Anyone familiar with NA or AA knows what a twelve step program is designed to do – it is to change the participant’s thinking patterns to address self destructive behaviors. Whe we open 1 Timothy, we recognize that Timothy, for whom the book is named, needed to intense training to change his thinking. There is a huge problem in the background of the letter. Paul was running out of time, and he knew it. He was chained to a wall, in a dank, noxiously smelling prison. He was going to die shortly. This letter was like no other. He was likely spending some of his last earthly wealth to buy the opportunity to correspond one last time.
Note the last words were not written to his family, his largest church, an influential news market leader… they were written to his disciple in the faith that would carry on the work entrusted to Paul by a meeting with Jesus. Paul knew he would soon see his Savior. His beheading was near. Yet, his confidence and focus were in life eternal and the continuation of the work to wrestle with Satan for the hearts of men. He was not ready to give up until he saw the Savior in front of him.
Paul knew Timothy.
He had seen the phenomenon before…When we first commit our lives to Christ, we are all zeal and little knowledge. It seems, for most of us, the knowledge “cools us down”. Fear of failure and lack of affirmation in the midst of conflict fill up our shoes like sand when walking across a hot dune. How do we restore the enthusiasm and commitment we had in those early days? An older Pastor shares the secret with a younger and less experienced one recorded in the Second Epistle to Timothy. Timothy suffered from not having “it all together”. Look at his symptoms and feel his problem:
- Dereliction of duty: He had to be prodded to fight the spiritual battle, he wanted a back row seat (1 Tim. 1:18; 2 Tim. 1:6 “stir up the gift”; 2 Tim. 1:13 “grab what I taught you!” Joey Nelson wrote: “We’ve all been there. Your heart begins to beat rapidly. There’s shortness of breath. You have difficulty swallowing. Your knees are weak. Your hands are cold, and you’ve never been so hot in your life. What I’ve just described are some of the physiological reactions that some people have when getting ready to give that first public speech. One of the greatest hazards to success is fear. While not all fear is bad, everyone knows what its like to be afraid. When fear immobilizes us and keeps us from doing that to which we have been called, we are dominated by a “spirit of fear.” This kind of fear paralyzes us and keeps us from doing things we could or should do.” Max Lucado says, “Fear doesn’t want you to make the journey to the mountain. If he can rattle you enough, fear will persuade you to take your eyes off the peaks and settle for a dull existence in the flatlands.”
- Misdirected energy: He had to be instructed to get the ladies settled down (He got them stirred up! (1 Tim. 2:11)
- Poor self-image: He appears to have felt pressure because of his age and lack of experience (1 Tim. 4:11,12). He engaged in discussions over his head (1 Tim. 6:20).
- Fear: He appeared to shrink back from standing with those in trouble, like Paul (2 Tim. 1:8-11- “Don’t be ashamed of the Lord or me.”)
- Laziness: He appears to have tended toward laziness that made him a less than compelling preacher! (1 Tim. 4:13-16).
- Peer pressure: He seemed ready to ordain elders that weren’t ready because of the pressure to be accepted by his peers (1 Tim. 5:19-22).
- Pain: His stomach was in knots (1 Tim. 5:23).
Paul saw his deteriorating disciple and friend in trouble, and wrote to him final letter showing confidence and love…
Key Principle: Godly and mature believers need to look to those that follow us in the faith. Our time must increasingly be targeted to those who will carry the baton of ministry AFTER we are gone to the Savior. A man or woman who invests in those that follow will be richly rewarded by the excitement of shaping lives!
Paul Knew the Times.
So, what steps did Paul take to build up Timothy? He offered Tim a 12-step program to change his thinking:
First, he established a firm and loving relationship (2 Tim. 1:1-2)
2 Tim. 1:1 “Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, according to the promise of life in Christ Jesus, 2 To Timothy, my beloved son: Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord…”
Next, he built that relationship on godly acts (2 Tim. 1:3a)
1:3 “I thank God, whom I serve with a clear conscience the way my forefathers did…”
He prayed unceasingly for them (2 Tim. 1:3b).
2 Tim 1:3b “…as I constantly remember you in my prayers night and day“,
He understood his troubles and pain and expressed the desire to help (2 Tim. 1:4).
2 Tim. 1:4 “..longing to see you, even as I recall your tears, so that I may be filled with joy.”
He reminded him that those who love them truly see God at work in them. (2 Tim. 1:5).
2 Tim. 1:5 “For I am mindful of the sincere faith within you, which first dwelt in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am sure that it is in you as well. “
If our fears don’t keep us from navigating life then an inappropriate response to failures may. To encourage us, God put around us others who love us enough to keep guardrails up in our lives.
He called on him to be courageous in the face of opposition (2 Tim. 1:6)
2 Tim. 1:6 “For this reason I remind you to kindle afresh the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. 7 For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline. 8 Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord or of me His prisoner, but join with me in suffering for the gospel according to the power of God, 9 who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was granted us in Christ Jesus from all eternity,
He reminded Tim of the eternal perspective – this isn’t real life! (2 Tim. 1:10-11)
2 Tim. 1:10 “…but now has been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel, 11for which I was appointed a preacher and an apostle and a teacher.”
He demonstrated courage and confidence in the face of adversity (2 Tim. 1:12)
2 Tim. 1:12 “For this reason I also suffer these things, but I am not ashamed; for I know whom I have believed and I am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him until that day.”
