Philippians 2:19-24
¹⁹ But I trust in the Lord Jesus to send Timotheus shortly unto you, that I also may be of good comfort, when I know your state. ²⁰ For I have no man likeminded, who will naturally care for your state. ²¹ For all seek their own, not the things which are Jesus Christ's. ²² But ye know the proof of him, that, as a son with the father, he hath served with me in the gospel. ²³ Him therefore I hope to send presently, so soon as I shall see how it will go with me. ²⁴ But I trust in the Lord that I also myself shall come shortly.
TRANSCRIPT
I greet you in the blessed name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. The Apostle Paul had given three human examples for the believers to follow: Paul himself, who was an apostle; Timothy, a young minister; and Epaphroditus, a layman. Some people may say, "Why follow Paul, Timothy, and Epaphroditus? What is the purpose of following these people who were imperfect sinners when we should be following Jesus Christ, the ultimate example?"
James Montgomery, the late Presbyterian Minister, wrote, allow me to quote him: “Had Paul been perfect, he would not have been an example for the believers to follow. We need to follow someone who is not perfect so we can see how to overcome our imperfections. Someone who can show us how to handle the struggles of life, the disappointments, and the trials. Someone who can show us how to handle pride, resist temptation, and put sin to death. Only Christ is the perfect standard and example for the believers to emulate.
Christ never needs to pursue after perfection; He has always been perfect. Paul, Timothy, and Epaphroditus were fellow believers, just like every one of us, and in this regard, they are on the path towards this unattainable spiritual perfection. So they are good examples for us to follow.” How true that is! That is why it is good for us to learn from the examples of Paul, Timothy, and Epaphroditus as to how we ought to live our lives and serve the Lord.
Today, we have come to the second human example, which is Timothy. The title of our message is "The Exemplary Example of a Spiritual Servant: Timothy." Our text is taken from Philippians 2:19-24. At this point in time, Paul was in prison. Therefore, due to his imprisonment, Paul was not able to go to Philippi and visit the Philippians. He was very concerned about their spiritual condition, so he decided to do one thing. Verse 19, "But I trust in the Lord Jesus” – which means ‘I trust that this is this the Lord’s will’, and that is “to send Timotheus shortly unto you, that I also may be of good comfort, when I know your state.” He was confident that he will receive a good and positive report about the Philippians, and his heart would be comforted and encouraged. Paul could not just send anyone; he had to send someone trustworthy. So he chose to send Timothy.
I. He was likeminded
There were several things mentioned about Timothy in this passage which revealed to us what kind of spiritual servant he was, and we want to learn from these characteristics. Firstly, he was like-minded. "For I have no man like-minded," Paul was not dismissing or belittling all the other faithful servants who had worked with him, people like Titus, Silas, Barnabas, and so forth. So what does it mean when he says, "I have no man like-minded"? The original word for like-minded is a compound word made up of two words: "equal" and "soul." The literal meaning is equal soul, one soul, one spirit, or one heart. It means someone who shares the same spirit, the same passions, objectives, and zeal.
Why was Paul so sure about being like-minded? You see, Paul had known Timothy for a long time. Timothy was a native of Lystra. Both his father, Eunice, and grandmother, Lois, were Jewish believers, and they had instructed Timothy from a very young age in the Old Testament Scriptures. Paul met Timothy on his first missionary journey, and he must have led him to the Lord at that time. Ever since then, Timothy faithfully followed the Apostle Paul. He was Paul in Corinthian. Subsequently, he was sent to Macedonia, and then he accompanied Paul on his return trip to Jerusalem. He was with Paul when he wrote the letter to the Romans.
Except for the Lord Jesus Christ, we can safely say there has been no spiritual leader on the same level as Paul. And so, Timothy had such a spiritual privilege to be trained under this faithful servant of God. You can imagine all the wonderful lessons he would have learned watching and observing the life of Paul. Over the course of time, Timothy began to think like Paul. He would speak like Paul, he would communicate with believers and unbelievers like Paul, he would love the Lord like Paul, he would be zealous in prayers like Paul, he would share the same ideas, the same love, the same enthusiasm for the Lord. That is what he means to be like-minded.
