1 00:00:00,000 –> 00:00:07,080 You are listening to a sermon from Pastor Colin Smith of Open The Bible. 2 00:00:07,080 –> 00:00:12,680 To contact us call us at 1-877-OPEN-365. 3 00:00:12,680 –> 00:00:15,040 Or visit our website. 4 00:00:15,040 –> 00:00:16,559 OpenTheBible.org. 5 00:00:16,559 –> 00:00:17,559 Let’s get to the message. 6 00:00:17,559 –> 00:00:19,580 Here is Pastor Colin. 7 00:00:19,580 –> 00:00:25,440 Now this morning I want us to take up our series that is called The Apostles Apprentice 8 00:00:25,740 –> 00:00:29,100 where we are looking at the life of Timothy. 9 00:00:29,100 –> 00:00:34,680 And our aim as you will know if you have been here in past weeks is that we should improve 10 00:00:34,680 –> 00:00:38,340 our usefulness to Jesus Christ individually and together. 11 00:00:38,340 –> 00:00:43,639 How can we be more useful to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ? 12 00:00:43,639 –> 00:00:46,720 And we are seeing that Timothy was really a model of this. 13 00:00:46,720 –> 00:00:54,439 A young person in his 20s who in the goodness of God was called into a particular ministry 14 00:00:54,820 –> 00:00:56,900 and we’ve been following his growth 15 00:00:56,900 –> 00:01:01,360 and his developing usefulness, he responded to the call of God. 16 00:01:01,360 –> 00:01:05,139 Then he was sent on his first ministry assignment to Thessalonica. 17 00:01:05,139 –> 00:01:06,360 And there was great encouragement, 18 00:01:06,360 –> 00:01:10,839 the Lord really blessed what he did there and it was a success. 19 00:01:10,839 –> 00:01:12,480 But then if you were here a couple of weeks ago, 20 00:01:12,480 –> 00:01:16,199 you may recall that we saw that Timothy was then sent to Corinth 21 00:01:16,199 –> 00:01:18,580 and things didn’t go so well there. 22 00:01:18,580 –> 00:01:22,400 We identified 10 dysfunctions of the church at Corinthians 23 00:01:22,400 –> 00:01:24,820 and it was a tough assignment. 24 00:01:24,820 –> 00:01:28,540 And in the end, Timothy was withdrawn by the apostles Paul 25 00:01:28,540 –> 00:01:31,540 and Paul sent in Titus instead 26 00:01:31,540 –> 00:01:35,080 to try and sort out some of the difficulties at Corinth. 27 00:01:36,160 –> 00:01:38,019 Now this wasn’t easy for Timothy 28 00:01:38,019 –> 00:01:40,459 and we drew the application that sooner or later 29 00:01:40,459 –> 00:01:44,419 all of us will face major disappointments in life. 30 00:01:44,419 –> 00:01:48,860 You’re given something to do and it doesn’t go so well. 31 00:01:48,860 –> 00:01:50,599 And what do we do at that point 32 00:01:50,599 –> 00:01:52,739 when you’re not able to accomplish what you hoped 33 00:01:52,739 –> 00:01:57,559 and you feel that you’re staring failure right in the face? 34 00:01:57,559 –> 00:01:59,080 Well, Timothy has a wonderful model 35 00:01:59,080 –> 00:02:02,339 of how to respond to these passages of life. 36 00:02:02,339 –> 00:02:04,779 Instead of allowing this painful experience 37 00:02:04,779 –> 00:02:07,739 to destroy his ministry, 38 00:02:07,739 –> 00:02:11,360 Timothy found a way to use it 39 00:02:11,360 –> 00:02:13,559 to make his ministry more effective 40 00:02:13,559 –> 00:02:14,960 and we saw that the way he did this 41 00:02:14,960 –> 00:02:17,259 was that he stood firm in his calling 42 00:02:18,020 –> 00:02:20,559 and alongside that, 43 00:02:20,559 –> 00:02:25,320 he drew on the comfort of the Holy Spirit 44 00:02:25,320 –> 00:02:28,960 and he grew in his character 45 00:02:28,960 –> 00:02:32,259 and we saw last time you that if we pursue these things, 46 00:02:32,259 –> 00:02:37,259 we will increase our usefulness to Jesus Christ. 47 00:02:37,259 –> 00:02:38,800 Now, today as we move on from there 48 00:02:38,800 –> 00:02:41,960 and build on it, I want us to see the fruit 49 00:02:41,960 –> 00:02:45,660 that came from Timothy’s courage 50 00:02:45,660 –> 00:02:47,460 at that point in his ministry 51 00:02:47,460 –> 00:02:51,839 because if you roll the story forward a few years, 52 00:02:51,839 –> 00:02:56,660 you find that Paul and Timothy are now in Rome 53 00:02:56,660 –> 00:02:59,339 and Paul is in prison. 54 00:02:59,339 –> 00:03:01,559 At first he was under house arrest, 55 00:03:01,559 –> 00:03:03,500 we read that at the end of the book of Acts, 56 00:03:03,500 –> 00:03:08,199 later he was in prison as we more usually conceive of that 57 00:03:08,199 –> 00:03:11,139 but while Paul was in prison in Rome, 58 00:03:11,139 –> 00:03:14,759 Timothy was free and so really became 59 00:03:14,759 –> 00:03:17,500 the linchpin of Paul’s communication 60 00:03:17,500 –> 00:03:20,460 with the outside world. 61 00:03:20,460 –> 00:03:25,020 Now, if you take your Bible and open at Philippians, 62 00:03:25,020 –> 00:03:26,899 we’re gonna just look at one or two 63 00:03:26,899 –> 00:03:29,119 of the New Testament letters here, 64 00:03:29,119 –> 00:03:31,059 there are several letters in the New Testament 65 00:03:31,059 –> 00:03:34,960 that are sometimes referred to as the prison letters 66 00:03:34,960 –> 00:03:36,979 or the prison epistles. 67 00:03:36,979 –> 00:03:39,699 These are letters that Paul wrote 68 00:03:39,699 –> 00:03:42,380 when he was in prison in Rome 69 00:03:42,380 –> 00:03:43,820 and the thing that they have in common 70 00:03:43,820 –> 00:03:46,119 is that they all mention Timothy at the beginning. 71 00:03:46,119 –> 00:03:48,619 So if you look at the beginning of Philippians chapter one 72 00:03:48,619 –> 00:03:50,039 and verse one, 73 00:03:50,039 –> 00:03:54,539 Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus. 74 00:03:54,539 –> 00:03:56,880 If you look over to Colossians, 75 00:03:56,880 –> 00:03:59,800 which was also written at the same time, 76 00:03:59,800 –> 00:04:01,320 verse one of chapter one, 77 00:04:01,320 –> 00:04:03,039 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus 78 00:04:03,039 –> 00:04:06,880 by the will of God, and Timothy, our brother. 79 00:04:06,880 –> 00:04:08,399 Then we come to Thessalonians, 80 00:04:08,399 –> 00:04:09,619 which, of course, we looked at earlier, 81 00:04:09,619 –> 00:04:11,639 that’s an earlier letter. 