Let us have another word of prayer.
Lord, we do thank You that we do not have to stand afar off to look at You. But, Lord, because of the blood of the Lamb, we can draw nigh. We can see Your face. We can make out the distinctive nature of who You are. We can see Your nail-scarred hands.
And, Lord, we thank You that You have made such a marvelous provision for us. Lord, we thank You that You are the Firstborn of the dead, and we have such a wonderful privilege of being part of the family of God, the body of Christ. What a precious Elder Brother we have.
As we come to You this morning, we all come with the ears of our hearts open, laying aside things that would distract us and asking You to quicken us, even physically, where we might be tired.
Lord, we look unto You in that spirit of Samuel: Lord, You would speak, and we would hear. We would put other things aside to behold the beauty of the Lord this morning. In Your precious name, amen.
I would like for us to turn this morning to Paul’s letter to the church in Philippi. I would like to start by looking at a couple of verses at the end of the first chapter.
We know that Paul, when he wrote this letter, was not in the best of circumstances. He was sitting in prison in Rome, chained to a guard. But the thing that characterizes this letter, over and over again, as we have heard many times, is this theme of rejoicing and the joy that is in the Lord.
Regardless of the circumstances of life in which Paul found himself, he learned the preciousness of the joy of the Lord wherever he was. What an encouragement that is to us in these days. Really, if you think about it in the sense of the world, it is a prison to us. But we have been set free.
Quite often, however, we do not enjoy the marvelous liberty and freedom we have in our Lord. This is one reason Paul wrote this letter to the church. In spite of all the joy they had had for many years, they had lost that joy. There was a need for a word of encouragement to come in and get their eyes back upon Him, so that they could see not only the Lord in the present but also be prepared for what was lying ahead.
Paul concludes the end of chapter one by saying in Philippians 1:29:
For to you it hath been granted in the behalf of Christ,
not only to believe on Him,
but also to suffer in His behalf.
“For to you it has been granted for Christ’s sake”—this wonderful privilege. You think a sentence starts like that, and you say, “Wow, for you it has been granted for Christ’s sake. This is going to be a good sentence.” Not only to believe in Him—that is okay—but also to suffer for His sake. And we say, “Wait a minute. Let us word that sentence a different way.”
What a privilege we have. This is the privilege those in Philippi were going to have: suffering for Christ’s sake, and also experiencing some of the same conflict “which ye saw in me, and now hear to be in me.”
Paul had been with those in Philippi, and they had heard of many of the conflicts through which he had gone. Paul was preparing these dear ones because there were going to be conflicts ahead of them. At the present moment, even within the church at Philippi, there was conflict between two sisters who really loved the Lord but were out of sorts with each other.
They had been greatly used by the Lord in furthering the gospel, but these two were out of sorts, and it was putting a cloud over the assembly. Paul’s simple prayer for these two sisters was that they would be like-minded. “Those of you in the midst, help them,” that they could be like-minded.
In one sense, this is what we would like to share today: the encouragement Paul wrote to this church in Philippi. We see it summarized in one way in the first part of chapter two.
Paul focuses down upon this: if you really want to make it through these sufferings, if you want to settle some of the issues within, there is one thing necessary—and that is having the mind of Christ dwelling within you. Not merely knowledge of this mind, not merely knowledge about Christ, but in a living, experiential way, putting aside your own thoughts and allowing His thoughts and His mind to capture you.
Let us read these familiar verses in the first part of Philippians 2. Sometimes, when we read familiar verses, they become so familiar that we miss them. May the Holy Spirit breathe upon them very freshly this morning.
If there is therefore any exhortation in Christ,
if any consolation of love,
if any fellowship of the Spirit,
if any tender mercies and compassions,
make full my joy,
that ye be of the same mind,
having the same love,
being of one accord, of one mind;
doing nothing through faction or through vainglory,
but in lowliness of mind each counting other better than himself;
not looking each of you to his own things,
but each of you also to the things of others.
Have this mind in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.
Have this mind in you, which was in Christ Jesus. Paul is writing these words to encourage and strengthen the brethren in Philippi, to show them a way of living. Paul had learned through the many circumstances in which he had been that this is the way we go through, the way we make it through and experience the reality of the Lord.
We know these verses were lived out in our Lord Jesus upon this earth. But sometimes, if we are honest, even though we can see the Lord doing it, our own minds say, “Well, the Lord could do it, but I cannot.” Somehow, even though we know of Him being a man, we say, “Well, He was the Lord. Sure, He could do this, but I can never do this.”
So, at times, we eliminate ourselves and lose some of the precious encouragement we receive from the very person of Christ. But He understands us. That is why He gives us other living examples. We can see another example in the life of Paul.
As we read this letter and look at Paul’s life, we see how these thoughts—being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, being united in spirit, and having the mind of Christ—were formed in Paul and in his life.
