Faithful Men — E.A. Johnston

Paul’s Final Exhortation to Timothy

Our text today is found in 2nd Timothy in chapter 2. You can turn in your Bibles there now, friends. We will be in verses 1 and 2. Timothy was Paul's disciple, and Paul wrote this second letter to Timothy from a prison in Rome toward the close of his life.

As the mighty evangelist sits in chains in a cold Roman prison, he has time to reflect on his life and ministry for the Lord Jesus and to impart some fatherly advice to his young disciple Timothy. 2nd Timothy for Paul is his swan song, so to speak, and he holds nothing back in either doctrine or personal feelings.

The title of my message today, friends, is Faithful Men. And as Paul's disciple Timothy was a faithful man, so too Paul exhorts his young disciple to go and teach what Paul has taught him to other faithful men.

We see this in the beginning of chapter 2. Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus, in the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses. The same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.

As Timothy was Paul's disciple, so Paul exhorts Timothy to go out and find faithful men to disciple as well. And once he finds them, he is to pour his life into them. As Paul poured his life into Timothy for the sake of the gospel and the souls of men.

Demas and Luke: Contrasting Examples of Faithfulness

What does Paul mean by faithful men? Surely Paul knew the difference. For a read over in Colossians 4 .14, as Paul is sending greetings to the church at Colossae, he writes, Luke, the beloved physician, and Demas greet you.

Then we turn to Paul's closing words of 2 Timothy in chapter 4 in verses 10 and 11. For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed unto Thessalonica. Only Luke is with me.

Here is Demas. Here is Luke. One remains faithful to the end. The other goes back to the world. I've seen this very thing time and time again, as I've had the privilege of discipling men in my home for several decades.

Some men were faithful and went on to better things for God, while others blossomed for only a brief time and fell back like Demas into the love of the world. I've learned that the best of men are only men at best.

Multiplication Through Discipleship

So Paul exhorts Timothy to find faithful men to disciple so that a multiplication effect will be brought about. It works like this. Timothy trains one man. That man goes and trains another man. And so on and on the circle of multiplication continues, having a great influence upon the church.

Perhaps you, friend, might pray about starting your own discipleship group. I remember years ago, when I prayed about starting a discipleship group, I told the Lord that if he would provide the men, I would be diligent to teach them.

Building a Discipleship Group Through Prayer and Fellowship

It wasn't long after that prayer that, on Tuesday evenings in my home, I had anywhere from twelve to fifteen men weekly as we studied together. I would have my wife make some light refreshments so the men could fellowship with one another before we began the meeting.

Then I would have them sit on the floor in a circle around me, and we would begin with prayer, going around the circle, each man praying, and then on to the next, until all had briefly prayed. Then I had a globe with the world before us, and we would choose a nation to pray for, to pray for the spread of the gospel.

We would place our hands on that globe, on that nation, and we would pray that God's spirit would work among the people in that nation, and that the gospel of Christ would be heard. I would then pass around a basket with Bible verses on pieces of paper, and each man would draw out a Bible verse to memorize that week.

Scripture Memorization and Accountability

I told them to put the Bible verse somewhere where they could see it each day. Some men taped it to their bathroom mirror. Others kept it taped to their sun visor in their pickup truck. But the point was, each of us was to hide God's word in our heart.

And then, next week as we gathered, I would have the men go around the circle, each repeating their Bible verse for the week. The accountability factor in that group of men made it strong. I would hand out copies of paperbacks on biographies of men of faith that my men could take home and read throughout the week.

Learning from Biographies and Personal Struggles

We had biographies on men of faith like D .O. Moody, and Jim Elliott, and Charles Spurgeon, and others, so the men could find spiritual nourishment and encouragement throughout their week. Then we would have a brief Bible lesson that would change week by week based on the men's spiritual development, and I would close each meeting with prayer, a prayer request time.

This was an opportunity for the men to share with the others in the group issues they were struggling with, and this became a very personal and valuable time of that group where the men bonded together.

Repeating Truths in the Work of Discipleship

At the very outset of the group, I was standing with Henry Blackaby one day, and I asked him for some advice on how to disciple a group of men. I said, Dr. Blackaby, if you were in my shoes, how would you take a group of men each week and disciple them?

Well, Dr. Blackaby gave me the sage advice of, Jesus had a few truths. He wanted to teach his men, and he taught those same truths to them over and over again until they learned them. Well, that's what we did, friends.

Seeking Faithful Men to Disciple

Well, let me ask you, friend, are you on the lookout for faithful men to disciple? Where is your Timothy? Where is your Titus? Let us pray.