Over the next two weeks in this final section of Philippians chapter 2, we're going to be considering two characters together. One today on the man called Timothy, and then next week on the man called Epaphroditus. These two men were gospel ministers who served with Paul and also had been trained by him. Now, as we consider this part of Philippians and the final part of this chapter number two, we must keep in mind that the major theme of this entire chapter is the humiliation and exaltation of Jesus Christ. You may have a Bible in front of you that may neatly divided up into different categories and so on, and that can be helpful because Paul does emphasize certain things throughout this chapter more than what he does at other times. And yet what we do find is this. that as he begins to unfold the doctrine of Christ, he keeps that central to all of what he would discuss even in this chapter. This chapter began with an exhortation for the believers to be in unity one with another, that they in unity would care for one another and esteem one another more highly than themselves. And we looked at that in verse number three and the verse number four. He then gave to them the supreme example of humility. And the connection and the reason why he would begin to unfold humility is because unity can only be achieved through the humility of the saints. And so he sets Christ before them in all of his beauty, in all of his humility, as the example that they are to model themselves after, that they would be humble, that then they might be unified one with another. This unity in the church was essential because disunity hinders sanctification. We read in verse number 12 and 13 how that they were to work out their own salvation with fear and trembling, and they were to do this in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation. But how can a church live blameless and harmless in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation if there is disunity among the saints? So, having gave them the supreme example of humility, he seeks to present to them, this is the attitude, this is the characteristic that you may have, that you might with humility work out your own salvation, that you might be unified one with another, that you might possess a godly testimony in the world. But the other aspect of what he had brought to our attention was the exaltation of Jesus Christ. And we realized that this was a fulfillment of what Christ had preached himself in the Beatitudes, that the Lord blesses the meek, that he exalts the humble. And so we see here the connection between Christ's humility and his exaltation. And now near the end of this chapter, he is going to present to us two model servants, two servants that were humble men. You study their lives and their character and their reputation. He is studying here two humble, lowly men. Men who then in turn, because of their humility, were exalted and were given that double honor that comes with the office of a minister. Now as we consider Timothy this week, there are several points that I want to bring out through which we will see the character and the life of Timothy. First of all, we're going to consider the childhood of Timothy. Then we're going to consider Paul's concern for the Philippians. And then thirdly, Paul's critique of the other pastors. And then finally, his confidence in Timothy. So childhood, concern, critique, and confidence, if you're looking for some sort of outline this morning. But let's consider that under the umbrella subject of Timothy commended to the Philippines, and then next week we will come to consider how Epaphroditus was commended to the Philippines. But let's look first of all here at the childhood of Timothy and we're going to be reaching into other scriptures and so on because Timothy is the character that's being commended here and so we want to know something about his life and his upbringing and that would give us even indication as to why he was commended by Paul. Timothy was born in the city of Lystra, which is in the province of Galatia. We would understand that region to be modern-day Turkey. And Timothy was quite unique in the home that he was born into because he was born with a Greek father, and it's very likely that his father was actually a pagan because of Lystra and the influence of paganism and so on in that city, but his mother was Jewish. We read about that in Acts chapter 16 and the verse number one, how Paul, he came to Durban, Lystra, and behold, a certain disciple was there named Timotheus, the son of a certain woman, which was a Jewess and believed, but his father was a Greek. So Greek father, Jewish mother, but his mother believed and trusted in the Lord Jesus Christ. more than likely during Paul's first missionary journey. We read about his first missionary journey to that region earlier on in the Book of Acts. It was a very interesting time because of the healing miracle that took place. The people wanted to make Paul and his missionary band gods, and they actually named them after gods. Paul obviously rejected that. He pointed them to Christ, and then the people turned against him. But in the midst of all of that, it's very likely that that was the occasion when Timothy's mother and also as well his grandmother were converted. We read about then the godly influence that his mother and his grandmother had in the life of Timothy. And we read about that in 2 Timothy 1 in verse 5, when Paul is writing to Timothy, and he says in verse 5, when I called to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in the which dwelt first in thy grandmother, Lois, and thy mother, Eunice, and I am also persuaded that in thee also." And so here we see there seems to be that Timothy's grandmother, his mother were converted, and then at a later date during that period between Paul's first visit there and the second period there, that Timothy had got converted and he was strongly going on with the Lord. Now as we read concerning Timothy, and we read about how he went on with the Lord, we read that Timothy grew rapidly as a disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ, so much so that he stood out above the other young men even in that congregation. In Acts 16 and verse number two, it says concerning him that he was well reported off by the brethren, more than likely the elders of the offices of the church, which were at Lystra and Iconium. And so as Paul visits again Lystra, he hears about this young man, Timothy, and