82 00:04:11,639 –> 00:04:13,080 Then Timothy and Titus, 83 00:04:13,080 –> 00:04:15,559 which we’ll look at over these next weeks. 84 00:04:15,559 –> 00:04:17,359 If you turn past them to Philemon, 85 00:04:17,359 –> 00:04:19,440 this little letter that was also written 86 00:04:19,440 –> 00:04:21,239 when Paul was imprisoned in Rome. 87 00:04:21,239 –> 00:04:22,059 It begins by saying, 88 00:04:22,059 –> 00:04:24,279 Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, 89 00:04:24,279 –> 00:04:26,920 and Timothy, our brother. 90 00:04:26,920 –> 00:04:29,079 The thing that is distinctive about these letters 91 00:04:29,079 –> 00:04:32,359 is that Timothy is the only other person named 92 00:04:32,359 –> 00:04:35,000 in the signature at the beginning. 93 00:04:35,920 –> 00:04:39,320 So quite clearly, Timothy had become pivotal 94 00:04:39,320 –> 00:04:40,480 in Paul’s ministry. 95 00:04:40,480 –> 00:04:44,119 He was the right-hand man of the apostle 96 00:04:44,119 –> 00:04:45,079 to the Gentiles, 97 00:04:45,079 –> 00:04:49,200 and Paul can’t speak highly enough of him. 98 00:04:49,200 –> 00:04:51,200 Now, if you turn back to Philippians chapter two, 99 00:04:51,200 –> 00:04:53,000 we’ll take up the story. 100 00:04:53,000 –> 00:04:55,079 Paul’s in prison in Rome. 101 00:04:55,079 –> 00:04:56,359 Timothy’s his right-hand man, 102 00:04:56,359 –> 00:04:59,940 and the key to his communication with the outside world. 103 00:04:59,940 –> 00:05:03,739 And he says to the Philippians in chapter two in verse 19, 104 00:05:04,600 –> 00:05:09,600 “‘I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, 105 00:05:12,299 –> 00:05:16,660 that I also may be cheered when I receive news about you.’” 106 00:05:16,660 –> 00:05:18,500 And then his extraordinary statement. 107 00:05:19,540 –> 00:05:23,820 “‘I have no one else like him.’” 108 00:05:23,820 –> 00:05:24,980 No one else like him. 109 00:05:27,200 –> 00:05:32,200 “‘Who takes a genuine interest in your welfare.’” 110 00:05:34,739 –> 00:05:39,040 Now, by any standards, this is an extraordinary statement. 111 00:05:39,040 –> 00:05:40,540 I cannot think of anything like it 112 00:05:40,540 –> 00:05:42,239 in the rest of the New Testament. 113 00:05:43,779 –> 00:05:46,339 Paul worked with many, many people. 114 00:05:47,420 –> 00:05:48,660 Barnabus. 115 00:05:49,739 –> 00:05:50,899 Silas. 116 00:05:51,959 –> 00:05:53,980 Titus. 117 00:05:53,980 –> 00:05:55,500 Aquila. 118 00:05:55,500 –> 00:05:56,339 Priscilla. 119 00:05:56,339 –> 00:05:57,160 I mean, the list goes on 120 00:05:57,160 –> 00:05:58,519 as you go through the New Testament. 121 00:05:58,519 –> 00:06:02,260 There was a wide-ranging team 122 00:06:02,359 –> 00:06:04,500 of folks who worked with the apostle Paul. 123 00:06:05,940 –> 00:06:08,679 But he quite clearly states here, 124 00:06:08,679 –> 00:06:11,339 I have no one else like Timothy. 125 00:06:11,339 –> 00:06:14,339 There’s no one else amongst all the folks I’ve worked with 126 00:06:14,339 –> 00:06:16,459 who’s quite like Timothy, 127 00:06:16,459 –> 00:06:18,220 the most useful member of the team. 128 00:06:20,239 –> 00:06:21,660 Now, this is fascinating to me 129 00:06:21,660 –> 00:06:26,279 because Timothy was not the most gifted member 130 00:06:26,279 –> 00:06:27,380 of Paul’s team. 131 00:06:27,380 –> 00:06:28,959 I mean, that just seems very, very clear 132 00:06:28,959 –> 00:06:31,140 from everything that we learn about him. 133 00:06:31,179 –> 00:06:33,100 When we come next week, God willing, 134 00:06:33,100 –> 00:06:34,660 to the letters that Paul actually wrote 135 00:06:34,660 –> 00:06:37,540 to Timothy himself, we’ll see there quite clearly 136 00:06:37,540 –> 00:06:40,940 Timothy was shy, he was an introvert, 137 00:06:40,940 –> 00:06:42,660 he was nervous by disposition, 138 00:06:42,660 –> 00:06:45,700 and he didn’t have very good physical health. 139 00:06:45,700 –> 00:06:48,140 Titus, by contrast, was a much more 140 00:06:48,140 –> 00:06:51,220 robust character, which no doubt is why 141 00:06:51,220 –> 00:06:53,339 when things got difficult at Corinth, 142 00:06:53,339 –> 00:06:56,640 Timothy was withdrawn, and Titus was put in. 143 00:06:56,640 –> 00:06:59,799 He was the man for that particular situation. 144 00:06:59,799 –> 00:07:00,799 They were different characters. 145 00:07:01,100 –> 00:07:03,239 Let me read to you William Hendrickson’s 146 00:07:03,239 –> 00:07:04,820 comment on these two men. 147 00:07:05,899 –> 00:07:07,579 Timothy and Titus, he says, 148 00:07:07,579 –> 00:07:09,799 have in common unwavering loyalty 149 00:07:09,799 –> 00:07:12,279 to the cause of the gospel and willingness 150 00:07:12,279 –> 00:07:14,540 to be sent on difficult missions. 151 00:07:14,540 –> 00:07:17,820 High regard for their friend and superior, Paul. 152 00:07:17,820 –> 00:07:21,279 Yet, in one respect, the two differ. 153 00:07:21,279 –> 00:07:22,980 Titus was more of a leader. 154 00:07:23,880 –> 00:07:25,959 Timothy is a follower. 155 00:07:26,899 –> 00:07:29,100 Titus is the type of man who is not only 156 00:07:29,140 –> 00:07:31,760 able to take orders but also to go ahead 157 00:07:31,760 –> 00:07:33,339 at his own initiative. 158 00:07:33,339 –> 00:07:36,359 Timothy needs a little prodding. 159 00:07:36,359 –> 00:07:39,220 Titus is resourceful, a man of initiative 160 00:07:39,220 –> 00:07:40,839 and a good cause. 161 00:07:40,839 –> 00:07:43,619 Timothy is cooperative, a man who shows 162 00:07:43,619 –> 00:07:45,600 their spirit even when it requires him 163 00:07:45,600 –> 00:07:49,420 to do things that run contrary to his natural shyness. 164 00:07:51,679 –> 00:07:56,679 Now, clearly, Timothy was not the most 165 00:07:57,040 –> 00:08:00,200 obviously gifted member of Paul’s team. 166 00:08:01,920 –> 00:08:06,040 But Paul says quite definitively and clearly here 167 00:08:06,040 –> 00:08:08,880 that he was the most useful. 168 00:08:08,880 –> 00:08:13,880 I have, verse 20, no one else like him. 169 00:08:16,320 –> 00:08:19,559 So what makes Timothy such an outstanding team member 170 00:08:19,559 –> 00:08:22,839 is not the height of his gift 171 00:08:23,799 –> 00:08:26,459 but the depth of his character. 