Yet even in that, in the rationalization of our minds, we say, “Oh, Paul—he was the greatest apostle ever. Look at all the letters he wrote. He was such a super saint. He had such zeal. I could never be like Paul. I could never do that.”
My brethren, we have to remember that even though Paul had all of his accomplishments and what we would call natural strengths, all of that had to go to Calvary too. Paul had a natural zeal for the Lord. We see that in his persecution of the church. There was a natural zeal, and after he was saved, we see a zeal that had gone through the cross.
Even as we look at Paul, we can somehow fail to be encouraged by him because we say he is a super saint. But there are no super saints. We all put our pants on the same way.
I am just seeing if you are awake. That was all right.
But we can lose the preciousness of the encouragement in Paul. Our Lord knows us and understands us, so He does not stop there. He gives us another example.
Now, if you think in the Scriptures of somebody whom we would naturally picture as weak—somebody timid, fearful, afraid, always wanting to shrink back and sit over in the corner without doing anything—who would you think of? You would think of Timothy.
This is what is on my heart this morning: Paul’s precious testimony of Timothy in this book. Paul gives one of the greatest testimonies of any person in the second chapter of Philippians. Look down, beginning at verse 19.
At times, you think, “What is your testimony? What is your epitaph in life?” If someone would write this of us, oh, how precious it would be.
Paul, in prison, wanted to encourage those in Philippi, so he desired to send Timothy to them. In Philippians 2:19-22, he says:
But I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy shortly unto you,
that I also may be of good comfort, when I know your state.
For I have no man like-minded,
who will care truly for your state.
For they all seek their own,
not the things of Jesus Christ.
But ye know the proof of him,
that, as a child serveth a father,
so he served with me in furtherance of the gospel.
What a precious testimony. Paul testifies that Timothy was like-minded, that Timothy would be sincerely concerned for their welfare, not just his own, and that he would be genuinely concerned for the Lord’s interests, not seeking his own interests.
The Proverbs say that a good name is to be more desired than great riches. Timothy had a good name because he responded to the grace of God. He responded to the call of God upon his life, and he desired that more than great riches.
Oftentimes, we think of great riches as monetary things. But there are many treasures, or great riches, that we may have. We may want to impress brothers and sisters. We may want to look good in front of people. We may want a great job or a great family. There are many things that we call great riches.
So what was the treasure in Timothy’s life? What was the treasure in Paul’s life? It was Christ. Paul and Timothy really valued the great riches of knowing Christ. Do we? Is that our great riches? What is our testimony? Do we have a testimony?
I look upon the name of Timothy and see what Paul wrote of him. It is very precious how Paul said that Timothy had proven worth. He had been through some testings, and he came out faithful to the Lord.
Brothers and sisters, as we go through testings, do we have proven worth? The Lord wants to prove Himself to each and every one of us. As we go through the various trials of life, He wants to prove Himself to us, that we may have that proven worth of knowing the very preciousness of Himself.
I would like to take these three characteristics of Timothy’s testimony—his like-mindedness, his sincere concern, and his seeking the interests of Christ—and touch on those three points this morning to encourage us.
First, I want to relate them to the first part of this chapter. In Philippians 2:1-5, these are not merely poetic words or some theoretical picture. As we look at Timothy, we can see how the Lord and the Holy Spirit, working in him, took these words and showed us how practical and workable they are in Timothy’s life.
In Philippians 2:2, Paul says, “Make my joy complete by being of the same mind.” This is further explained in verse 5: “Have this mind in you, which was in Christ Jesus.” How is Timothy described? He is like-minded.
Timothy had given himself to the Lord. Romans 12 tells us that as we offer ourselves to the Lord as a living sacrifice, He transforms these old minds. He transforms us and gives us a renewed mind. It is the mind of Christ dwelling within us.
Timothy, as he gave himself to the Lord and responded to the Holy Spirit within, allowed the mind of Christ to work out in a practical and real way in his life. It was not merely a theory or a pretty phrase, but a reality in his life.
Further, in Philippians 2:2, Paul desires that we maintain the same love. This is amplified in verse 3:
Doing nothing through faction or through vainglory,
but in lowliness of mind each counting other better than himself.
Is that not what love is—regarding others as more important than yourself? Is that not what our Lord Jesus did, loving not His own life unto death? Is that not what He is calling us to do in these days?
How is Timothy described? Timothy was one who would be sincerely concerned for their welfare, not seeking his own selfish or personal interests but seeking their welfare. This was because Timothy was controlled by the love of Christ.
The third aspect in Philippians 2:2 speaks of being united in spirit, or being of one accord, depending upon the translation. This is amplified in verse 4:
Not looking each of you to his own things,
but each of you also to the things of others.
