Title: Things to Imitate from Timothy
Contents
Things to imitate from Timothy
Acts 16:1-5
If you go to Jeongjin-dong, Seoul, 'Cheongjinok' is the Haejang-gukjip that has maintained its place for 71 years.
When his father passed away a few years ago, he decided to leave the company he was working for and take over.
Jun-yun Choi, who is already the third generation, has quit a good job and has been keeping a hot cauldron all day.
It was not an easy decision, but I do not regret it.
I just know the family business that has been passed down from generation to generation and keep the taste.
It was so good to see how they kept the taste from generation to generation.
As more and more families continue to follow the faith from generation to generation, we must strive to pass on the legacy of faith.
Timothy, whom we are going to look at today, is a representative person who has succeeded in the generation of faith.
He passed on the generations of his parents' faith, and he carried on the generations of his teachers' faith well.
So, Timothy can be said to be a good model for the succession of faith, and we should imitate this point.
Timothy was born in Lystra, southern Galatia, and lived with his Jewish mother, Greek father, and maternal grandmother, receiving religious education from his mother and sleeping.
Although Paul did not stay here long in Lystra during his first missionary journey, he sowed the seeds of the gospel here. At that time, my grandmother and mother believed in Jesus, and even after Paul left, they kept the gospel Paul preached and delivered it to Timothy.
During the second missionary trip, Paul met Timothy, and Timothy had already become a young man of faith praised by people of faith in this area (Acts 16:2).
Paul made this Timothy a disciple and took him along on the second evangelistic journey, and Timothy received Paul's training as a minister in earnest.
First of all, while supporting Paul, he received training as a minister, and when Paul was imprisoned in Rome, he took the place of Paul and ministered to churches in various regions.
After Paul's martyrdom, he succeeds Paul and fulfills his role as a leader of the church brilliantly.
Now, the succession of the beautiful generation of faith by successfully tracing Paul's ministers is successful.
If we consider this matter from Timothy's point of view, we can learn an important lesson.
1. Obedience
Timothy had a beautiful attitude as a learner, an attitude of obedience.
This has become the invisible secret of succession of faith.
In verse 3 we read, “When Paul was about to leave with him, he took him and circumcised him because of a Jew who was in that region, because they all knew that his father was a Greek.” Paul took Timothy on a missionary trip. It was meant to be on the road.
However, Timothy insists that we follow Paul's will and receive the circumcision that we have not received before.
They follow his words without saying anything, and they want to go on a missionary trip with themselves.
There are harsh persecution and hardship and there are things that cannot be described in words, and you do not know when you will die.
But he obeys without saying anything.
It happened during the time of the Shun king of ancient China. One day, King Shun summoned his servants and gave them this order. "Now, I'll give you one ragweed, so go to the well and fill it with water"! Several of the servants went to the well with their helmets. No matter how you think about it, this is crazy. How would you put water in a mangle with holes in it? So they all scattered without even trying.
However, a servant could not disobey the king's orders, so he poured water into the mangtaeggi. Water was pumped in all day, but the mangtaeggi did not contain water, only water in the well. Eventually, when sunset came, the well water had exposed the bottom and it was impossible to draw water with a bucket. When this servant looked up at the well, unexpectedly, there was a lump of gold at the bottom of the well. The servant quickly brought the gold nugget to the king.
said the net king. "You did a great job. You are the only one who obeys my words. This is the reward I have prepared for those who obey."
That's right. This is obedience. I follow it even if I don't want to.
Even if my thoughts are different, they will follow. Those who obey in this way will later receive the reward of obedience.
That is how Timothy obeyed. Even though it was hard and painful, I obeyed.
So I received the award of obedience. This obedience allowed us to continue the generations of faith. I have succeeded in the generation of ministry.
2. love relationship
Timothy was maintaining a loving relationship with his teacher Paul.
In this love relationship, a beautiful price of faith has been passed down.
In 2 Timothy 1:2, Paul calls Timothy this way. “To Timothy, my beloved son,” he is referring to Timothy as his beloved son. To Paul, Timothy is just a disciple.