172 00:08:28,260 –> 00:08:30,279 Now, I think that is a wonderful encouragement 173 00:08:30,279 –> 00:08:33,840 for all of us because that is something 174 00:08:33,840 –> 00:08:35,599 that every one of us can pursue. 175 00:08:37,280 –> 00:08:41,080 Growing usefulness in the cause of the Lord Jesus Christ 176 00:08:41,080 –> 00:08:46,280 does not depend on stellar giftedness 177 00:08:46,280 –> 00:08:47,679 but of growing character. 178 00:08:48,559 –> 00:08:51,880 I have of all the folks I work with, says Paul, 179 00:08:52,900 –> 00:08:57,900 I have no one else like Timothy, no one else. 180 00:09:01,080 –> 00:09:03,200 Now, there’s a great deal written these days 181 00:09:03,200 –> 00:09:05,260 about what it takes to be a leader 182 00:09:06,940 –> 00:09:08,440 but there isn’t so much written 183 00:09:08,440 –> 00:09:10,239 about what it takes to be a follower. 184 00:09:11,299 –> 00:09:15,179 What does it take to be a really great team member? 185 00:09:17,200 –> 00:09:20,799 What does it take to be a really great church member? 186 00:09:21,799 –> 00:09:23,520 That’s a very important question. 187 00:09:25,880 –> 00:09:28,080 What kind of members of the body 188 00:09:28,080 –> 00:09:32,479 are going to be most useful in the cause of Christ? 189 00:09:33,960 –> 00:09:36,000 What are the things that all of us, 190 00:09:36,000 –> 00:09:38,500 whatever the particular positions to which we’re called, 191 00:09:38,500 –> 00:09:43,500 must pursue in order to have maximum usefulness 192 00:09:44,500 –> 00:09:49,460 in the cause of Jesus Christ and in the cause of the Gospel? 193 00:09:50,320 –> 00:09:53,700 Well, Timothy obviously is a great model for us. 194 00:09:53,700 –> 00:09:55,760 If the Apostle Paul says about this man, 195 00:09:55,760 –> 00:09:57,859 I have no one else like him, 196 00:09:57,859 –> 00:10:00,219 then quite clearly this is the kind of person 197 00:10:00,219 –> 00:10:03,460 we ought to be modeling ourselves on 198 00:10:03,460 –> 00:10:05,859 and using as an example. 199 00:10:05,859 –> 00:10:08,919 And so I want very simply today to take a close look 200 00:10:08,919 –> 00:10:12,580 at what made Timothy such a great member of Paul’s team 201 00:10:12,580 –> 00:10:14,840 that he would say this about him. 202 00:10:14,840 –> 00:10:17,140 What made Timothy so useful 203 00:10:17,159 –> 00:10:20,299 in the cause of our Lord Jesus Christ 204 00:10:20,299 –> 00:10:23,900 so that we can apply these things to ourselves 205 00:10:23,900 –> 00:10:27,200 so that we, too, may grow in our usefulness 206 00:10:27,200 –> 00:10:29,440 to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 207 00:10:29,440 –> 00:10:30,940 And that’s where we’re headed this morning. 208 00:10:30,940 –> 00:10:33,179 I hope you have your Bible open in front of you, 209 00:10:33,179 –> 00:10:35,419 Philippians and chapter two. 210 00:10:35,419 –> 00:10:40,419 Just these few verses from verse 19 to 22 will be our focus. 211 00:10:41,520 –> 00:10:46,119 Now notice first that Timothy cares more about others 212 00:10:46,119 –> 00:10:47,760 than he cares about himself. 213 00:10:47,760 –> 00:10:49,219 Why was he so useful? 214 00:10:50,219 –> 00:10:51,760 Why was it that Paul didn’t have anyone else 215 00:10:51,760 –> 00:10:52,739 quite like him? 216 00:10:53,760 –> 00:10:55,359 Well, he cares about more about others 217 00:10:55,359 –> 00:10:57,520 than he cares about himself, verse 20. 218 00:10:57,520 –> 00:10:59,799 I have no one else like him 219 00:10:59,799 –> 00:11:04,799 who takes a genuine interest in your welfare 220 00:11:06,500 –> 00:11:09,760 for everyone looks out for his own interests, 221 00:11:09,760 –> 00:11:13,299 not those of Jesus Christ. 222 00:11:13,919 –> 00:11:15,859 Now, remember that Paul 223 00:11:15,859 –> 00:11:17,659 is talking here about Christians. 224 00:11:17,659 –> 00:11:20,239 In fact, he’s talking about his own team. 225 00:11:20,239 –> 00:11:21,940 He’s talking about who he has. 226 00:11:22,840 –> 00:11:27,059 And he says, Timothy is outstanding, 227 00:11:27,059 –> 00:11:29,580 and the striking thing about him 228 00:11:29,580 –> 00:11:33,000 is that he takes a genuine interest 229 00:11:33,000 –> 00:11:35,159 in the welfare of others. 230 00:11:35,159 –> 00:11:37,500 And he says here in verse 21 231 00:11:37,500 –> 00:11:41,340 that this is clearly different from most people. 232 00:11:41,340 –> 00:11:42,940 And it’s important for us to recognize 233 00:11:43,219 –> 00:11:44,140 that what Paul is saying is that 234 00:11:44,140 –> 00:11:47,559 it is different from most Christians. 235 00:11:49,299 –> 00:11:50,960 Now, here we have to be really honest 236 00:11:50,960 –> 00:11:52,619 with what the scripture is saying 237 00:11:52,619 –> 00:11:55,440 and swallow some truth that’s maybe 238 00:11:55,440 –> 00:11:57,739 a little less comfortable for us to hear, 239 00:11:57,739 –> 00:11:59,539 and yet we need it because it’s part 240 00:11:59,539 –> 00:12:01,179 of what God gives to us. 241 00:12:02,900 –> 00:12:07,460 Release from preoccupation with ourselves 242 00:12:07,460 –> 00:12:11,739 does not come easily even for Christians. 243 00:12:12,580 –> 00:12:13,419 Right? 244 00:12:16,219 –> 00:12:19,260 The greatest effect of sin in our lives 245 00:12:20,419 –> 00:12:25,419 is that we become supremely interested in ourselves. 246 00:12:26,700 –> 00:12:27,780 It’s in our DNA. 247 00:12:30,619 –> 00:12:34,780 We are naturally absorbed with ourselves, 248 00:12:34,780 –> 00:12:37,039 and this is normally expressed 249 00:12:37,039 –> 00:12:38,780 through words and actions and thoughts 250 00:12:38,780 –> 00:12:39,739 that are about ourselves. 251 00:12:39,840 –> 00:12:42,340 We think a great deal about ourselves, 252 00:12:42,340 –> 00:12:44,340 and we talk about what we do, 253 00:12:44,340 –> 00:12:45,700 and what we plan, 254 00:12:45,700 –> 00:12:46,539 and what we hope, 255 00:12:46,539 –> 00:12:47,460 and what we feel, 256 00:12:47,460 –> 00:12:51,520 and we are interested in ourselves. 