired up about the gospel? Do you think that that person would want to sit in a jail cell even with even with their teacher?
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Even you know, if I'm John MacArthur is in jail and I am fired up about the gospel I love
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Smith. I would love to spend time with John MacArthur, but man, I am fired up about the gospel Do you really think that I want to wait here with you?
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While we go to court when I could be out there preaching the gospel and serving another church. I mean No, I Want to be out there and furthering the gospel
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I mean he has this passion and if this passion is talked about and and he you know There's a reason why he has that passion.
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He wants to do it, but that's not what Timothy does He stays with Paul while Paul needs him Again, this is an example of Timothy imitating
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Paul following the Pauline model of self -sacrifice Which really as we know is the Christological model?
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so Let's um, let's actually track that a little bit here
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We sort of shift gears a little bit I think I Talked about Paul's example of self -sacrifice
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Paul said in Philippians 2 17 a couple of verses earlier Even if I Paul and to be poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrificial offering of your faith
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I am glad and rejoice with you all That doesn't number one sounds like somebody who's sacrificing number two
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It doesn't sound like somebody who's upset about the fact that he's sacrificing right? He's joyful in his sacrifice Now Paul remember what he always said imitate me as I imitate
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Christ Paul's looking to the example of Christ. We see that in verses 5 through 7 have this mind
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I talked about this a little bit earlier Among yourselves which is in which is yours in Christ Jesus who though he was in the form of God Did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped but made himself
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Nothing taking the form of a servant being born in the likeness of men so now we have
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Timothy here who's following the The example set by Paul of self -sacrifice.
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We have Paul who's following the example set by Christ of Self -sacrifice this we begin to see here the beginnings of a pedigree of servanthood
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Listen to what what might your and Stott said about this Paul submitted to the Lord for service
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Submission did not carry implications of inactivity as when a defeated army submits and is consigned for the duration of the war to prison camp
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Paul was the submissiveness of obedient of Obedience, excuse me submitting to do the
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Lord's will and so along with Timothy He slaved for the gospel matching the example of Christ who took the form of a slave
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Those who are his must accept this pattern the Lord Jesus became a slave for obedience sake to his father and Carried his obedience as far as death in order to serve us with the blessings of salvation
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Paul's slavery was directed upwards toward Jesus in perfect obedience and outward to people in the slavery of the gospel
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Obedience and evangelism are the normative poles of Christian slavery He goes on to say this
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Paul as we have seen soften the relationship between him and Timothy By the gentle way in which he said he has served with me putting himself alongside
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Timothy in slavery for the gospel But even so Timothy subordinate place is clear in terms of slavery
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He was a second -class slave His task was to be a second -in -command and he was ready for it to be so he never usurped it
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Again this is this is quite the pedigree right that we have here from Christ to Paul to Timothy So those are the four ways that we see
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Timothy imitating Paul here in Philippians 2 number one surpassing care for the churches number two
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Timothy seek the interests of Christ number three. He served in the gospel ministry and number four he serves and sacrifices for Paul So again, we're gonna start shifting gears here a little bit as I'm already running out of time because that's what happens
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Paul and Timothy separated when Timothy was left to pastor the church in Ephesus In my study,
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I couldn't really figure out if they got back together again After that, I don't know how much it really matters, but For the purposes of this study anyway
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So well You see that in first Timothy 1 verse 3 when he says, you know I left you behind in Ephesus to serve the brethren there
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But one thing we do know is it did not end the discipleship relationship between Paul and Timothy even though they were apart
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And and this sort of gets to the core of the fact that discipleship is more than just student and teacher, right? I think about the best teacher
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I ever had in school ever ever ever ever ever second grade. It was awesome I've never written to that teacher.
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I never got a letter from that teacher. I don't even I don't know where she is She could be dead.