Dear friends, that is the goal of true discipleship. The goal of true discipleship and the heart of every pastor is to reproduce. It is to train someone to have the same mind as you. When he is fully discipled, you can confidently say, "This is the man who is like-minded with me." The same goes for every parent. The heart of every godly parent is to reproduce. It is to train your little child to have the same mind as you. And when he or she is fully grown, you can also confidently say, "This is my child who is like-minded with me." In this regard, we must consider the amount of time we spend with the person we are influencing and the things we are influencing the person with. It takes time, resources, commitment, and effort to influence a person.
And we are not talking about influencing a person with the things of this world, like sports, hobbies, and other personal interests. "We are talking about being like-minded in spiritual things, like the worship of God, services of the almighty God, prayers, the study of God's word, and so forth. How wonderful it would be if everyone in the church is like-minded, sharing the same spirit, the same passions, objectives, and zeal for the Lord Jesus Christ.
II. He was caring
Secondly, Timothy was caring. Look at the second part of verse 20: “who will naturally care for your state.” The word “care” means to have a strong feeling for something or someone to the point of being burdened, heavily burdened. Paul could have said, 'Timothy cares for your state,' and we would understand what he meant. But he did not do that. Notice he added the word 'naturally,' which means genuinely, faithfully, or sincerely. Why did he add the word “naturally”? Because most people do not naturally care for us; they are naturally selfish, they only care about themselves, not the things of Christ.
We see that happening in many churches today. There are many people who claim to be serving God, but are they really serving God with the right motives? Are they genuine, faithful, and sincere? Do they naturally care for the people, or are they just seeking their own selfish agenda? Timothy's care for the Philippians was genuine, faithful, and sincere. He was a spiritual servant who cared for the welfare of the church. He wanted to teach the people the whole council of God's word. He wanted to be there for the people in their troubles, in their blessings, in times of happiness, and in times of sorrow. Ultimately, he was following the example of the Lord Jesus Christ, who said, “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” (John 15:13).
Take a moment and consider this: if we really care for the people to the point of being burdened, heavily burdened, if we are willing to even lay down our lives in our service for God and His people, there will be nothing we are unwilling to lay down, right? We will be willing to lay down our pride, our egos, our selfish desires. We will be able to conquer all the rejections, hinderances, distractions, obstacles, don't you think? If we are willing to follow the example and the exhortation of Christ to even lay down our lives in our service for Him, there will be nothing we are unwilling to lay down.
Many years ago, I knew of a pastor from another church who said to me that the wisest thing for a pastor to do is to serve a church for no more than three years. The reason is that, according to him, you only need to prepare three years of messages, and you preach in one church, then you resign and go to another church and use those same messages again for another three years. The new congregation will be listening to a new set of messages, and subsequently, you move from one church to another, and you can do that for the next 30 years. Is that the kind of pastor who will naturally care for your state? Is that the kind of preachers we want for our church? Most certainly not.
Dear friends, perhaps you are a deacon serving in the session, or a teacher in Sunday school, or a leader in the fellowship groups like home care groups or YPG group. Do you naturally care for the people to the point that when you see a new visitor entering the church, your heart is burning, and you just want to reach out? Or when you see an old believer not attending the worship services, your heart is burdened, and you want to visit and encourage the person. We must be Timothy, someone who genuinely, faithfully, and sincerely cares for the people. If not, it is better for you not to serve in any offices of the church. God wants people who genuinely, faithfully, and sincerely care for the people to serve as leaders in our church.
III. He was single-minded
Thirdly, Timothy was a single-minded person. Paul knew that some people were self-centered, and he was deeply grieved when he said in verse 21: “For they all seek their own, not the things which are Jesus Christ’s.” Remember in Philippians 1:15, Paul said that although the gospel was preached by some men in Rome, sometimes it was preached out of envy, strife, contention, and without sincerity. It does not mean that those men were apostates, or they were preaching something heretical. Their message might be true and accurate, but the problem was with the men themselves. They were worldly and self-centered. They lost their first love. Their hearts were not in tune with God. Instead of being single-minded, they were double-minded. But Timothy was different. He was single-minded; he always put Jesus Christ first.
Dear friends, it is so easy to put other things first – our plans, our families, our children, our jobs, our successes, etc. – but if you do that, our lives will be distorted. We will miss life’s greatest blessings. Let's say you put your child's education as the number one priority, not God, and you would rather your child attend tuition classes on Sundays than the worship services on Sundays.