257 00:12:52,979 –> 00:12:57,099 Self interest is our natural fallen condition. 258 00:12:57,099 –> 00:12:58,580 It is normal, 259 00:13:00,239 –> 00:13:03,419 and it is normal even among Christians. 260 00:13:04,739 –> 00:13:09,340 Everyone looks out for his own interests, 261 00:13:09,400 –> 00:13:12,179 not those of Jesus Christ. 262 00:13:12,179 –> 00:13:16,320 And Paul is talking here about reality in the church. 263 00:13:16,320 –> 00:13:19,780 It is his experience 264 00:13:19,780 –> 00:13:22,960 and it is his honest assessment. 265 00:13:24,460 –> 00:13:25,900 And the truth, therefore, 266 00:13:25,900 –> 00:13:30,760 is that we are all a long way 267 00:13:32,020 –> 00:13:35,159 from loving our neighbor as ourselves. 268 00:13:36,580 –> 00:13:37,419 Right? 269 00:13:39,359 –> 00:13:42,260 Now, you look very, very unsure. 270 00:13:42,260 –> 00:13:43,820 Let me make it easier for you. 271 00:13:44,739 –> 00:13:48,179 I am a long way 272 00:13:48,179 –> 00:13:51,400 from loving my neighbor as myself. 273 00:13:53,179 –> 00:13:57,099 We are a long way 274 00:13:57,099 –> 00:14:00,859 from loving our neighbor as we love ourselves. 275 00:14:01,900 –> 00:14:03,820 And if anyone would want to stand up 276 00:14:03,820 –> 00:14:06,020 and claim to be an exception to that, 277 00:14:06,020 –> 00:14:07,979 the rest of us would like to watch you 278 00:14:07,979 –> 00:14:09,640 for one month. 279 00:14:09,640 –> 00:14:11,719 We really would. 280 00:14:13,320 –> 00:14:14,299 This is the truth. 281 00:14:17,260 –> 00:14:20,659 Now, here’s what I think we should draw from that. 282 00:14:22,239 –> 00:14:25,460 Praise God that we are not saved 283 00:14:25,460 –> 00:14:28,559 by our sanctification, right? 284 00:14:30,799 –> 00:14:33,859 If you want that translated and put a little simpler, 285 00:14:33,859 –> 00:14:35,619 our sanctification is just the degree 286 00:14:35,679 –> 00:14:38,099 to which we are like Jesus Christ. 287 00:14:38,099 –> 00:14:39,219 Let me put it this way, 288 00:14:40,200 –> 00:14:43,299 if getting into heaven depended 289 00:14:43,299 –> 00:14:47,299 on the degree to which you became like Jesus on Earth, 290 00:14:47,299 –> 00:14:48,640 you wouldn’t be in heaven, 291 00:14:49,940 –> 00:14:51,799 and neither would I, 292 00:14:51,799 –> 00:14:54,380 and frankly, neither would anyone else. 293 00:14:54,380 –> 00:14:56,739 In fact, if the only people who entered heaven 294 00:14:56,739 –> 00:14:58,460 were those who were consistently 295 00:14:58,460 –> 00:15:00,780 and obviously like Jesus on Earth, 296 00:15:00,780 –> 00:15:02,880 heaven would be empty. 297 00:15:03,340 –> 00:15:08,320 So praise God that we are not saved by our sanctification, 298 00:15:08,320 –> 00:15:11,580 one day, the full likeness of Jesus 299 00:15:11,580 –> 00:15:13,880 will be seen in every believer, 300 00:15:13,880 –> 00:15:17,659 but now it’s only a kind of a dim reflection. 301 00:15:20,159 –> 00:15:25,159 Thank God that we are saved by his mercy 302 00:15:25,599 –> 00:15:30,599 to us, unworthy Christian sinners, right? 303 00:15:33,520 –> 00:15:35,520 Now, that’s so important for us to get hold of, 304 00:15:35,520 –> 00:15:37,440 but it’s the very center of the gospel, 305 00:15:37,440 –> 00:15:41,539 we are unworthy, Christian sinners. 306 00:15:43,760 –> 00:15:47,260 And very far from what our Lord Jesus Christ 307 00:15:47,260 –> 00:15:48,099 calls us to be 308 00:15:48,099 –> 00:15:50,359 and it is true of every one of us. 309 00:15:50,359 –> 00:15:54,539 What we will be, we are not yet. 310 00:15:56,119 –> 00:15:57,679 Release from preoccupation 311 00:15:57,679 –> 00:15:59,820 with ourselves does not come easily, 312 00:15:59,979 –> 00:16:03,880 even among Christians. 313 00:16:05,440 –> 00:16:08,460 Now, I sometimes find it helpful to read something 314 00:16:08,460 –> 00:16:10,419 from just a different culture 315 00:16:10,419 –> 00:16:12,299 and a different point in history, 316 00:16:12,299 –> 00:16:13,979 sometimes if you read something from 100 317 00:16:13,979 –> 00:16:15,760 or a couple of 100 years ago, 318 00:16:15,760 –> 00:16:17,580 it just opens your eyes to the fact 319 00:16:17,580 –> 00:16:20,200 that some things never change. 320 00:16:20,200 –> 00:16:22,559 And I find this very helpful. 321 00:16:22,559 –> 00:16:25,099 This is from Robert Rainey, 322 00:16:25,099 –> 00:16:27,619 who’s writing in the expositor’s bible 323 00:16:27,659 –> 00:16:30,580 and he’s writing about a 100 years ago 324 00:16:30,580 –> 00:16:33,020 in another part of the world. 325 00:16:33,020 –> 00:16:37,460 And this is what he says on this passage. 326 00:16:37,460 –> 00:16:39,340 We know Paul’s character. 327 00:16:40,219 –> 00:16:41,359 His enthusiasm, 328 00:16:42,580 –> 00:16:44,200 the magnanimous faith and love 329 00:16:44,200 –> 00:16:45,940 with which he counted everything loss 330 00:16:45,940 –> 00:16:47,679 in comparison with Christ. 331 00:16:49,200 –> 00:16:51,599 And yet we see what he found among 332 00:16:51,599 –> 00:16:54,140 the Christians around him. 333 00:16:54,140 –> 00:16:56,739 This has been so in every age. 334 00:16:57,820 –> 00:17:02,380 The reasonableness, faint-heartedness, 335 00:17:02,380 –> 00:17:06,239 faithlessness of men, and un-Christ-likeness 336 00:17:06,239 –> 00:17:09,579 of Christians have been a matter of experience. 337 00:17:09,579 –> 00:17:13,699 And he says this, if our hearts were enlarged 338 00:17:13,699 –> 00:17:16,640 to plan and endeavor more generously 339 00:17:16,640 –> 00:17:19,939 for Christ’s cause, we will feel this 340 00:17:19,939 –> 00:17:21,979 to be a great trial. 341 00:17:21,979 –> 00:17:24,780 All large-hearted Christians have 342 00:17:24,780 –> 00:17:27,060 to encounter it. 343 00:17:27,060 –> 00:17:30,500 Let us be assured that if Christ’s work 344 00:17:30,500 –> 00:17:32,099 is to be done, we must be prepared 345 00:17:32,099 –> 00:17:34,780 not only for opposition in the world, 346 00:17:34,780 –> 00:17:37,760 but also for the coldness of many 347 00:17:37,760 –> 00:17:40,099 within the church. 