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I have no idea. She was a great teacher, but that's about all I know But we know that Paul wrote
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Timothy at least twice, right? there's at least at least two examples that we have in in the Bible about Paul and Timothy Paul writing to Timothy And again, this goes back to that Titan type kinship that I talked about earlier
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Listen a second Timothy 3 14 and 15 Paul says this but as for you continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed
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Knowing from whom you have learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings
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Which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus Paul addresses
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Timothy in the beginning of that letter to Timothy my beloved child First Corinthians 417
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I read I read this earlier your first to Timothy as his beloved and faithful child Again my second grade teacher never called me her beloved child, right?
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This is not a teacher -student relationship. This is a much closer relationship than that I mean,
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I think we know that discipleship doesn't necessarily have to be a lifelong relationship But it definitely was with Paul and Timothy, right?
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I mean Paul was in in second Timothy Paul's writing to Timothy to say look I really would like you to come visit me before I get executed so I almost want to skip this but It's okay
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We don't have time to get into this anyway so I'm gonna I'm gonna give these to you quickfire and then
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If you if you want to know them afterwards come see me brief look at first and second
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Timothy Reveals something to us about them about Paul and Timothy and their relationship.
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I Blatantly stole this breakdown from John MacArthur So there's my little editor's note first Timothy can be broken up into six parts one greeting to instructions concerning false doctrine three instructions concerning the church for instructions concerning false teachers five instructions concerning pastoral responsibilities six instructions concerning the man of God Anybody want to guess what the one of the main purposes of first Timothy is?
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Instruction good people are listening. I like it. All right, so first Timothy overarching purpose instruction second
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Timothy breaks down like this one greetings because that's how you start off a letter to the perseverance of a man of God three the patterns of a man of God for the
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Perils of a man of God five the preaching of the man of God six closing remarks and farewells. Goodbye The headings here aren't quite as obvious as they are in first Timothy Don't blame me
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I stole but The theme in this one is the is basically that the ministry is a war that must be endured
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So the theme here is endurance and exhortation to keep strong in the faith Paul couldn't lead by example anymore because he wasn't there but the relationship was still active and we see that in these letters now
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The the exact dates are You know sort of a little hazy, but it's probably about three to five years difference between first and second
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Timothy here So what we see is is a transition in the method of leadership I Hope doesn't sound like I'm talking out of turn because I don't have teenage children, but or grown children but when we have little kids as Parents, what do we do?
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We instruct them, right? We tell them what's right and we tell them what's wrong and as they grow up as They get older as they as they go out on their own as they get married, whatever what happens well
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You don't you know, sit your 22 year old son down in front of you and say now listen, son This is how things work, right you exhort them you
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Encourage them you come alongside them you lift them up You I mean there is some instruction to be you know, obviously, you know, no nobody knows anything especially me but That that really that that teaching
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Sort of discipleship relationship changes from This these are the things that you need to do in these and these things you need to not do to one of you know what you know, and I know what you know because I taught you and And I want to exhort you to continue to do those things to endure to stay strong I mean you think about this with I sort of I thought about this like, okay, so you're running the
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Boston Marathon and you have a coach and At the beginning of the race the coach isn't gonna say, okay now
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I know it's been a struggle, right? You're about to run twenty five point two twenty six point two miles
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I know it's been tough, but you can do it, you know There might be a little bit of you can do it in there But it's not gonna be
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I know you've labored and I want you to stay strong Right because they haven't even started running yet. That doesn't make sense.
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Similarly at heartbreak Hill They're not gonna be like, all right Now don't forget your left foot goes in front of your right foot and then your right foot goes in front of your left foot
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These kinds of things don't really make sense. There's a progression to that teaching similarly with a Leader in the military and their soldiers, right?
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You don't you don't you don't come out at the beginning and say no, man It's been a great fight that we're about to go to it doesn't make sense.
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There's a transition to this kind of teaching I'm gonna mostly skip this section for purposes of time, but Keep in mind that God is in control of all of this, right?
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This isn't that Timothy is blindly following Paul You notice the beginning of the book it doesn't say
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Paul a servant of Christ Jesus and Timothy his servant It says Paul and Timothy right servants of Christ.
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Jesus our relationship with God is completely different than our relationship with each other Paul and Timothy are an equal footing in their relationship to God In our day, we kind of get that manifestation by saying, okay, so we have a discipleship relationship or even you know
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Pastor And congregation and our responsibility is to be good Bereans and sort of fact -check.