Do you think God does not know that you are seeking your own things and not the things which are Jesus Christ? He knows. One day, your child may be a successful doctor or a famous lawyer, but to your horror, he or she is no longer found in the church. He or she may even profess to be an atheist, and it will be like a knife pierced into your heart.
Or let’s say outwardly, you may appear to be serving God, but actually, you are seeking for recognition and acknowledgment. You want that position; you want the people to address you as a leader, but you do not have a servant's heart. You are not willing to serve. Do you think God does not know that you are seeking your own things and not the things which are Jesus Christ? He knows! And if you continue and not repent, one day, God will remove you from service altogether. God wants us to be single-minded. God wants us to be like Timothy, single-minded in the sense of focusing on one person and one person only, the Lord Jesus Christ. So we always ask ourselves, will my Lord be pleased if I do this? Will my service honour my Lord? Will the things I do advance His gospel and build up His church? If it does, then this is the thing I will do. Single-minded: always focusing on one person and one person only: Our Saviour Jesus Christ.
IV. He was proven
Finally, Paul said Timothy was proven. Look at verse 22: “But ye know the proof of him, that, as a son with the father, he hath served with me in the gospel.” Timothy had not only proven himself, he had proven himself to be able to work with others. And here, he was able to work with the Apostle Paul. Most people think that here Paul was referring to his serving as a son to the father, but if you notice, Paul did not say 'as a son to the father, he hath served me in the gospel.' No, he did not do that. Instead, he said, 'as a son with the father, he hath served with me in the gospel.' The little word 'with' is so important.
You are not working for the pastor, or for the elder, or for the fellowship leaders; you are working with the other believers in the church. We are all co-labourers in the work of the Lord. The ability to work with others is an extremely important quality that tends to be overlooked. People say they are called to serve the Lord, they want to serve the Lord, but they must bear in mind that when you say that the service you are rendering is the Lord's work, it is not any other work. It is God's work, so it must be done according to God's way. God wants the body of believers to work together in unity and harmony.
A true spiritual servant is someone who has the ability to work with others for the glory of God. There are many churches that have been divided because the people are not able to work together. Perhaps a new pastor had just come to the church, and he cannot agree with the old pastor, and it has nothing to do with doctrinal matters, but non-essential matters. And because he's not able to work with the old pastor, there will be differences of opinions and decisions, and that will lead to misunderstandings, struggles, unhappiness, and then there will be jealousies, rebellions, divisions, fights, quarrels, false accusations, slanders, and so forth, and the church will be divided. It is so sad. We hope that will never happen here at Bethel. May the Lord be merciful. But that was not the case with Paul and Timothy. They had served together as partners in the spread of the Gospel, always encouraging one another along the way.
Dear friends, are you someone who is able to work with others? If there's someone stronger than you or someone weaker than you, are you able to complement and supplement one another's strengths and weaknesses for the glory of God? Or are you someone so full of yourself that you are not able to work with anyone stronger or weaker than you? God forbids. There may be such people. But who was able to work together with the Apostle Paul? Be like Paul, who was able to work with Timothy.
“But ye know the proof of him”. The word 'proof' means to be proven after testing. Throughout the New Testament, we were told to prove, examine, or test everything. For example, we were told to “prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” (Romans 12:2). How do we know that this is the will of God? How do we know that this is good, acceptable, and perfect? We have to test.
We were told to examine ourselves as to whether we be in the faith. “Prove your own selves” (2 Corinthians 13:5). In other words, test yourself whether your faith is real or not, that you are not just professing to believe, you truly believe; you are a true believer. Test yourself. We were told to ”believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God” (1 John 4:1). How much more you and I should prove, examine, and test those who claim to be called, right?
When someone claims to be called and he wants to serve, does it mean that he is truly called, and he is serving with the right motives? We do not know; we cannot see that. The only thing we can do is to test, and we test through our observation, through our services, through the circumstances, trials, and struggles we encounter, and we are able to tell, by God's grace, just like gold and silver have to go through the fire. Why? To prove that they are real and not fake.