348 00:17:40,099 –> 00:17:44,500 So that was Paul’s honest assessment and experience. 349 00:17:44,500 –> 00:17:46,319 It’s par for the course, he says, 350 00:17:46,319 –> 00:17:48,780 after years of ministry, that it is 351 00:17:48,780 –> 00:17:51,319 in human nature and even in Christian nature 352 00:17:51,319 –> 00:17:54,459 that there is a looking out for our 353 00:17:54,459 –> 00:17:56,180 own interest even in the church. 354 00:17:56,180 –> 00:17:59,160 But Timothy is different. 355 00:18:00,579 –> 00:18:01,979 I have no one else like him. 356 00:18:03,420 –> 00:18:06,359 Who takes a genuine interest 357 00:18:07,520 –> 00:18:08,560 in your welfare. 358 00:18:10,140 –> 00:18:11,920 The distinguishing thing about this man 359 00:18:11,920 –> 00:18:13,439 is that he really cares about you 360 00:18:13,439 –> 00:18:15,439 more than he cares about himself. 361 00:18:19,160 –> 00:18:20,760 It’s interesting that when Paul writes 362 00:18:20,760 –> 00:18:24,780 his marvelous chapter on love, 363 00:18:24,800 –> 00:18:27,040 1 Corinthians in chapter 13, 364 00:18:28,839 –> 00:18:30,719 do you remember that he puts in there 365 00:18:30,719 –> 00:18:35,719 the statement, love is not self-seeking? 366 00:18:37,560 –> 00:18:40,079 And the word that he uses there for self-seeking 367 00:18:40,079 –> 00:18:42,520 is exactly the same word as he uses here 368 00:18:42,520 –> 00:18:45,619 in verse 21 where he says, everyone looks out, 369 00:18:45,619 –> 00:18:47,560 seeks their own interest. 370 00:18:49,079 –> 00:18:51,420 Everyone seeks their own interest, 371 00:18:51,439 –> 00:18:54,800 but love isn’t like that, 372 00:18:56,140 –> 00:18:58,420 and Timothy isn’t like that either. 373 00:18:58,420 –> 00:19:01,579 He cares about you more than he cares about himself. 374 00:19:01,579 –> 00:19:03,479 And I don’t have anyone else like him. 375 00:19:06,079 –> 00:19:08,300 Now, it seems to me, therefore, that what Paul is saying 376 00:19:08,300 –> 00:19:10,199 is that if we want to be more useful 377 00:19:10,199 –> 00:19:12,819 to the Lord Jesus Christ, this is the path to follow 378 00:19:12,819 –> 00:19:15,079 and it is modeled for us in this guy 379 00:19:15,079 –> 00:19:17,479 who was probably just 25 years old at the time. 380 00:19:18,439 –> 00:19:23,439 He cared about others more than he cared about himself. 381 00:19:26,119 –> 00:19:28,300 Secondly, he cares about the church 382 00:19:28,300 –> 00:19:30,979 more than he cares about his own ministry. 383 00:19:30,979 –> 00:19:32,599 He cares about the church 384 00:19:32,599 –> 00:19:36,260 more than he cares about his own ministry. 385 00:19:36,260 –> 00:19:37,780 Look at verse 19. 386 00:19:37,780 –> 00:19:41,780 I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon. 387 00:19:41,780 –> 00:19:43,560 You’re getting this pattern in the New Testament 388 00:19:43,560 –> 00:19:46,040 that Timothy keeps being sent all over the place? 389 00:19:46,939 –> 00:19:49,239 I hope to send Timothy to you soon 390 00:19:49,239 –> 00:19:53,400 that I also may be cheered when I receive news about you. 391 00:19:53,400 –> 00:19:54,560 That’s verse 19. 392 00:19:57,079 –> 00:19:59,239 Now, I want you to put yourself in Timothy’s shoes. 393 00:19:59,239 –> 00:20:02,260 I’ve tried to do that myself this week, 394 00:20:02,260 –> 00:20:03,560 and here’s my take on it. 395 00:20:05,500 –> 00:20:06,959 You stand in Timothy’s shoes, 396 00:20:06,959 –> 00:20:10,060 you have become now, after some years, 397 00:20:10,060 –> 00:20:13,579 the assistant to the Apostle Paul. 398 00:20:14,640 –> 00:20:15,880 You’ve been on the road with him 399 00:20:16,599 –> 00:20:17,640 through many adventures for some time, 400 00:20:17,640 –> 00:20:19,219 moving from one place to another, 401 00:20:19,219 –> 00:20:21,819 and now finally you have arrived in Rome. 402 00:20:21,819 –> 00:20:24,520 Paul is in prison, but you are free, 403 00:20:24,520 –> 00:20:28,479 and you, therefore, Timothy, are the key 404 00:20:28,479 –> 00:20:30,800 to Paul’s whole communication and ministry 405 00:20:30,800 –> 00:20:32,280 to the outside world. 406 00:20:33,880 –> 00:20:35,640 And you’re in Rome. 407 00:20:36,520 –> 00:20:40,420 Rome, the center of the ancient world. 408 00:20:43,239 –> 00:20:44,739 That’s not a bad position. 409 00:20:46,020 –> 00:20:48,560 Personal assistant to the apostle, 410 00:20:48,560 –> 00:20:51,099 to the Gentiles in the world’s greatest city. 411 00:20:52,520 –> 00:20:54,859 And more than that, I tried to imagine this. 412 00:20:54,859 –> 00:20:57,420 Can you imagine what it must have been like 413 00:20:57,420 –> 00:21:01,760 to sit beside the apostle Paul 414 00:21:01,760 –> 00:21:06,000 while he is receiving direct revelation from God 415 00:21:06,000 –> 00:21:08,020 and writing scripture? 416 00:21:09,920 –> 00:21:11,079 What was that like? 417 00:21:11,079 –> 00:21:15,439 Boy, I find myself fascinated by that. 418 00:21:16,560 –> 00:21:18,339 When Paul’s writing Philippians 419 00:21:18,339 –> 00:21:19,900 under the inspiration of the Spirit, 420 00:21:19,900 –> 00:21:21,319 Timothy’s right there beside him. 421 00:21:21,319 –> 00:21:22,599 When he’s writing Colossians, 422 00:21:22,599 –> 00:21:24,199 Timothy’s right there beside him. 423 00:21:24,199 –> 00:21:25,400 When he’s writing Philemon, 424 00:21:25,400 –> 00:21:26,920 Timothy is right there beside him. 425 00:21:26,920 –> 00:21:29,420 He is at the center of the action. 426 00:21:34,739 –> 00:21:38,479 And now Paul says, Timothy, I got another assignment. 427 00:21:40,239 –> 00:21:41,060 Philippi. 428 00:21:42,400 –> 00:21:44,939 I just try to think how I would react to that. 429 00:21:44,939 –> 00:21:48,160 It is better being settled than being on the road. 430 00:21:49,119 –> 00:21:51,560 It is better being in a great city like Rome 431 00:21:51,560 –> 00:21:54,020 than a provincial place like Philippi. 432 00:21:55,319 –> 00:21:56,500 And it’s certainly far better 433 00:21:56,500 –> 00:21:58,339 working alongside the Apostle Paul 434 00:21:58,339 –> 00:22:00,079 than being out there on your own 435 00:22:00,079 –> 00:22:02,099 taking responsibility for everything. 