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What what is being said, right? We don't just blindly follow Someone because then we don't even know if they're a good teacher or not
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So so it just that kind of an aside there. I skipped the whole thing But just be mindful that obviously when
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I'm when I'm talking about, you know, the Timothy servanthood, it's not a blind servant hood Okay So Paul and Timothy, this is the image of biblical discipleship
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It's the image of two people serving each other, right? We have Paul shepherding the other in his wisdom That's certainly a form of service and then we have the other
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Timothy serving and just drinking in that knowledge and together when possible They serve others.
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We know this because they labor together in the gospel Now I use this term loosely.
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I'm gonna say most of us don't have the luxury Remember Paul's in prison. I don't really know if that's a luxury or not or you think about some of the missions
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There's some horrible situations and missions And and certainly I wouldn't want to insinuate that those are luxurious conditions.
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But so I use the term loosely luxury of committing ourselves to 24 hours of The cause of serving the cause of Christ every day
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I mean, I think that you know, anybody who teaches wishes that they had more time to do it, right? especially if they're not a full -time preacher
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But discipleship is is is part of that cause so even though we don't have for the most part a full, you know every day we can go out and we can you know serve men by shepherding them or You know find someone who knows more than us and learn from them
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I listen to you know some of the message from the shepherds conference where you you get to hear these guys who have that that full -time ministry and and it's just It's so exciting to hear them talk about how they can pour their lives into these men and it's and then
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I'm like, yeah Yeah, I don't have 40 hours in a day. I have to go to work
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So that's why I say luxury, you know, cuz some of that sometimes that is really really nice But we do have an example of Paul and Timothy to look at where Paul was
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Singularly devoted to the cause of Christ and so ask yourself this question. Are you a disciple of someone? Who are you a disciple of who are you discipling if the answer to any of those questions is no
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Or I don't have someone why not? I Talked about pedigree earlier and this is where I draw some strange comparisons, but that's okay
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Timothy spiritual pedigree is impressive. He's basically one step removed from direct discipleship from God in Christ Jesus We think about the term pedigree
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At its core. What does the word mean? It talks about your influences, right? So the first thing
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I think about when I think about pedigree is actually dog food But the second thing I think about when I think about pedigree is is like a purebred animal, right?
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Couple people are nodding one person And that's why I say this analogy is a little strained but that's okay
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When you're talking about breeding animals, it's a pretty straightforward thing now anybody who's done it is probably like it's not easy
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Don't say it's easy, but it's pretty straightforward. I mean you get two purebreds together Thing you have a purebred animal hopefully
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You have to track papers, you know to prove. Oh, this is the genealogy. This is the pedigree This person is you know, it's good or the animal is good listen to this quote from Pastor MacArthur and maybe this will sort of Illuminate why
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I use this example. The goal of true discipleship is reproduction. Oh, okay
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When a person is fully discipled Jesus said in Matthew 10 25, he will be like his teacher
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So like I said the process of breeding animals Purebred animals is it's pretty
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Simple not easy, but simple. It's a punctuated moment in time and then you're done But discipleship obviously is not like that again.
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This is back to you know emerald BAM. You're a disciple. We're done doesn't work that way Your spiritual identity in Christ is not something that just immediately happens
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It takes years of growth and sanctification and work and those Opportunities to accidentally sip a little bit of spiritual cyanide are there they're very real issues your pedigree can be tainted
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Paul talks about in Timothy when he says this in 1st Timothy 1 3 to 7 as I urge you when I was going to Macedonia remain at Ephesus so that you may charge certain persons not to teach any different doctrine
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Nor to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies which promote Speculations rather than the stewardship from God that is in that is by faith
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The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith
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Certain persons by swerving from these have wandered away into vain discussion Desiring to be teachers of the law without understanding either what they are
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Saying what they are saying or the things about which they make confident
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Assertions We know false teachers and false doctrines are a real problem. We see it all over the
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New Testament, right? It's I mean, it's half of the point of Jude. It seems is confronting apostasy
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Mike and Steve on no compromise were quite timely in their release of an episode on discipleship Last week and they said something interesting.