Timothy had been tested many times in his service to the Lord. Just to give you some examples, Paul sent Timothy to the Corinthians (1 Corinthians 4:17), "For this cause have I sent unto you Timotheus, who is my beloved son, and faithful in the Lord, who shall bring you into remembrance of my ways which be in Christ, as I teach everywhere in every place." Paul sent him to minister to the Thessalonians (1 Thessalonians 3:2), "And sent Timotheus, our brother and minister of God, and our fellow labourer in the gospel of Christ, to establish you and to comfort you concerning your faith." Paul sent him to warn the Ephesians in 1 Timothy 1:3, “that thou mightest charge some that they teach no other doctrine, Neither give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which minister questions, rather than godly edifying which is in faith”.
Think about this: when Timothy was sent to preach, teach, and warn the people, do you think there were obstacles, troubles, hindrances, objections? More certainly! But time and time again, Timothy had proven himself worthy, that he was faithful, he could be trusted. And therefore Paul was now willing to send him to Philippi. ‘He was faithful in Corinth; he was faithful in Lystra; he was faithful in Ephesus. He had proven himself worthy. Now, I can send him to Philippians.’ That was why Paul said in verse 23, "Him therefore I hope to send presently, so soon as I shall see how it will go with me."
Remember, Paul himself was presently in prison, under house arrest, and he wanted to find out how things would turn out for him. Verse 24, “But I trust in the Lord that I also myself shall come shortly.” Paul believed that it is the Lord's will that he will be able to visit and minister to the Philippians in-person. But whatever be the case, in the meantime, he hoped to send Timothy immediately so that he can find out about the Philippians' spiritual condition. And he had utmost confidence in this man, Timothy, for he had proven himself worthy. And not only Paul knew that, even the Philippians knew about it. In other words, not only the leaders would know if a person is faithful or not, even the members would know if a person is faithful or not.
Dear friends, there will always be challenges in the ministry. There is no perfect church in this world, including Bethel. Every day of our lives, we will be tested, and we must prove ourselves to be faithful to God. We have to be men and women like Timothy, who can be trusted. Just like children – if I can give you an illustration. When it comes to children, when they are young, we have to make the decisions for them. As they grow up, we guide them to make the right decisions, and hopefully one day they will be able to make their own right decisions, and face the challenges of life. And then we can say, "My child can be trusted to make the right spiritual decisions and do the right thing." Every day of our lives, we will be tested, and yet God knows whether or not we are faithful to Him.
What kind of believers do we want for our church? What kind of parents do we desire to be? What kind of members do we want to have serving in the different ministries? Ultimately, what kind of believers do we want to be? We want to be men and women like Timothy; people who are like-minded, sharing the same actions, love, and enthusiasm for the Lord Jesus Christ. People who are caring, not just professing to care, but genuinely, faithfully, and sincerely caring for the spiritual welfare of the people.
People who are single-minded, not double-minded. They say one thing, but they do another thing. Having one person and one person only in our minds, in our focuses, in our services: the Lord Jesus Christ. And finally, people who are tested and proven faithful.
You know, it is one thing when the leaders and the members of the church say, ‘So-and-so is faithful – tested and proven faithful.’ But it is another thing altogether and most important when our Lord himself says, "Come thou good and faithful servant; enter into the joy of the Lord." That is the one thing we want to hear from our Lord himself. Let us pray.
Father in heaven, we thank Thee for enabling us to consider the example of Timothy. One who is like-minded, caring, single-minded, and proven to be faithful. May we remember all these characteristics, and may we also seek to apply these characteristics in the way we live our lives. If we have fallen short, may the Spirit of God work in our hearts and in our lives to cause us to be men and women like Timothy, all to the glory of Thy precious name. We pray all this in Jesus’ name. Amen.