436 00:22:04,020 –> 00:22:06,760 So I think that Timothy had every reason 437 00:22:06,760 –> 00:22:09,040 for wanting to stay in Rome. 438 00:22:09,040 –> 00:22:14,040 Besides, if you read Acts chapter 27 and chapter 28, 439 00:22:14,939 –> 00:22:17,099 which tells us about the journey 440 00:22:17,099 –> 00:22:20,500 that they took to get to Rome, 441 00:22:20,500 –> 00:22:22,160 it was a nightmare. 442 00:22:23,180 –> 00:22:25,699 Two whole chapters, it took months 443 00:22:25,699 –> 00:22:26,939 for them to get this distance. 444 00:22:26,939 –> 00:22:27,859 I mean, we’re not talking about 445 00:22:27,859 –> 00:22:30,760 jumping on a plane and going business class here. 446 00:22:30,760 –> 00:22:34,380 We’re talking about weeks and weeks of travel. 447 00:22:34,380 –> 00:22:36,359 We’re talking about in their journey to Rome, 448 00:22:36,359 –> 00:22:39,500 there was a shipwreck that Paul and Timothy went through. 449 00:22:39,500 –> 00:22:42,180 They were washed up in Malta for a winter, 450 00:22:42,180 –> 00:22:44,079 they went through all kinds of storms 451 00:22:44,079 –> 00:22:47,719 and severe weather conditions, all kinds of disasters, 452 00:22:47,719 –> 00:22:51,000 and they finally got this wretched journey, 453 00:22:51,000 –> 00:22:53,719 which nearly cost them their lives behind them, 454 00:22:53,719 –> 00:22:55,640 and what does Paul say to Timothy? 455 00:22:55,640 –> 00:22:57,439 Timothy, you know, Philippi, 456 00:22:57,439 –> 00:23:01,739 this is weeks and weeks and weeks of travel 457 00:23:01,739 –> 00:23:05,020 on his own and risking life and limb 458 00:23:05,020 –> 00:23:08,560 for what, to visit a provincial kind of church 459 00:23:08,560 –> 00:23:10,099 with a handful of people? 460 00:23:14,579 –> 00:23:17,640 But Timothy cared about the church 461 00:23:19,760 –> 00:23:21,979 more than he cared about his own ministry, 462 00:23:24,300 –> 00:23:25,859 and that’s unusual. 463 00:23:28,459 –> 00:23:30,800 Paul says, I don’t have anyone else like you. 464 00:23:34,160 –> 00:23:36,459 By the way, there’s something of this in Paul two, 465 00:23:36,459 –> 00:23:38,459 because put yourself in Paul’s shoes. 466 00:23:38,459 –> 00:23:42,099 You’re in prison and you have one key friend, 467 00:23:43,099 –> 00:23:45,400 lieutenant there beside you, 468 00:23:45,400 –> 00:23:47,300 and he’s the key to your communication 469 00:23:47,300 –> 00:23:48,160 with the outside world, 470 00:23:48,160 –> 00:23:49,800 but there’s a need in the church at Philippi 471 00:23:49,800 –> 00:23:51,040 what are you going to do? 472 00:23:52,520 –> 00:23:54,119 Paul says, well I’ll let him go. 473 00:23:55,079 –> 00:23:59,459 Because the need of the church there 474 00:24:00,420 –> 00:24:02,699 is more important than my personal need here. 475 00:24:08,560 –> 00:24:11,719 He cared about others, more than he cared about himself, 476 00:24:13,079 –> 00:24:16,219 and he cared about the church 477 00:24:17,859 –> 00:24:20,780 more than he cared about his own ministry. 478 00:24:20,780 –> 00:24:22,099 And that shaped his decisions 479 00:24:22,099 –> 00:24:23,540 and his thinking and his plans. 480 00:24:27,599 –> 00:24:29,459 Paul says, I know one else like him. 481 00:24:30,380 –> 00:24:31,219 He’s powerful. 482 00:24:33,739 –> 00:24:34,880 Here’s the third thing. 483 00:24:36,119 –> 00:24:39,880 He cares about the gospel more than his own comfort. 484 00:24:40,760 –> 00:24:44,160 But you know that Timothy has proved himself 485 00:24:44,160 –> 00:24:47,079 because as a son with his father, verse 22, 486 00:24:47,079 –> 00:24:51,819 he has served with me in the work of the gospel. 487 00:24:53,280 –> 00:24:56,819 Now, when Paul uses that word served, 488 00:24:56,819 –> 00:25:00,560 it can literally be translated slaved. 489 00:25:00,560 –> 00:25:04,680 It’s the word doulos that means a slave. 490 00:25:04,680 –> 00:25:08,119 And so Paul’s statement here is very strong. 491 00:25:08,199 –> 00:25:12,439 Timothy has proved himself because he’s slaved with me. 492 00:25:12,439 –> 00:25:15,839 Now they’ve been here together for some years now, remember, 493 00:25:15,839 –> 00:25:20,579 and the evidence of this man’s commitment to the gospel 494 00:25:20,579 –> 00:25:23,719 has been seen in the relentless work 495 00:25:23,719 –> 00:25:26,199 that he has done over the years. 496 00:25:26,199 –> 00:25:30,180 Timothy could have enjoyed a much easier life 497 00:25:30,180 –> 00:25:32,459 if he had stayed home at Lystra. 498 00:25:32,459 –> 00:25:34,800 His life would have been much more comfortable. 499 00:25:34,839 –> 00:25:38,579 And many of you are in the same position. 500 00:25:39,719 –> 00:25:43,500 You have made decisions that honor Christ 501 00:25:43,500 –> 00:25:45,540 and have made life more difficult. 502 00:25:47,020 –> 00:25:48,979 You could have made decisions 503 00:25:48,979 –> 00:25:51,400 that were less honoring to Christ 504 00:25:51,400 –> 00:25:53,160 and would have made your life easier, 505 00:25:53,160 –> 00:25:55,319 but that is not the path that you chose. 506 00:25:55,319 –> 00:25:58,420 You live with difficulty because of the choice 507 00:25:58,420 –> 00:26:01,839 that you have made, which honors Christ. 508 00:26:01,839 –> 00:26:03,439 And that was Timothy’s position. 509 00:26:04,400 –> 00:26:09,040 And I think many of us know about this in many ways. 510 00:26:10,719 –> 00:26:14,339 You’ve been extended in your responsibilities 511 00:26:14,339 –> 00:26:19,040 at work or in the home during the day. 512 00:26:19,040 –> 00:26:22,319 And then you extend yourself further 513 00:26:22,319 –> 00:26:24,760 as you engage in some ministry 514 00:26:24,760 –> 00:26:27,380 to which God has called you in the evening. 