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TIMOTHY THE PASTOR
Unsung Heroes, Part 4
2 Timothy 1:1-14
August 26, 2007
Pastor Bob Sanders
Introduction
We’ve been thinking about some of the unsung heroes in the New Testament, some of the lesser known figures who play such a vital role in the story of the early church. So far we’ve considered Barnabas with his gift for encouraging people, then Stephen with his powerful witness to the Lord Jesus that cost him his life, and then Philip with his open and obedient spirit that helped him reach outsiders with the good news of Jesus Christ.
Today we come to a young pastor named Timothy. We turned to the Book of Acts to learn about Barnabas, Stephen, and Philip. But to understand Timothy, we turn to one of the letters that bears his name – 2nd Timothy. This is probably the last letter written by the apostle Paul. He writes it from a prison cell where he’s locked in chains and awaiting execution. Tradition has it that Paul was beheaded outside Rome around 66 AD, and it’s quite possible this final letter addressed to Timothy was written just a few months before his execution.
It’s a time when the survival of the Christian faith was a real question. The churches Paul established were not large congregations but rather small gatherings that met in homes, and the forces of Rome under the emperor Nero had targeted these churches for destruction. Heresies and false teaching were on the increase, church leaders were imprisoned and killed, while more and more people were falling away from the embattled faith. Humanly speaking, Christianity was trembling on the verge of extinction.
And there was very little Paul can do about it. His ministry was pretty much over. Now it’s up to the next generation of leaders, and foremost among these is Timothy, Paul’s longtime colleague and protégé. He writes this letter with one primary purpose in mind – to put courage into this young pastor who is feeling very alone, very fearful, very inadequate. Here’s how Paul begins his final letter:
2 Timothy 1:1-14
1Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, for the sake of the promise of life that is in Christ Jesus, 2To Timothy, my beloved child: Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. 3I am grateful to God—whom I worship with a clear conscience, as my ancestors did—when I remember you constantly in my prayers night and day. 4Recalling your tears, I long to see you so that I may be filled with joy. 5I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that lived first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, lives in you.
6For this reason I remind you to rekindle the gift of God that is within you through the laying on of my hands; 7for God did not give us a spirit of cowardice, but rather a spirit of power and of love and of self-discipline. 8Do not be ashamed, then, of the testimony about our Lord or of me his prisoner, but join with me in suffering for the gospel, relying on the power of God, 9who saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works but according to his own purpose and grace. This grace was given to us in Christ Jesus before the ages began, 10but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. 11For this gospel I was appointed a herald and an apostle and a teacher, 12and for this reason I suffer as I do. But I am not ashamed, for I know the one in whom I have put my trust, and I am sure that he is able to guard until that day what I have entrusted to him. 13Hold to the standard of sound teaching that you have heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. 14Guard the good treasure entrusted to you, with the help of the Holy Spirit living in us.
An Unlikely Leader
Timothy was an unlikely candidate for leadership, and Paul was worried about him. We read in the Book of Acts how they met some fifteen years earlier. Timothy was living in Lystra, in the Roman province of Galatia (in modern-day Turkey), when Paul came through on his missionary journey. Paul was so impressed with Timothy that he invited him to join his team (see Acts 16:1-5). He became Paul’s trusted coworker, and Paul sent him on a number of difficult assignments. Timothy’s name appears in six of Paul’s letters, where he’s described as unselfish and warmhearted, a gentle man who looks instinctively to the needs of others, a good teacher and above all a faithful servant of Jesus Christ. And at this point Timothy is in Ephesus, sent by Paul to pastor the congregation in that great city.
Paul came to view Timothy as more than a valued colleague. In verse 2 of our text Paul addresses him as “my beloved child.” As his spiritual father, Paul was aware not only of Timothy’s strengths, but also his limitations. For one thing, Timothy was still pretty young. In his first letter, Paul tells him to “let no one despise your youth” (1 Tim. 4:12), and in this second letter Paul urges him to “shun youthful passions” (2 Tim. 2:22). We don’t know his exact age, but the best guess would put Timothy somewhere in his mid-thirties. And at that time, anything under 40 was considered young – especially for leading a church.
Another limitation was his health. Timothy was rather sickly. In his first letter, Paul refers to his “frequent ailments” and suggests he “no longer drink only water but take a little wine for the sake of your stomach” (1 Tim. 5:23).
But his biggest limitation was his timid personality. By nature, Timothy seems to have been a shy, withdrawing type of person. Nowadays we’d call him an introvert. Sensitive and somewhat thin-skinned, Timothy is someone who tries to avoid confrontation wherever possible, someone who needs a lot of encouragement to take on tough challenges.