What is the best way to seek the interests of others? The best way to seek the interests of others is by seeking Christ’s interests—by seeking to bring Christ into the picture and into the situation.
Paul speaks of others who were seeking their own interests. We even know from the first chapter of Philippians that there were those preaching the gospel from self-interest, for their own gain. Paul says, in effect, “Do not worry about them. Timothy will be there seeking Christ’s interests.”
Timothy had the purpose of Christ, the purpose of God, residing in his heart. He was one who had been captured. He had seen something that changed his whole life. As he gave himself to the Lord, he allowed the mind of Christ to dwell within him, the love of Christ to constrain him, and the purpose of Christ to guide his life.
Who was this Timothy? We first see Timothy in Acts 16. This letter to the Philippians was written about ten or twelve years after that.
Paul mentions Timothy in Acts 16. Paul had previously been to Lystra in Acts 14, but Timothy was hidden during that time; he is not mentioned. Then, in Acts 16, Timothy is described as a disciple, one who had a good testimony not only locally but also among the brethren in Iconium.
We know that Timothy’s mother was Jewish and his father was Greek. Most think Timothy was probably in his late teens at that time. We thank the Lord that, as we look at 2 Timothy, we can see that he was raised by a godly grandmother and a godly mother, Lois and Eunice.
When you think of Timothy, you think of one who was probably shy and intimidated, always shrinking back. Paul was almost always having to encourage him on and encourage him on.
But when Paul came in Acts 16 and said, “I want Timothy to go with me,” Timothy had a choice to make in his life. At that point, Timothy had a good life. He was living at home. He had his mother and grandmother probably there taking care of him. They fixed his meals every day, took care of his room, and he did not have to clean it up. He was a mama’s boy, and they took wonderful care of him.
He had the comfort of home. What a life he had. He also had a good local reputation. He was spoken of well. Timothy had everything going for him there. In modern-day terms, we would say Timothy was in his comfort zone.
Then Paul came along and said, “I want you to go with me.” I wonder what Timothy’s first thought was. He remembered Acts 14. What happened to Paul the first time he came to Lystra? He got stoned and dragged outside the city.
So Timothy may have been thinking, “You want me to go with you? I remember what they did to you last time, and I do not know if I want to live this kind of life.”
But Timothy made a choice. Timothy made an educated choice. It was not a naïve decision. We could say Timothy made a choice to seek first the kingdom of God.
As the voice of the Lord called out to him, Timothy left many of the comforts of his life to respond to the grace of God that had come to him.
Brothers and sisters, as the Lord calls us in the days and times in which we are living, one precious thing about the Lord is that He gives full disclosure. He never hides things from us.
When the Lord spoke to Paul at his conversion, He did not say, “Paul, you are going to be saved, and you are going to have this glorious ministry, and everything is going to go great.” No. The Lord told Paul that he would suffer and be mistreated, and then called him to follow as His servant.
The Lord does not try to trick us into service and later say, “Oh, everything is going to be okay,” while we wonder why things have become rough and tough. Timothy knew what he was getting into. He had seen some of the treatment Paul received, and the Lord called him through Paul to follow.
Thank the Lord that Timothy responded. There was something within Timothy that caused him to respond and go with Paul.
Timothy responded, went, and followed Paul. The next part of Acts 16 was a pretty tough road for Timothy. There was much training that took place.
First, Paul said, “Okay, Timothy, we are going to circumcise you.” That was a great first step when you were a teenager. But thank the Lord, in obedience Timothy responded.
Then Timothy followed Paul, thinking, “I am after this great missionary now. Here we go.” Paul had told him of plans to go into Asia and preach the gospel. Ephesus was a great center there, and they were going to preach the gospel everywhere.
But the Holy Spirit said, “No, you cannot go there. You are not going into Ephesus now. I have that planned for later.” Timothy learned a quick lesson: he was not following Paul; he was following the Lord.
Paul had a natural desire to share the gospel in Asia, but it was not the Holy Spirit’s timing. Praise the Lord for Paul’s obedience. Praise the Lord that Timothy could see he was following the Lord and not Paul.
Then they considered going to Bithynia, but again they could not go there. Through this process, Timothy was learning to follow the Lord, not merely a man.
Finally, Paul woke up one morning and said, “I had this dream last night. We are going over to Europe. I saw this man saying, ‘Come over into Macedonia and help us.’”
Timothy may have thought, “Wow, I am following this dreamer. We do not know where we are going, but he wakes up in the morning, has a dream, and off we go.” But Timothy was learning through it all to follow the hand of the Lord in everything.
As we know, they got across into Macedonia and went into Philippi. Did they have a wonderful welcome there? As they looked around, there were not even enough Jewish men to form a synagogue.
Where did they have to go on the Sabbath? They had to go outside the town. They found a few Jewish women and some proselytes at a place of prayer. There was Lydia and others.