515 00:26:29,040 –> 00:26:30,859 And the demands are considerable 516 00:26:30,859 –> 00:26:35,459 and it isn’t always easy and you come home sometimes 517 00:26:35,459 –> 00:26:38,359 and you flop into your bed and you say 518 00:26:38,359 –> 00:26:40,579 in a state of feeling some exhaustion 519 00:26:40,579 –> 00:26:43,119 to no one in particular, you say, 520 00:26:43,119 –> 00:26:45,719 there’s gotta be an easier way to live life than this. 521 00:26:45,719 –> 00:26:47,140 And you know what, there is. 522 00:26:48,040 –> 00:26:48,859 There is. 523 00:26:51,839 –> 00:26:53,359 But Timothy isn’t interested 524 00:26:53,359 –> 00:26:55,160 in an easier way of living life. 525 00:26:58,160 –> 00:27:00,699 He’s more interested in the advance of the gospel 526 00:27:00,719 –> 00:27:02,859 than he is in his own personal comfort. 527 00:27:04,920 –> 00:27:07,500 And with the apostle Paul, you have a man here 528 00:27:07,500 –> 00:27:11,260 who lives animated by one burning question. 529 00:27:11,260 –> 00:27:14,939 What will it take to bring the gospel to a lost world? 530 00:27:17,719 –> 00:27:19,979 Paul says, I don’t have anyone else like him. 531 00:27:26,660 –> 00:27:27,800 What will it take 532 00:27:28,160 –> 00:27:29,479 to bring the gospel 533 00:27:34,920 –> 00:27:37,119 to lost people in Arlington Heights? 534 00:27:41,439 –> 00:27:46,439 What will it take to spread the influence of the gospel 535 00:27:46,839 –> 00:27:49,599 in these Northwest suburbs where God has placed us? 536 00:27:52,180 –> 00:27:53,619 What will it take 537 00:27:53,619 –> 00:27:58,260 for the gospel to extend throughout the world 538 00:27:58,260 –> 00:28:01,020 through the ministry of the church 539 00:28:01,020 –> 00:28:04,800 as Christ has called us to take the gospel to all nations? 540 00:28:07,880 –> 00:28:09,400 See, these are the kinds of questions 541 00:28:09,400 –> 00:28:13,979 that animate a team member 542 00:28:15,900 –> 00:28:18,319 who’s really useful to Christ. 543 00:28:21,239 –> 00:28:22,619 And Paul says, there aren’t so many 544 00:28:22,880 –> 00:28:23,780 who live like that. 545 00:28:28,180 –> 00:28:30,079 But Timothy was the kind of person 546 00:28:30,079 –> 00:28:34,920 who was ready to say, whatever this takes, I’m ready. 547 00:28:37,900 –> 00:28:40,199 Now, I don’t know about you, 548 00:28:40,199 –> 00:28:42,160 but I’ve found that over these weeks 549 00:28:42,160 –> 00:28:45,640 as I’ve immersed myself more in the life of Timothy 550 00:28:45,640 –> 00:28:48,920 as we find it in the New Testament Scriptures, 551 00:28:48,920 –> 00:28:52,339 I fin myself drawn to this guy. 552 00:28:53,099 –> 00:28:55,119 I found this is the kind of person 553 00:28:55,119 –> 00:28:56,959 I want to be more like. 554 00:28:56,959 –> 00:28:58,500 I’ve thought about all kinds of things 555 00:28:58,500 –> 00:28:59,859 I want to talk to Timothy about 556 00:28:59,859 –> 00:29:01,560 when we finally get to Heaven. 557 00:29:01,560 –> 00:29:06,099 I’m fascinated by this person who’s early in life 558 00:29:06,099 –> 00:29:08,900 just given and opportunity 559 00:29:08,900 –> 00:29:11,000 and is ready to take responsibility 560 00:29:11,000 –> 00:29:13,020 and then is encouraged 561 00:29:13,020 –> 00:29:15,579 and then has to stand firm through great difficulties 562 00:29:15,579 –> 00:29:17,439 and finds fruitfulness 563 00:29:17,439 –> 00:29:20,619 and is useful in the service of Christ 564 00:29:21,439 –> 00:29:23,920 and I say, don’t you feel 565 00:29:23,920 –> 00:29:26,699 this is the kind of person you want to be more like? 566 00:29:28,839 –> 00:29:30,219 And don’t you see that 567 00:29:30,219 –> 00:29:32,020 as we look around church world generally 568 00:29:32,020 –> 00:29:33,819 there aren’t so many people like him? 569 00:29:35,939 –> 00:29:37,380 And yet, isn’t it encouraging 570 00:29:37,380 –> 00:29:40,060 that real usefulness to Jesus Christ 571 00:29:40,060 –> 00:29:42,339 doesn’t depend on the height of your gifts 572 00:29:42,339 –> 00:29:44,280 but on the depth of your character 573 00:29:45,699 –> 00:29:47,380 and that this kind of timid, shy 574 00:29:47,380 –> 00:29:50,599 and not very robust person 575 00:29:50,880 –> 00:29:53,060 ends up being the most useful guy 576 00:29:53,060 –> 00:29:54,680 the apostle Paul has. 577 00:29:57,760 –> 00:29:59,199 And if we’re to pursue that, 578 00:29:59,199 –> 00:30:01,020 here’s what to cultivate. 579 00:30:01,020 –> 00:30:03,219 Learn to care more about others 580 00:30:05,239 –> 00:30:06,859 than you care about yourself. 581 00:30:08,180 –> 00:30:09,739 Learn to care more about the church 582 00:30:09,739 –> 00:30:11,719 than you do about your own ministry. 583 00:30:13,060 –> 00:30:14,819 Learn to care more about the gospel 584 00:30:16,260 –> 00:30:17,920 than we do about our own comfort. 585 00:30:18,380 –> 00:30:21,939 With God was to pour out the spirit of Timothy 586 00:30:21,939 –> 00:30:23,619 widely in the church, 587 00:30:25,380 –> 00:30:27,160 it would have a transforming effect. 588 00:30:31,420 –> 00:30:33,660 Now, I want to say one more thing by way of conclusion 589 00:30:33,660 –> 00:30:35,420 before we come to prayer together. 590 00:30:35,420 –> 00:30:36,540 And it’s simply this, 591 00:30:36,540 –> 00:30:40,979 that when I began studying this chapter, 592 00:30:40,979 –> 00:30:42,939 and of course, it’s one of the most famous chapters, 593 00:30:42,939 –> 00:30:43,920 at least the first part, 594 00:30:43,920 –> 00:30:46,260 is one of the most famous chapters in the Bible. 595 00:30:46,959 –> 00:30:48,180 But the thing that really struck me, 596 00:30:48,180 –> 00:30:50,420 focusing on these later verses, 597 00:30:50,420 –> 00:30:53,339 is that this really is a very strange chapter 598 00:30:53,339 –> 00:30:54,839 in the Bible indeed. 599 00:30:56,219 –> 00:31:01,219 Because it begins with the inscription of praise to Christ 600 00:31:01,459 –> 00:31:04,739 that we all read together from verse five through verse 11. 601 00:31:05,699 –> 00:31:09,459 And it’s all about the eternal nature of God, 602 00:31:09,459 –> 00:31:12,939 the incarnation in which God becomes man, 603 00:31:13,079 –> 00:31:17,479 the atonement which is the effect of the death 604 00:31:17,479 –> 00:31:19,199 of the Lord Jesus Christ, 605 00:31:19,199 –> 00:31:20,939 and then the glorious and triumphant 606 00:31:20,939 –> 00:31:23,800 resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ 607 00:31:23,800 –> 00:31:28,119 to be seated at the right hand of the Father in glory. 