But I call him my son. It is also called the beloved son.
Why did Paul love Timothy so much? How could he cherish and love his disciple like a son?
Timothy was always by Paul's side. It was a rough and long road, but a boring and lonely road, but Timothy was always by Paul's side. So it was a big comfort and it gave me strength.
Indeed, Timothy must have been a person who brought happiness to Paul.
So Paul loved Timothy. He gave everything about himself to Timothy.
That's right. We should be people who bring happiness to others.
We need to develop a relationship of love with each other. In this case, the succession of faith will bear fruit beautifully.
3. Sincere Effort
Timothy worked hard. I did my best to refine myself. I studied hard and trained hard to pass the generation of faith. This is also the secret of succession of faith.
In 1 Timothy 4:7-8, Paul said, “Putting aside false and false myths, and train yourself to godliness. Physical training has little benefit, but godliness is beneficial for all things, which has promise in this life and in the life to come.” I asked Timothy. This means that you must thoroughly refine yourself to attain godliness.
Philippians 2:19-22 says, “I send Timothy to you quickly, that in the Lord you may be comforted by the knowledge of your circumstances, for I have no one else to agree and to think sincerely about your circumstances. Seeking your own things, not those of Christ Jesus, but you know the training of Timothy, for he labored with me for the gospel as a child does a father.” Paul praises Timothy.
Timothy thoroughly trained himself, so there is no one he can trust as much as Timothy.
Our archers shoot 300-500 shots when foreign players shoot 100 shots a day.
Before the Olympics, the lights were turned on at night and they fired 1,000 rounds at a time.
Marathon runner Bong-ju Lee runs 30-40 kilometers every day, and the total distance he has run so far is more than five laps around the world.
That's right. Only those who win the battle against themselves can taste the fruits of success, and the sincerity that refines them brings beautiful results.
Timothy was faithful in refining himself. So I was able to pass on the generation of faith.
I was able to carry on the generations of ministry.
Dear all! The generations of faith are not easy to follow. A unique attitude is required.
It requires an attitude of obedience with a willingness to learn well. And it requires extraordinary sincerity.
You must win the battle with yourself. You must pass the podium well.
4. Unwavering Loyalty
Timothy grew spiritually. He stood tall as Paul's co-worker. After that, he remained loyal.
This is also the secret of linking the generations of faith.
Acts 16:4 says, "As I was going to the cities, I gave them the ordinances the apostles and elders in Jerusalem had set up for them to keep..." saying that
1 Thessalonians 1:1 “Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, to God the Father, and to the Thessalonian Church…” In 2 Thessalonians 1:1, “Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy are from God our Father… I am writing to the church.” While Paul was staying in Corinth, he was writing to the Thessalonian church, saying that Timothy was watching him.
Philippians 2:19 also. "It is my hope in the Lord that I send Timothy to you soon..." Paul is now imprisoned in a Roman prison. Even at this time, Timothy was guarding Paul.
In 2 Timothy 4:10, "Demas, because he loved this world, left me and went to Thessalonica, Cresche to Galatia, and Titus to Dalmatia."
However, many of them got off the bus along the way.
That is, Timothy joined Paul in the early days of his mission, stayed by his side, and stayed with him until he was imprisoned in a Roman prison where he was martyred.
Many people got off the road and left Paul, but Timothy stayed by Paul's side until the end.
Perhaps Timothy was deeply moved by watching Paul.
And he must have been determined to take that example.
Paul's confession must have echoed in his heart.
“I have already been poured out as a drink offering, and the hour of my departure is near; I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith” (2 Timothy 4:6-7)
That's right. Timothy already imitates Paul's unwavering loyalty.
Through his unchanging loyalty, he is succeeding in the ministry of Paul.
We need this unwavering loyalty.
Dear all! The price of faith must continue.
This requires an attitude of obedience. You need to develop a love relationship.
It requires sincere effort. And it requires unwavering loyalty.
In this case, the price of faith will be passed on through us.