Timothy may have said, “Wait a minute. I thought we were going to have this great big ministry, sharing the gospel everywhere. Here we are with only a few sisters gathered by a river.”
Timothy was seeing that the Lord is not concerned about the outward appearance. When we think of a mission field, we want things big and grandiose. But the Lord was interested in a few women there. He was teaching Timothy more and more about the Lord’s way and the Lord’s heart.
Through Paul’s sharing with these dear ones, Lydia and her household were saved. Timothy could see the power of the gospel.
Then Paul delivered a girl from a spirit of divination, and Paul and Silas were thrown into jail. Timothy was left behind while Paul and Silas were in prison. Maybe Lydia took him into her home; she was a very hospitable person.
But Timothy saw a mighty work of the Lord. How did Paul and Silas get out of jail? A wonderful earthquake came along. Through that earthquake, Timothy saw the hand of the Lord moving, delivering Paul and Silas from prison, and bringing salvation to the jailer.
So Timothy, though the outward circumstances were tough and he experienced things he may never have seen before, was learning as he went along. He could see the hand of God in each of these things.
This is why I think Timothy, at a young age, had such a wonderful testimony. To me, he was one who was teachable before the Lord. I think that was probably the secret of Timothy’s life.
Timothy was always learning. He had such a heart for the Lord. This is why, ten or twelve years later, when Paul was in prison and could not return to Philippi, he desired to send Timothy there. He described Timothy in this marvelous way: as being like-minded.
Do we ever stop and think, as we are reading the Scriptures, about the words the Holy Spirit uses? Lately, we have been talking about meditating. As I looked at this phrase describing Timothy as like-minded with Paul, it struck me: of all the people Paul could say this of, Paul and Timothy were two totally different people at different ends of the spectrum.
Paul was outgoing, aggressive, and afraid of nothing. If somebody stood up to him, he would fight right back. He was pressing through. He would stand before entire crowds, and as the Lord enabled him, he made wonderful testimonies. Paul was not afraid of man.
Sometimes, when we read what Paul did, it can intimidate us. We say, “Man, I can never be like that.” But we have to remember: it was Christ in Paul. It was not Paul doing it.
On the other end of the spectrum, we have Timothy. Timothy was shy and timid. If somebody came along and said “Boo” to Timothy, he would shrink back and get out of the way. Yet Paul says they were like-minded.
But wait a minute—their ages were so different, their backgrounds were different, and their Jewish heritage was different. Paul was a thoroughbred Jew; Timothy had a Jewish mother and Greek father. Paul had the heritage described in Philippians 3: a Pharisee, of the tribe of Benjamin. Timothy did not have that.
Consider their education. We do not know much about Timothy’s education beyond what he received from his mother and grandmother. But Paul was educated by Gamaliel. They seemed to have nothing in common.
But they had one thing in common: they had Christ. In Christ, they were like-minded. In Christ, they were brought into having the same interests and desires. As Paul and Timothy worked together, they had the mind of Christ, His heart, and His purpose within them.
Brothers and sisters, today we can have so many things naturally in common but so little spiritual like-mindedness. The Lord is not interested in all the natural things we have in common. He does not care if all of us like the New York Yankees. He does not care if we are all middle-class Richmonders. He does not care about our educational backgrounds.
There is a natural tendency for things alike to group together. But is that what makes us coworkers with the Lord? Is that what makes us a testimony unto the Lord?
We can naturally have so many things in common, but what the Lord is after is the mind of Christ dwelling within us and His life being lived out within us. That is the one thing we have in common.
That is the preciousness of this table, because it refocuses us every week. It refocuses us to remember Him—that it is only because of Him that any of us live, breathe, and can go on in these days. It is not because we have had a good week or a bad week, but simply because of Him.
What was Timothy’s secret? How did Timothy and Paul enter into this like-mindedness? To me, one of Timothy’s characteristics was that he was teachable. Another word for teachable, often used in the Scriptures, is humility.
Turn over to 2 Timothy 3. Paul is writing to Timothy and giving another testimony of him. In 2 Timothy 3:10-11, Paul says:
But thou didst follow my teaching, conduct, purpose, faith, longsuffering, love, patience,
persecutions, sufferings;
what things befell me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra;
what persecutions I endured:
and out of them all the Lord delivered me.
Paul says, “You followed me closely.” Different translations say, “You were fully discipled of me. You learned of me.” Paul was showing and testifying that Timothy had responded.
We have heard in previous weeks about the apprenticeship program, where the apprentice learns from his master. Timothy was an apprentice. He learned, he responded, and then they entered into co-working together in Christ.
Paul says, “You learned of my teaching, my conduct, purpose, faith, patience, love, perseverance, persecutions, and suffering.” But what did Paul teach? Paul said, “I teach Christ. I preach Christ.”