608 00:31:28,119 –> 00:31:30,040 And you have these six verses 609 00:31:30,040 –> 00:31:32,839 that deal with these magnificent themes. 610 00:31:33,859 –> 00:31:37,640 Then you move on in the same chapter and what do you get? 611 00:31:37,640 –> 00:31:40,119 A bunch of stuff about travel arrangements 612 00:31:40,119 –> 00:31:41,640 for a young guy called Timothy 613 00:31:41,660 –> 00:31:43,800 going to an obscure place called Philippi. 614 00:31:44,719 –> 00:31:45,739 And then if you read forward 615 00:31:45,739 –> 00:31:46,920 to the end of the chapter, 616 00:31:46,920 –> 00:31:50,900 it goes on in great detail about a guy called Epaphroditus 617 00:31:50,900 –> 00:31:54,079 who apparently got sick and nearly died. 618 00:31:54,079 –> 00:31:55,359 Now, here’s the question. 619 00:31:55,359 –> 00:31:57,140 How does all of this hold together? 620 00:31:58,280 –> 00:31:59,599 See, 2,000 years later, 621 00:31:59,599 –> 00:32:02,520 I can easily see why the Holy Spirit 622 00:32:02,520 –> 00:32:05,540 has preserved the first part of Philippians chapter two 623 00:32:05,540 –> 00:32:08,300 for us so that we can come together in worship 624 00:32:08,540 –> 00:32:11,939 and give ascription of praise to the glory of Jesus Christ. 625 00:32:11,939 –> 00:32:14,060 But why in all the world have we got these verses 626 00:32:14,060 –> 00:32:16,260 about a 25-year-old’s travel plans 627 00:32:16,260 –> 00:32:18,660 to go to an obscure place called Philippi? 628 00:32:23,660 –> 00:32:26,319 Here’s how it ties surely together. 629 00:32:28,500 –> 00:32:33,500 Timothy cared about others 630 00:32:33,699 –> 00:32:36,060 more than he cared about himself. 631 00:32:38,319 –> 00:32:40,219 Where did he get that from? 632 00:32:42,060 –> 00:32:45,380 Look back at chapter 2 in verse 4. 633 00:32:47,160 –> 00:32:50,260 Each of you should look not only to your own interests 634 00:32:50,260 –> 00:32:52,540 but also to the interests of others. 635 00:32:53,579 –> 00:32:58,560 Your attitude should be the same as that of Jesus Christ. 636 00:33:00,900 –> 00:33:05,280 And Timothy cares for the church 637 00:33:05,280 –> 00:33:07,900 more than he cares about his own ministry. 638 00:33:07,900 –> 00:33:11,900 He serves, becomes a slave with the apostle Paul. 639 00:33:11,900 –> 00:33:13,300 Where did he get that from? 640 00:33:14,439 –> 00:33:16,800 Verse seven, Christ made himself nothing. 641 00:33:18,020 –> 00:33:20,880 Taken the very form of a servant. 642 00:33:23,459 –> 00:33:25,079 And Timothy cares more about the gospel 643 00:33:25,079 –> 00:33:26,780 than he cares about his own comfort, 644 00:33:26,780 –> 00:33:28,839 where in the world did he get that from? 645 00:33:30,219 –> 00:33:32,579 Verse eight, Christ humbled himself 646 00:33:32,579 –> 00:33:35,979 and became obedient to death, even death on a cross. 647 00:33:35,979 –> 00:33:36,979 And you know what? 648 00:33:38,739 –> 00:33:42,079 God the Father said of this Jesus, 649 00:33:42,939 –> 00:33:45,560 I have no one else like him. 650 00:33:45,560 –> 00:33:48,380 I have no one else like him. 651 00:33:48,380 –> 00:33:51,400 And therefore God exalted him to the highest place 652 00:33:51,400 –> 00:33:53,859 and gave him the name, which is above every name, 653 00:33:53,859 –> 00:33:57,140 that at the name of Jesus, every knee should bow. 654 00:33:57,140 –> 00:33:58,420 You see what’s happened? 655 00:33:59,260 –> 00:34:03,920 Christ has captured Timothy’s heart. 656 00:34:04,739 –> 00:34:09,739 And the spirit of Jesus is conspicuously 657 00:34:10,439 –> 00:34:13,340 working in this man’s life. 658 00:34:14,479 –> 00:34:18,439 Producing not a perfect image because none of us have that, 659 00:34:18,439 –> 00:34:22,959 even Timothy, but recognizable reflections 660 00:34:22,959 –> 00:34:26,560 of the character of Jesus that are flowing 661 00:34:26,560 –> 00:34:29,239 through his life and his ministry 662 00:34:29,239 –> 00:34:31,979 that cause him to be the most useful man 663 00:34:32,419 –> 00:34:34,120 on the Apostles team. 664 00:34:38,060 –> 00:34:42,739 May the mind of Christ, my Savior, 665 00:34:44,679 –> 00:34:48,419 live in me from day to day 666 00:34:49,860 –> 00:34:54,860 by his love and power controlling all I do and say. 667 00:34:57,320 –> 00:35:00,100 May his beauty rest upon me 668 00:35:00,840 –> 00:35:04,479 as I seek the lost to win 669 00:35:05,560 –> 00:35:07,580 and may they forget the channel, 670 00:35:08,840 –> 00:35:12,360 seeing only him. 671 00:35:14,840 –> 00:35:19,219 Can you imagine the effects of the Spirit of Jesus 672 00:35:21,479 –> 00:35:25,620 being multiplied in a community of Timothys? 673 00:35:31,060 –> 00:35:33,439 Is that what you feel drawn to today? 674 00:35:36,439 –> 00:35:39,399 To be more like a man who became more like Jesus. 675 00:35:41,800 –> 00:35:44,080 Let’s pray together, shall we? 676 00:35:44,919 –> 00:35:47,520 Perhaps you would make this prayer your own 677 00:35:47,520 –> 00:35:49,020 as I seek to make it mine. 678 00:35:52,620 –> 00:35:55,699 Father cause me to care more deeply for others 679 00:35:55,699 –> 00:35:57,300 than I care about myself. 680 00:36:00,959 –> 00:36:04,399 Help me to care more about Your Church 681 00:36:04,399 –> 00:36:06,560 than I care about my own ministry. 682 00:36:11,179 –> 00:36:13,659 Move me to care more about the Gospel 683 00:36:15,300 –> 00:36:17,840 than I care about my own comfort. 684 00:36:20,520 –> 00:36:23,439 Make me more like Jesus. 685 00:36:23,560 –> 00:36:25,100 Guide me. 686 00:36:29,000 –> 00:36:33,100 By the power of the Spirit 687 00:36:33,100 –> 00:36:36,040 and for Your own praise and glory, 688 00:36:37,820 –> 00:36:40,520 I ask it in Jesus’ name. 689 00:36:40,520 –> 00:36:41,520 Amen. 690 00:36:43,699 –> 00:36:45,899 You’ve been listening to a sermon 691 00:36:45,899 –> 00:36:48,919 with Pastor Colin Smith of Open the Bible. 692 00:36:49,000 –> 00:36:52,580 To contact us, call us at 1 877 OPEN 365 693 00:36:52,580 –> 00:36:55,620 or visit our website OpenTheBible.org.