The Apostle Paul used a very special Greek word, “paratheke.” And the word “paratheke” means “a treasure or a deposit left with someone you trust completely.” There were no banks back in Paul’s day where you could deposit your money & keep it safe. So what did you do with your wealth when you went on a journey? Then again, if you were to die, who could you trust to be the executor of your estate? How could you be sure that your family would receive what was rightly theirs? The person you ask to take care of your possessions must be someone you know very well, & in whom you trusted completely. Conquering fear is not a matter of self determination, it is a matter of dependence on the God whom we can trust and love. It is a matter of belief in His words, His promises, and His gifts to you.
He gave specific direction from and through the Word of God (2 Tim. 1:13)
2 Tim. 1:13 “Retain the standard of sound words which you have heard from me, in the faith and love which are in Christ Jesus.”
He reminded Tim of the precious inner source of strength (2 Tim. 1:14).
2 Tim. 1:14 “Guard, through the Holy Spirit who dwells in us, the treasure which has been entrusted to you.”
There is our word “paratheke” again from verse 12. You can feel Paul shifting the weight to Tim that was placed on him by Jesus. How could Tim accept the weight from one like his mentor? Who was Tim that he could follow one so gifted and learned? How could he even try?
On day six of the ill-fated mission of Apollo 13, the astronauts needed to make a critical course correction. If they failed, they might never return to Earth. To conserve power, they shut down the onboard computer that steered the craft. Yet the astronauts needed to conduct a thirty-nine-second burn of the main engines. How to steer? Astronaut Jim Lovell determined that if they could keep a fixed point in space in view through their tiny window, they could steer the craft manually. That focal point turned out to be their destination–Earth. Apollo 13, for thirty-nine agonizing seconds, was directed by Lovell focused on keeping the earth in view. By not losing sight of that reference point, the three astronauts avoided disaster. Scripture reminds us that to finish your life mission successfully, “Fix your eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith” (Heb. 12:2).
He faced openly the opposition (1:15).
2 Tim. 1:15 “You are aware of the fact that all who are in Asia turned away from me, among whom are Phygelus and Hermogenes.”
How we handle trouble is a key point for the world to see our testimony: The 1st Century world marveled at the attitude that the Christians had about death. They couldn’t understand how Christians could rejoice when one of their number died. But we are told that we can rejoice because Jesus has won the victory over sin & death. Look at some of the paintings of that time. There is one that is particularly outstanding. It is a picture of Christians in the center of the Coliseum at Rome. Behind them are hungry lions ready to devour them. In the stands are people filled with hatred & malice towards the Christians, cheering on the lions. But on the face of every Christian there is a look of peace & life & hope, because “He is able.”
Finally he didn’t forget to praise and show God’s hand in the blessings in his life (1:16).
2 Tim. 1:16 “The Lord grant mercy to the house of Onesiphorus, for he often refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chains; 17but when he was in Rome, he eagerly searched for me and found me— 18 the Lord grant to him to find mercy from the Lord on that day—and you know very well what services he rendered at Ephesus.”
Show them HOPE: Several years ago, an experiment on endurance was conducted at the University of California at Berkeley. The experiment involved placing Norwegian field rats in a tub of water, where they were forced to swim until they grew exhausted and finally drowned. During the first experiment, the researchers discovered that on the average, these rats were capable of swimming for over seven hours before drowning. A second experiment was conducted, exactly like the first but with one exception. This time, when a rat was getting too exhausted to swim any longer, the researchers would remove the rat from the tub of water for a few seconds, then put the rat back into the water to continue swimming. These rats were able to swim for almost 20 hours before perishing. The researchers concluded that the rats in the second group were able to swim so much longer than the first group because of one factor: they had HOPE. They had experienced a rescue—and what kept them going was the HOPE that they would be rescued again. Edited from More Hot Illustrations for Youth Talks by Wayne Rice. Copyright 1995 by Youth Specialties, Inc.
Paul’s hope was in the reprieve that JESUS would give him, but his endurance was boosted by the little reprieves he got from Onesiphorus.
ONESIPHORUS – (o-ne-sif’-o-rus is literally, “profit bringer”) and is mentioned only two times in the New Testament (2 Timothy 1:16; 4:19). Though a late mention in Paul’s life, God used this man to become a friend of Paul when desperately in need of one and finding them in short supply. His conduct was in direct contrast with Phygellus and Hermogenes and others, who were also like Onesiphorus himself, from the Roman province of Asiana (Greek:Ασιανή), later called Phrygia. Most turned away when Paul was arrested. Onesiphorus took a profound risk when Paul said “he oft refreshed me, and was not ashamed of my chain; but, when he was in Rome, he sought me diligently, and found me.” Paul sent Timothy a message from his prison to Ephesus, and greeted “the household of Onesiphorus.” Causing some to speculate that he had at least been arrested, or perhaps even already killed for his faith. Onesiphorus and the Asian Christians were indebted for all that they knew of Christ, and when he learned that Paul was in prison, he “very diligently” sought for the apostle. But to do this involved deep personal danger as Nero had inaugurated a bitter rampage against Christians. Paul deeply appreciated what his Ephesian friend had done.
Paul told him clearly: Face your fears. Forget the news. Forget your failures. Follow your faith. Focus on God’s Word. Paul wrote this because he knew – Godly and mature believers need to look to those that follow us in the faith. Our time must increasingly be targeted to those who will carry the baton of ministry AFTER we are gone to the Savior.