What was Paul’s conduct? He sought to walk as Christ. His life came out of Christ. What was Paul’s purpose? To know Him—to know Christ. What was Paul’s faith? It was Christ. What was Paul’s love? It was Christ. It was all Christ.
It is summarized in Philippians, where Paul says, “For to me to live is Christ.” This is what Paul imparted to Timothy: the life of Christ. Praise the Lord, brothers and sisters, Timothy got it. As Paul poured out his heart, Timothy received it and responded.
I thank the Lord too that Timothy was a prepared vessel. He was prepared from his youth. Later in 2 Timothy 3, in verses 14 and 15, Paul encourages Timothy to continue in the things he had learned:
But abide thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of,
knowing of whom thou hast learned them;
and that from a babe thou hast known the sacred writings
which are able to make thee wise unto salvation
through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
This is a tremendous encouragement to parents. As we train up our children in the sacred writings and the Scriptures at an early age, we never know how they will eventually come out.
Did Lois and Eunice say, “We are teaching Timothy all these things so that one day he can serve the Lord with Paul”? No. Their desire was to teach him Christ, that he could be encouraged, strengthened, and prepared for whatever way the Lord would use him.
Yesterday, I was listening to a testimony from Brother Matt Swecker. Many of you know Matt as the one who had a stroke while visiting India. He gave a precious testimony of the value of the Word of God and how it had been within him.
He had been convicted years ago of memorizing Scripture. He said that at times he did it reluctantly, but he memorized Scripture. Then, while in India, and for the first month or so after the stroke, he could not speak and he could not read.
But he said, “By the mercy of God, the Scripture that was within me came to my mind.” You never know. One day, he was a healthy thirty-two-year-old man; the next day, he was lying completely helpless in a hospital bed.
Yet the Lord, in His mercy, had put the Word of God in his heart. Though he could not read and could not speak, the Holy Spirit within could bring those Scriptures back to his mind. He could lie there and meditate upon them.
Brothers and sisters, oftentimes we think of the laborious task of memorizing Scripture. May the Lord show us in a different way the precious value and treasure of having the Word of God in us.
This happened in Timothy’s life. The Scriptures Lois and Eunice imparted to him at a young age later blossomed in a way they had never imagined.
As we have the opportunity today, while it is still called today, may we redeem the time. Can we be those who are learning? As Timothy learned, can we be those who are really learning?
Timothy learned of Paul because Paul showed forth Christ. Brothers and sisters, when we have those who are showing forth Christ, are we learning from them? Do we respond when we see the life of Christ in a brother or sister?
Is there something within them that they have of the Lord that we want to learn from? We see not merely a mental knowledge of Him, but the way the Lord has worked in their life. Paul was one who imparted life unto Timothy.
May we seize the opportunities we have today to learn of Christ from one another. What a precious treasure we have within this room alone: the various testimonies of the life of Christ and how we can learn from one another.
May we never look down upon that. May the Lord open our eyes to value it more and more. When we have opportunities for fellowship, may we use them well.
Again, I am so guilty of this at times: do I just want to sit around and talk about the Yankees, or do we want to seize those moments to ask, “What has the Lord been speaking to you? How has the Lord met you this week?”
What a treasure that is—not in some religious experience, trying to be Mr. Goody Two-shoes or trying to impress people, but with a genuine hunger and desire to learn of Him.
Paul said, “Have this mind in you, which was in Christ Jesus.” Timothy, as he consecrated himself to the Lord, allowed the Lord to renew and transform his mind. The mind of Christ was there, and the Lord could lead and guide him in a very precious way.
It is tragic today, as we look around, that among so many brethren there is such a lack of like-mindedness. We all have our own minds. We even have our own minds about what we think the Lord is and what He wants.
May the Lord bring us into a place of being like-minded in Him. We must also see that, as we are like-minded in Him, there can be variety and diversity in the way that mind is expressed. It does not mean we are a bunch of robots clicking down the street, all doing the same thing.
But there is the mind of Christ, the like-mindedness that leads and guides us into the fullness of what He has for us in this day and hour. The day and hour are getting tougher and tougher, as we can all experience.
I feel that one reason there is so little like-mindedness today is because our consecration is so weak. We love our own lives so much, we follow our own desires, and we are unwilling to go the way of the cross.
We are unwilling to say no to some of the pleasures of our own lives and yes to what He wants. May the Lord somehow convey to us, as Paul conveyed to Timothy, the joy of the Lord.
At times, when we think of going the way of the cross, is that a negative or positive picture to us? If, in general, we say the way of the cross is a negative picture, we have an incomplete picture of the way of the cross.
The way of the cross, brothers and sisters, is a positive picture because we see more of Christ. We enter into more and more of having His mind dwell within us. We enter into more and more of the joy of the Lord.