This then is Timothy. Gifted and faithful. But young in years, sickly in health, and shy in disposition. No wonder Paul hesitates in asking him to take up the demands of leadership. And no wonder Timothy is a little reluctant to accept this new assignment. Christian leaders are being arrested and imprisoned. Paul himself is about to be killed. Who can blame Timothy if he’s a little slow in stepping up to the plate?
Courage
If you’re ever able to visit Israel and the Holy Land, I recommend you go to the Holocaust museum in Jerusalem known as Yad Vashem. You need to leave about four hours to see it, and be prepared to have your heart broken. It tells the story of how the toxic atmosphere of anti-Semitism started long before the Nazis came to power, and traces a history of pogroms and persecutions throughout the 1800s and up into the first third of the 1900s. That anti-Semitism also infected the church at many levels, and one of the saddest parts of Yad Vashem, at least to me, is the church’s passivity and even complicity in the horrors of the Holocaust.
There was a photograph in that wing that I’ve not been able to forget. It’s a simple black-and-white picture showing two leather-jacketed Nazi goons beating their Jewish victims with clubs, beating them to death. Standing between them is a priest dressed in a black robe and a white clerical collar. He stands paralyzed. Conflicted. Frozen in fear. On the one hand, he knows what’s happening around him is wrong and he should intervene. On the other hand, if he speaks up, the violence will be turned on him. His hands are lifted up and his face is caught in the agony. And I guess maybe I saw myself in him. What would I do if I were caught in such a situation? Would I have the discernment to recognize the evil around me and the courage to speak against it? What about the church today? What other evils are going on around us, what people are being oppressed and pushed down while we lack to courage to speak out?
As I say, I can’t get the picture out of my mind.
I can also see Timothy in that photograph – caught in the conflict, frozen in fear. He desperately needs courage. World War I flying ace Eddie Rickenbacker defined it this way: “Courage is doing what you’re afraid to do. There can be no courage unless you’re scared.” Lew Smedes of Fuller Seminary put it succinctly: “Courage is fear soaked in prayer.” It’s what Timothy desperately needs right now – an infusion of courage. And it’s what Paul tries to provide in this entire letter, and especially in the verses we read a few minutes ago. Look at what Paul does to put courage into this young pastor.
First, he reaffirms his love for Timothy. It’s very encouraging to have a spiritual friend who loves you, who believes in you, who prays for you – and who lets you know it. It’s very encouraging to have an older mentor who can give you honest feedback, guidance and counsel. Paul was both of these to Timothy – a loving friend and a wise mentor. Paul discipled him in the faith, prayed for him regularly, trained him as an apprentice in ministry, and stayed in touch with him through letters. Some of us have the wrong idea about Paul. We think of him as stern and uncaring. I suspect sometimes Paul wasn’t the easiest guy to be with, but the fact is he loved people and wasn’t afraid to tell them (at least in letters). Look back at our text. Verse 2 – “To Timothy, my beloved child.” Verse 3 – “I remember you constantly in my prayers night and day.” Verse 4 – “I long to see you so that I may be filled with joy.” Those words must have meant a lot to Timothy. In spite of his limitations, here’s this spiritual father saying, “I love you. I’m praying for you. I can’t wait to see you.”
Paul reaffirms his love. Second, he reminds Timothy of his family heritage – his grandmother Lois and his mother Eunice. Later in this letter Paul will remind Timothy how these godly women taught him the Scriptures (see 3:14-17). And that’s a powerful encouragement – to have a heritage of vital faith, to be raised in a home where Jesus Christ is honored as Lord, where the Bible is read, where prayer is part of daily living. Notice that Timothy’s father isn’t mentioned. It’s possible Eunice was a single parent, helped out by her mother Lois in raising Timothy. Or it’s possible that his father wasn’t a believer, and like too many fathers today had little to do with his son’s spiritual development. A heritage of faith is a powerful, lasting source of encouragement. Some of us had that. We need to give thanks. Some of us are working hard to create that heritage and pass it on to our children.
So Paul reaffirms his love. He reminds Timothy of his heritage. And finally, Paul seeks to reignite the work of the Holy Spirit in his life. Verse 6 – “Rekindle the gift of God that is within you through the laying on of my hands.” At some point in the past the Lord gave Timothy a special spiritual gift. It may have been at his ordination service. Or it may have been a time when Paul prayed over him. Whenever it was, the Holy Spirit came into Timothy’s life with great power. Paul wants Timothy to reignite that gift and keep it burning inside him.