SERMON OUTLINE
PHILIPPIANS SERIESThe Believer’s Relationship with God & His WordThe Believer’s Relationship with God & His Word1 Thessalonians 5:19-22
A Prayer for the Fellow BelieversA Prayer for the Fellow Believers1 Thessalonians 5:23-24
The Things Every Church NeedsThe Things Every Church Needs1 Thessalonians 5:25-28
True Saving FaithTrue Saving Faith2 Thessalonians 1:1-4
Man’s Final DestinationMan’s Final Destination2 Thessalonians 1:5-10
The Things We Should PrayThe Things We Should Pray2 Thessalonians 1:11-12
Understanding the End TimesUnderstanding the End Times2 Thessalonians 2:1-5
Be Ready for the End TimesBe Ready for the End Times2 Thessalonians 2:6-12
We Can Do Nothing Against the Truth, But For the TruthWe Can Do Nothing Against the Truth, But For the Truth2 Thessalonians 2:13-17
Reconciliation with GodReconciliation with GodEphesians 2:11-18
Resurrection Sunday Service: O Death Where is Thy Sting?Resurrection Sunday Service: O Death Where is Thy Sting?1 Corinthians 15:51-58
Seminar: The Role of the Sunday School Teacher (Part 2 of 2)Seminar: The Role of the Sunday School Teacher (Part 2 of 2)James 3:1-13
Seminar: The Role of the Sunday School Teacher (Part 1 of 2)Seminar: The Role of the Sunday School Teacher (Part 1 of 2)Matthew 18:1-6
The Unceasing ThreeThe Unceasing Three1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
Facing the Days Ahead with God's Comfort and StrengthFacing the Days Ahead with God's Comfort and Strength2 Thessalonians 2:16-17
A Walk to RememberA Walk to RememberEphesians 4:17-32
Go and TellGo and TellMatthew 28:18-20
Pray for UsPray for Us2 Thessalonians 3:1-2
The Lord is FaithfulThe Lord is Faithful2 Thessalonians 3:3
God Leads Us AlongGod Leads Us Along2 Thessalonians 3:4-5
Living in the End TimesLiving in the End Times1 Peter 4:7-11
The Blessings of SalvationThe Blessings of Salvation1 Peter 1:3-9
Allegiance to Truth or FriendshipAllegiance to Truth or Friendship2 Thessalonians 3:6
Restoring the Sinning BrotherRestoring the Sinning BrotherGalatians 5:26-6:5
No Work, No EatNo Work, No Eat2 Thessalonians 3:7-10
Do Not Give UpDo Not Give Up2 Thessalonians 3:11-15
Am I Ready For Christ's Second Coming?Am I Ready For Christ's Second Coming?Matthew 25:1-13
Having Peace Always in Every CircumstanceHaving Peace Always in Every Circumstance2 Thessalonians 3:16-18
Wonderful Words of LifeWonderful Words of LifePsalm 1:1-3
Dealing with DepressionDealing with DepressionPsalm 42
Counted Worthy To Serve GodCounted Worthy To Serve God1 Timothy 1:12-14
A Praying ChurchA Praying Church1 Timothy 2:1-4
How to Run the Race FaithfullyHow to Run the Race FaithfullyHebrews 12:1-2
Am I a Committed Christian?Am I a Committed Christian?John 21:18-23
God Is Our RefugeGod Is Our RefugePsalm 46
O Come, Let Us Worship the LordO Come, Let Us Worship the LordPsalm 59:1-11
The Joy of Receiving ForgivenessThe Joy of Receiving Forgiveness2 Samuel 11:1-27
The Joy of SalvationThe Joy of SalvationPsalm 51:10-12
A Call to Spiritual RevivalA Call to Spiritual Revival2 Chronicles 7:14
30th Anniversary Seminar - Message #2: The Church and Fellowship30th Anniversary Seminar - Message #2: The Church and FellowshipActs 2:42
30th Anniversary Seminar - Message #1: The Church and The World30th Anniversary Seminar - Message #1: The Church and The WorldActs 2:42
30th Anniversary Seminar - Message #3: The Church and the Sacraments30th Anniversary Seminar - Message #3: The Church and the Sacraments1 Thessalonians 5:17
30th Anniversary Seminar - Message #4: The Church and the Prayers30th Anniversary Seminar - Message #4: The Church and the Prayers1 Thessalonians 5:17
30th Anniversary Seminar - Message #3: The Church and the Sacraments30th Anniversary Seminar - Message #3: The Church and the SacramentsActs 2:41-47
30th Anniversary Seminar - Message #4: The Church and the Prayers30th Anniversary Seminar - Message #4: The Church and the PrayersActs 2:42
30th Anniversary Thanksgiving Services - Message: Thirty Significant Years30th Anniversary Thanksgiving Services - Message: Thirty Significant YearsMatthew 3:15
The Believer's Attitude Towards MoneyThe Believer's Attitude Towards Money1 Timothy 6:6-10
Things That Accompany SalvationThings That Accompany SalvationHebrews 6:9-12
Lessons on StewardshipLessons on StewardshipLuke 16:1-13
Is There Not A Cause?Is There Not A Cause?1 Samuel 17:1-29