The way of the cross sets us free from ourselves and allows us to enter into the joy of our Master. Could we use this as a check in our own lives? When we use this phrase, “the way of the cross,” if it comes across negatively, we need to ask the Lord, “Show me more of Your way, because I do not fully understand all that You are after.”
When we think of it negatively, we are merely thinking of things we will have to give up. But what did Paul think of the things he had to give up? He gave up far more than any of us will ever have to give up.
He said he counted it all as rubbish for the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus his Lord. Brothers and sisters, the way of the cross is the great liberating thing we need in our lives.
We try so many different ways to get free from the bondage and tyranny of this world, but there is one way: the liberating work of what our Lord has done at Calvary—not only for our initial salvation, but for our daily salvation in knowing Him.
As we enter into going the way of the cross, the Lord brings us into this place of like-mindedness.
Oh, brothers and sisters, how tragic it is today within the body of Christ that so few of us are like-minded. We all know so much of the Lord, but do we really have that mind of Christ dwelling within us—not merely individually, but together as brothers and sisters sharing His life?
May we be encouraged by Timothy. The Lord was able to do this work in him. May the Lord be able to do the same work within us.
The second thing Timothy was commended for in his testimony was that Paul wrote that Timothy would be sincerely concerned for their welfare—sincerely concerned for their welfare.
As we have said, some in the first part of Philippians were preaching the gospel from selfish ambition. They were doing things out of selfishness and empty conceit. So we have a contrast between those doing things for their own self-interest and empty conceit, and one like Timothy, who would be sincerely concerned for their welfare.
Some translations say “genuinely concerned.” Timothy was not seeking his own preeminence or trying to build his own ministry. Others were seeking self-ambition, trying to establish their own way, their own realm of influence, and their own control.
But Timothy had one thing that captured his heart: the love of Christ. He wanted this love to be conveyed to the brothers and sisters in Philippi.
Timothy is described as one who was sincere. It is interesting that the English word sincere comes from Latin, meaning “without wax.”
Some Greek words connected with sincerity convey the thought of something tested by the sun. There is an implication of being tested by the sun.
In the days when this letter was written, artists who made pottery or jewelry would sometimes take clear wax and rub it into a piece that had an imperfection. The wax covered the imperfection, and then they would put it in their store.
A wise buyer would take the piece out from under the tent and hold it in the sunlight. The heat of the sun would reveal whether the piece was pure and worth its value. If there was wax in it, the heat of the sun melted the wax.
Timothy was one who had been tested by the sun, and his worth was proven. He had been through testing, and he was sincere.
Brothers and sisters, this word sincere has really captured my heart lately. Even as Christians, we can put on a wax façade. We can come to our meetings, talk with people, and put on our wax façade.
We know our little imperfections, and we cover them with a verse here or a verse there—whatever Christian wax we want to use—to make ourselves look good on the outside. But inside, we are feeling rotten.
Then the sun comes in and tests us, and we see what is really there.
There was a dear brother who was a missionary to Africa named C. T. Studd. He wrote a little booklet called Chocolate Soldiers because he was burdened about how many chocolate soldiers there were within the body of Christ.
If you think about a chocolate soldier, it is beautiful. If I had a beautiful chocolate soldier sitting here during the meeting, everybody’s eyes would be on that soldier. Nobody would be looking here; they would be looking at the chocolate. It looks pretty, everybody wants it, and everybody loves it.
It can even seem pretty tough. I remember, as a child, trying to break pieces of chocolate. It could be pretty hard. But C. T. Studd was writing about Christians who were chocolate soldiers.
If you take that chocolate soldier and leave it out in the car during this meeting, when you go back, what is there? Nothing.
So many believers can look strong and wonderful. But when the heat of daily life comes along, we melt away. We fade away into nothingness.
Brothers and sisters, that brother was saying there are too many chocolate soldiers within the body of Christ. May we redeem the time while we have opportunity, because things are only going to get hotter and hotter.
If we are honest with ourselves, quite often we know where our wax façade is. We have wax covering a certain area of our lives.
Why is that covering there? It is simply because we do not know enough of the preciousness of our Lord. We do not know His lovingkindness and tender mercy, or how much He wants to prove Himself in the midst of what we see as weakness—something we feel we have to cover up.
The days are going to get hotter and hotter. What are we holding onto?
I thank the Lord that Timothy, though naturally shy and timid, allowed himself to be trained. If you read 2 Timothy, it is as though Paul is constantly behind him, kicking him in the rear end to get him going: “Come on, Timothy. Get up. Remember when they laid hands on you. Remember what you received. Remember your gift. Get out there. Get going.”
So often, we are the same way. We do not get going until somebody kicks us in the butt. I am afraid that is a personal testimony. We think somebody else can do it.
No, brothers and sisters. Timothy was one who had sincere concern. He was transparent.