And then verse 7 – “God did not give us a spirit of cowardice, but a spirit of power and of love and of self-discipline.” That’s one of those great verses we ought to memorize so we can call it up when we’re facing a tough challenge, a discouraging situation, a frightening future. “God did not give me a spirit of cowardice, but rather a spirit of power and love and self-discipline.” The Holy Spirit is that dynamic life of God that puts courage into us. By giving us a spirit of power. We’re up against it and we say, “I can’t.” And God says, “You’re right. You can’t. But I can. Don’t rely on your own limited power. Rely on me and draw on my Spirit of power.” A spirit of love. Power without love is destructive. Power without love exploits people, uses people. God’s Spirit gives us the power to love people, to hang in there with people, to lay down our lives for people. A spirit of self-discipline. We all know how much we need that. The Holy Spirit works to make us disciplined and dependable people, faithful and unflappable people, patient and persevering people. A spirit of power. A spirit of love. A spirit of self-discipline. All this God gives.
Fear Not
Do you know what is the most common command in Scripture? The most often repeated instruction in the Bible? It’s not “Be more loving.” That may be at the core of what God wants, but it’s not God’s most frequent instruction. It’s not “Pray more” or “Be humble” or “Have faith.”
The command in Scripture that occurs more often than any other – God’s most frequently repeated instruction – is contained in two words:
Fear not.
Over and over again it appears. “Do not be afraid. Be strong and courageous. Trust me. Fear not.”
Why not? Not because it isn’t scary. It is. Whenever God asks you to do something, it’s going to be outside your comfort zone, outside your human abilities, outside your plans for the future. I think God says “fear not” so often because fear is the number one reason human beings avoid doing what God asks us to do.
“Fear not.” Why not? One reason: because, as we heard in our reading from Joshua, “the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
Where is God asking you to go? What’s facing you this coming week? I don’t know all the specifics, but I do know that many of us here today are like Timothy. We’re facing tough challenges. We feel inadequate, even afraid. What we need most is a fresh infusion of courage.
It takes courage to be a follower of Jesus Christ. It takes courage to let Jesus be Lord – to put him first in your business life, your social life, your financial life, your political life. It takes courage to let others know you belong to Jesus – to talk about your faith with others, to invite a friend or neighbor to church with you, to endure the little put-downs and snubs that come when others know you’re trying to follow Jesus.
It takes courage to do what God has called you to do when you’re going through times of terrible doubt and depression, when (like Mother Theresa) you can’t find God’s presence, when all around you seems cold and empty. This dark night of the soul happens to many of God’s most faithful servants – and Mother Theresa’s newly published letters are but the latest example. It takes incredible courage to keep on trusting, keep on obeying, keep on following when you feel alone and abandoned.
It takes courage to hang in there with a troubled marriage – to work through the issues again and again. It takes courage to seek help from a counselor in dealing with those hurts and fears so you can move on to a healthier place in your marriage.
It takes courage to be a Christian parent – to stand for values, to pray for our kids. It takes courage to draw lines and say “No” to some things, and then take the heat when you have to back it up. It takes courage to teach our children to resist the lure of the Lake Oswego lifestyle that worships money and clothes and success. It takes courage to say “That’s enough” to the job, to the school, to the athletic program, even to the church when they demand so much there’s nothing left for family.
It takes courage to be reconciled to someone when there’s a history of hurt and anger. It takes courage to make the first move, to admit your share of the wrong and to ask forgiveness.
It takes courage to go through chemotherapy or disability or mental illness – and to not give in to despair. It takes courage to trust God when facing uncertainty, pain, limitation. It takes courage to care for someone who can’t take of themselves – the aging parent, the recovering alcoholic, the spouse dealing with cancer. It takes courage to get past your own fears so you can be there for that one you care so much about. It takes lots of courage.
It takes courage to take on a ministry – to be an elder or a deacon, to teach Sunday School, to sponsor a child, to pray for and give to the needs of people in places like Senegal or Zambia or Tijuana, to be an advocate for justice, to keep working for affordable senior housing in this community. It takes courage to give yourself to others in Jesus’ name.
And where do we get this courage? What puts courage into us? Spiritual friends and faithful mentors who keep loving us and praying for us – they really help. Godly parents and grandparents who nurture us – thank the Lord for them. And best of all, the work of God’s Holy Spirit inside us – strengthening us, sustaining us, empowering us. Whatever you’re up against, whatever you’re facing, let’s pray now for that same Spirit to be rekindled in us this day. Let’s take our fears to the Lord, the One who says to us, “Fear not, for I am with you,” the God who has given us not a spirit of cowardice, but of power and love and self-discipline.
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