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They said this they said Christ loves discipleship. All right. Yeah, I'm on board with that And then and then Mike said this but so does Satan Satan doesn't have to stop discipleship.
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He just needs to put improper teaching in there You just take the truth and twist it just a little bit. Every good lie has an element of truth in it, right?
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so All right. I have like four minutes. I think I'll think I'll be okay So the question here is kind of with all of this.
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What does that mean for us or where does that leave us? a little bit of Direct sort of advice for the men out here.
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There's two studies that I know about I think there's still the Monday morning study and then there's a one day morning study and for the ladies There's a summer ladies
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Bible study on Tuesdays and I get some ladies nodding to tell me. Okay. Thank you, honey
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That's a good place to start I mean, I don't think that's you know, that's the whole of discipleship I don't think you could you can just say okay.
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I'm doing this. I'm being disciple. We're good to go But it is a good place to start I do a lot around here and I love that everywhere, you know in between services
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I'm kind of I have to go grab something from this room or that room. It seems like now every single door I open I'm like, oh, sorry
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That's great. That's awesome. I love that You know, sometimes it's kind of a pain because I have to get things or whatever
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But I just love that we have we have a little bit of that sort of happening here and and certainly it can it can
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Happen a lot more. I think it was Mike that said on the radio show it might not be a good question to ask a pastor, you know
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What's running? How many people do you have that attend Sunday morning, but rather how many of those people are in discipleship, right?
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I mean when you measure the health of a congregation You can't just look at numbers because those a lot of the people might not be invested but you know what when you are in a discipleship relationship when you see someone's
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Follies and their foibles and when you are living and you are pouring your life into someone else that is true growth
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That is true discipleship and that is a good way a better way that you can measure the health of a church
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Remember also that discipleship is a chain and as much as you look to your own spiritual pedigree
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Remember that you as a Christian should be part of someone else's Christ said in John 15 8 by this my father is glorified that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples
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Now anybody who's eating an apple knows if you take a big bite out of that apple and you look inside What do you see you see seeds in that apple, right?
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Apples are not fruit that have been you know made by a tree to drop so that we can eat them
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I mean, you know Certainly God has provided us this fruit that we can eat it But trees make apples so they can drop them so they can plant seeds to make more trees
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That's the the biological purpose of them So don't forget that right
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I mean the point of discipleship is not I'm just gonna learn as much as I can so I know as much as I Can and I can be you know better the it's all about reproduction
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The goal here is to learn and to share that knowledge to push that knowledge on Anybody who's ever taught from the pulpit or I want a circle time or Sunday school cornerstone home group 101 discipleship everyone will say this as I've studied
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I have learned so much as I've put myself in a position where I knew that I had to be able to answer the questions of someone below me not
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Positionally, but you know what? I mean? It is is actually it is just transformed my life
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I mean as every time I I teach I can say this from personal experience I have to just steep myself in the word right so that I can prepare this trust me
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It took a lot longer than 45 minutes and You know,
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I guess I should probably you know be studying the scriptures in in depth like this all the time not
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But certainly when you have that responsibility to teach it's it's it's a physical conviction that you have so so it helps
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We should disciple because we're commanded to and because it pleases the Lord, but know that it will benefit you Continuing this legacy of the faith is absolutely critical to the health of the church
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Listen to Paul in 2nd Timothy 2 verses 1 and 2 listen listen to this you then my child be
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Strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses and Trust to faithful men who will be able to teach others.
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Also. This is this is continuing that legacy Especially especially if you're a dad
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You're a father. This is of critical importance Somebody is influencing your children
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Hopefully it's you we can point to the culture right we can point to it and say oh, you know
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Look at what's happening. They just legalized gay marriage in New York. Everything is just gone to pot What are we gonna do?