Within the body of Christ, we speak about being like-minded. One thing like-mindedness will lead to is transparency within the body of Christ. The more we see of Christ, the more we will become transparent before Him and before one another.
We can talk about wanting to be transparent, but if we try to make ourselves transparent, we are only trying to fix up the old thing. He will have a way and a circumstance for us where we will have to admit what we conceive as our weakness, so that the Lord can prove Himself to us right in that particular place.
Timothy allowed the Lord to train him and teach him. He allowed the Lord to work in his life as he went through trials.
It is interesting that Timothy was this meek, mild-mannered person, yet one day Paul decided to send him to Corinth. If you talk about having to face your fears, Corinth would not be the greatest place to be sent if you were going to be a messenger.
You might choose other cities to go to. But Timothy went, and thank the Lord for his faithfulness. He allowed the Lord to meet him there.
Brothers and sisters, on Monday nights in Luke, we have been considering this whole matter of hypocrites. The opposite of the hypocrite is one who is sincere and genuine.
May we really allow the Holy Spirit to work within our lives where we have allowed some type of religious wax façade to cover us.
The Lord is using these days, using the heat, to prepare us for His return. We are going into the conference, and we want a great revelation of the Lord. We will be praying for revelation because the time is near.
That revelation is not going to make it through our wax façade. But as we allow the Holy Spirit to work within us, we can be those prepared to receive fully what the Lord has for us.
The third characteristic for which Timothy is commended is that he would seek Christ’s interests. He was not there seeking his own interests.
There are so many who are simply seeking their own interests. Even in this day and time, it is tragic within Christianity how many seek their own interests rather than Christ’s interests.
This should not surprise us. In Paul’s second letter to Timothy, chapter 3, he speaks of the condition of the church in the latter days. This is not speaking merely of the world. Paul is speaking of those within the church.
In 2 Timothy 3:1-5, Paul says:
But know this, that in the last days grievous times shall come.
For men shall be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, haughty, railers,
disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
without natural affection, implacable, slanderers, without self-control, fierce,
no lovers of good, treacherous, headstrong, puffed up,
lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God;
holding a form of godliness, but having denied the power thereof.
From these also turn away.
The word translated “difficult” in some translations is too soft. It really means perilous, vicious, or violent. A viciousness is coming in these days.
The Lord, through Paul, is warning us that there will be those who are lovers of self, loving more and more their own pleasures rather than loving God.
We see it in the New Testament with dear Demas, who at one time was walking and serving the Lord with Paul. Then he loved the present age and deserted him.
Sometimes we think, “If I had walked closely with Paul, I would be a better Christian.” No. Association does not mean transformation.
Association does not mean transformation. It is allowing the work of the Lord and the cross to do it. In times of crisis, our true nature and character will be revealed.
We can see a beautiful picture of this in John 19. There were two men in crisis. When we think of the Lord before Pilate, we think the Lord was in crisis, but Pilate was in crisis too.
Pilate and the Lord were both in a time of crisis. One looked out for himself because of fear of man; the other, our Lord Jesus, looked out for others because of love for man.
Pilate, because of fear of man, looked out for himself. The Lord Jesus, because of love for man, looked out for others. That is one who is concerned for others.
I was thinking, with the conference coming on, that we can approach it by asking, “What am I going to get out of the conference?” Thank the Lord that He does meet us and speak to us in those ways.
But as we are serving the Lord there, are we really looking most for His benefit? Are we looking out for the interests of others, or do we simply want to have a good time in our own self?
The wonderful thing about the conference is that you hear wonderful ministry, and then you have time during the day for some of the reality of it to be worked out.
Often, we ask, “How can I serve at a conference?” Maybe, if we are young people, one thing we enjoy is everybody eating together and staying together as a pack.
Then we begin heading down for a meal, and perhaps there is an older saint who needs a helping hand. Older ones do not necessarily want you to do it for them. They want you to walk alongside and give a steady arm.
But do you know what that may cost you? It might cost you being unable to eat with your friends. Yet it is an opportunity.
You say, “Lord, I want to give myself to You to serve You.” Then the Lord arranges a circumstance, and you have a choice to make.
Am I going to walk this older one down, who may take fifteen minutes to get from Fine Arts down to the cafeteria, or am I going to go ahead and eat with my friends?
You say, “Well, I will walk this one down, and when I get there, I will eat with my friends.” So you walk down, and then they say, “I need help with my tray.” It may take twenty minutes to get through the line because they cannot hear, and you have to help them.
Are we willing to deny ourselves in one sense? Are we willing to deny what we want?
We love to be with our friends, have a good time, and do other things. I am not putting that down. But there are opportunities where we will have a choice to make.
Timothy had a choice. He could have stayed at home and had a good life. But he left, served the Lord, and had a better life.
We can choose between having a “good life,” such as going down and having lunch with our friends, or denying ourselves what we want and looking out for the interests of others.
It is wonderful that on Sunday afternoon we have the opportunity to practice hospitality and help people with their bags. But even in our service, do we notice whether we are truly sincere and caring for others?
One thing about sincerity is that it is not prejudiced. Some brother whom nobody knows drives up, and we say, “Somebody else will get his bag.”
Then perhaps Dana Congdon drives up, and all the young people run over saying, “Let me get your bag.” Dana has fifty-two people helping with his bags, while another family of six that nobody knows is struggling.
Are we prejudiced in our service? Are we really sincere? May the Lord convict us. Are we following a name or a man? Are we doing this to impress a person with our service, or are we really seeking to serve the Lord?
Whose interests are we looking after? Are we looking after our own interests, looking after the interests of others, or seeking the Lord’s interests?
This is something that had captured Timothy’s heart. As he gave himself to the Lord, the Lord was able to do this wonderful transforming work.
Growing up, Timothy had all of his interests taken care of. His grandmother and mother took good care of him. He did not have to worry about things. But there came a time in his life when he had to seek out his own life.
Brothers and sisters, as we begin to conclude, we need to realize that the days in which we are living are days of crisis. The days are going to get hotter and hotter.
The contrast within the body of Christ between those who really want to follow the Lord and those who simply want to coast along is becoming greater and greater.
Those who have the heart to allow the Lord to develop His character and nature within them, allowing the transformation of the mind and entering into the sincerity He desires, are going to be misunderstood by some of the other brethren. They may even be mocked and laughed at.
Maybe you make a choice to help someone down the street and do not get to have lunch. Maybe you get laughed at: “Wow, you missed this. You missed that.” You did not miss anything. You gained a lot.
Those are the mockings of the enemy. May the Lord really work within our hearts.
I thank the Lord that we have opportunity; we have time. The time is drawing near. It could end at any time. But while we still have time, let us really redeem it.
In a fresh way, let us humble ourselves before Him and consecrate ourselves afresh to Him, that He can do this transforming work of renewing our minds.
May we daily live in the light of His presence and in the light of the way of the cross working within us.
I thank the Lord that, as Paul wrote to Timothy, “Do not be afraid. Do not be intimidated,” Timothy responded. Timothy allowed the Lord to meet him.
He turned his back on the pleasures of the world. He was not afraid to be misunderstood. He was willing to suffer. He was seeking the kingdom of God.
Is that not really what we are saying—that we want to seek first the kingdom of God, for His interests? We see how the Holy Spirit took this young man and used him of the Lord, giving him this tremendous testimony in life.
We began this morning with that theme verse from Revelation: “The time is near.” It is interesting, as we look at the first part of that verse, that it speaks of those who read.
Blessed is he that readeth,
and they that hear the words of the prophecy,
and keep the things that are written therein:
for the time is at hand.
The time is near. It is not merely reading it or hearing it; it is heeding it.
At times we have a desire, brothers and sisters, but even desire is not the end. We can speak of having a desire for the Lord almost as though that were the end. No. A desire for the Lord is the beginning.
Desire is followed by heeding. It is followed by obedience, by taking heed and responding to all that the Lord has done for us.
In the days in which we are living, the Lord is trying to prepare each one of us as He orchestrates the heat of our days.
Could we see that the heat the Lord allows is His lovingkindness and tender mercy toward us? When we put on our wax facades, that does not work before Him. It may work before man, but it does not work before Him.
Because He loves us so much, He does not want our wax facades to remain there. He does not want our lives to be half-hearted toward Him. He will put a little heat in that area.
If we can see that the heat is coming from the love of a warm heart—a hot and glowing love from a warm heart toward each one of us—then we can receive it rightly.
It is this heart of love that melts our wax. May we see that heart of love drawing us unto Him.
Timothy responded to the heart of love of the Lord and allowed that mind to be developed within him. In a similar way, can we be those in this hour who respond to our Lord as He calls and prepares us? Let us pray.
Lord, we do worship You and bless You. Lord, we thank You that You love us so much that You do not allow us to stay as we are.
Lord, oftentimes we love ourselves so much that we want simply to stay where we are. But, Lord, You see us. You see all of our imperfections.
Lord, You have that yearning and burning of Your heart that the mind of Christ, that the life of Christ, would really be formed within us.
Lord, we thank You for the circumstances of life in which we find ourselves. Lord, we thank You that we can learn of You in this day.
While we still have today, may we be those who learn of You and allow You to do Your work of preparing us for the times ahead.
Lord, we thank You that You could do this in Paul. You could do this in Timothy. And, Lord, we thank You that You can do it in us.
We simply want to cooperate and respond to the grace You have given. In Jesus’ precious name, amen.