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Right, you can bemoan the fact that our role models are are not what they you know used to be father's knows best whatever we can wring our hands and fret about these kinds of things, but the state of American society
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Doesn't all matter all that much we can do what Paul does with Timothy We can shepherd our children as their father spiritually and physically
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Fathers Ephesians 6 4 do not provoke your children to anger but Bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the
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Lord Engage in that discipleship relationship with your children teach them through instruction teach them through exhortation
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We see the model right here in Philippians 2 what I've been talking about this morning of a submissive spiritual son serving alongside his spiritual father
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So we have to wrap up. I have like a couple of minutes Okay, it is your responsibility to engage in discipleship
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Is your responsibility to find that person to meet with regularly to find that person that you can learn from?
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There's four elders five elders four five five five elders here
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They there's a lot more members let alone adherence We cannot expect the elders to pick people and say you know what you
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I really want to disciple you so let's get together Right it is not their responsibility to learn to teach some but their responsibility to teach
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I'm gonna speak But it is not their responsibility to single out individual people and say you
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I want to disciple you it is your responsibility To go to them and say you know more than and maybe it's not an elder
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It could be anybody else and anybody else in the church who knows more than you and say you know what? I need to be discipled.
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I need to learn more I need to grow in the word and Would you be willing to help me do that and that's why I say that those those sort of group of discipleship or Bible studies
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Are an excellent place to start? Again obviously being biblically sound is critical, right?
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We live in an age where things that kind of go without saying apparently cannot go without saying so I'm just gonna say that for you
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The best way to grow is not Just Sunday morning. It's not
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Just reading your Bible. It's to see the Christian life modeled through a teacher And And you need to do that at a time where you can engage in life in life experiences
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I mean it would be kind of weird if somebody's up here preaching this morning and somebody raises hand and says yeah But you don't understand what
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I'm going through right now Or can we talk about this or I have a question about that kind of thing? Sunday morning is not the time for that discipleship is the time for that talked about genealogies a little bit before Why do we have them we have genealogies to prove who someone is right often
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They're used to to verify the validity of something someone, you know shows up out of nowhere and says I'm a prince
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Well, what do you say? I'll prove it. Who was your father? You know go through the whole thing, you know You don't just take it for granted that they're actually telling the truth
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We can look at the genealogy of Christ and see a direct line from Adam to Abraham from David to Jesus We know that we are the children of Abraham Galatians 3 7
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This is our spiritual ancestry. It's not a physical one It's a spiritual one. Most of us are not actually
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Jews. So hopefully, you know, we're rooting for spiritual interest ancestry, believe me So to do this take a look at your spiritual parentage who is in it
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When you look to the person immediately above you in your little family tree, right? Who is that person now, obviously again in this spiritual sense, we don't just have one person above us, right?
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We can learn from many people If I had to choose between you know only studying John McArthur only studying
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Steve Lawson only study I mean it would be a disaster because I need a lot more help than only one of them can give but Take a look at that family tree
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Who is that person? Are you their disciple? Do you have the kind of relationship that emulates Paul and Timothy?
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Look at the other side. Who are your spiritual children who can benefit from your spiritual wisdom?
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Discipleship is a joy and it is a gift that God has given to us and it is a privilege to partake in God has given us the responsibility of discipleship is the primary means by which he grows the church outside of of the local assembly
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Each of us has a responsibility to engage in discipleship as Christians Discipleship with each other and serving alongside each other as we see with Paul and Timothy is a joy don't rob yourself of that joy
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We know that God would build a church and we know that The tools that he uses to do that are the preaching of the gospel and the ministry of discipleship
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Very quickly do it. Are there any questions? Good because we're way out of time.
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All right, let's let's pray Father in heaven. Thank you for this time that you've given us this morning. Thank you for allowing us to come together and learn about you learn about your son learn about Paul and Timothy and The ministry of discipleship that you provided for us
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But I just pray that you'd be with each and every person here that they would be convicted by this to go and to find Someone that can disciple them if they have not already done.
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So I pray that you would find you would help those men and women find Younger men and women in the faith that they could disciple as well but I just pray for the message this morning that you would give the preacher just a
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Unction to truly bring the word to us that as As fallen men and women we could be pricked in our conscience by your great salvation
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By your great word and your great scriptures that we would continually submit to them in your name.