Paul is seeking to encourage young men into the ministry and so on. And so he realizes the recommendation that comes by the elders from this young man, and he then takes Timothy with him on his missionary journey. And we are struck immediately in verse number three of Acts 16 with the humility and the submissiveness of Timothy. Now this might sound like a foreign and a very strange thing for us, but in the early church, there was a great contention around circumcision. Now in Acts chapter 15, when the church had met together, they had come to an understanding that the new covenant did not require the Gentile believers to be circumcised. That circumcision was a sign of that old covenant, and they were not going to require the Gentiles to be circumcised. But still, with the Jews, it was something of a hang-up to them. It was a hindrance to them, because much of their upbringing surrounded the idea of circumcision, having that mark as being the Lord's people. And there had to be that transitional time where that old covenant ideology or thinking had to transpire and brought into a new covenant understanding. And yet notice what Timothy is willing to do in order to minister to the Jews, those Jews that were still outside of Christ. In verse number three, him would Paul have to go forth with him and took and circumcised him because of the Jews which were in those quarters. for they knew all that his father was a Greek. " Paul realized if he brings this uncircumcised believer with him, even though his mother was Jewish but his father was Greek, that the Jews would be more to hindrance and be more hesitant to receive his ministry and his preaching. Now, already in Acts chapter 15, one chapter before this, it has been said that it is not a requirement for the Gentiles to be circumcised. And yet Timothy, for the sake of the gospel, gets circumcised, that there would be nothing concerning him that would be a hindrance to the gospel going forward. That's why he's the perfect candidate to be placed at the end of chapter number two as a model of humility. because he humbled himself, didn't exercise his Christian liberty and say, no, no, I'm not going to do that. No, for the sake of his brethren and for the gospel, he humbled himself, brought upon him even that circumcision. Timothy then became a wonderful servant. a wonderful minister of the gospel. And at this time in the early church, the practice was that these apostles would take these younger men, and these younger men would basically follow the older men, and they would go wherever they would go, and they would be taught, and they would be instructed, and they would also have then the practical experience as well of watching how the apostle Paul would preach and minister in those cities. And so Timothy went on with Paul, and then he was sent by himself to several churches in Corinth, in Greece, in Rome, in Ephesus, and even eventually here in Philippi as well. Now, although Timothy stood out, head and shoulders among the rest, there also seems to be a sort of timidity with his character. Paul had to write to Timothy in 1 Timothy chapter 4 and the verse number 12 and say, But be thou an example of the believers in word, and conversation, and charity, and spirit, and faith, and purity. Till I come, give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine. Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, but with the laying on of the hands of presbytery. Meditate upon these things. Give thyself wholly to them, that thy profiting may appear to all. Take heed unto thyself and unto the doctrine, continue in them, for in doing this thou shalt perceive thyself and them that hear thee." There appears to be that Timothy, when he went to go into minister, because he was so young, and more than likely when he joined Paul's missionary team, he was a young man, some say late teenage years, others would say in his very early twenties. that he felt the weight of having to go in to congregations where there was men and women in front of him who were perhaps double, even triple his age. And he felt the weight of that. And perhaps they were coming in and they were saying to Timothy, Timothy, you're only a young fella. You're only a young lad. What do you know? And so on. And Paul says, Timothy, don't let them despise your youth. Just carry on, be an example in all of these things, and improve yourself in reading and exhortation and in doctrine, and don't neglect the gift. And so it appears to be that although Timothy had been through very difficult times with the apostle Paul, he was even sent to Berea, a place that had given Paul a very difficult time there. He was left behind in Berea, and he had to continue on with those struggles and contentions, that there still was a timidity within him. And yet we see this as a godly young man, a man that God had exalted, and yet nonetheless a man that God had exalted because of his humility. But I believe that his childhood teaches us two things. First of all, his childhood teaches us the impact of godly influence. The impact of godly influence. We read in 2 Timothy chapter 3, And the verse number 16, 2 Timothy chapter 3, in the verse number 16, And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. And so again, we fill in here what Paul has already said in this book. about the faith of his grandmother and the faith of his mother, that even as they were following the time, that old covenant system, they were teaching him the Torah, they were teaching him the Old Testament, and they were bringing him and preparing him, that when he heard that Messiah had come and how Messiah had fulfilled all of these prophecies, he had a heart prepared and ready for the gospel. And that made him wise onto salvation. But he would not have had that training. He would not have had the preparedness of heart, able and ready to receive Christ, unless it had been through the godly influence and instruction of a grandmother and a mother. And in many ways, it was still highly unlikely that Timothy would come to faith in Christ. If you take modern statistics, and this is what I read this week, if a child is the first person in a household to become a Christian, there is a 3.5% probability everyone else in the household will follow. If the mother is the first to become a Christian, there is a 17% probability everyone in the household will follow. However, when the father is first, there is a 93% probability everyone else in the household will follow. And so here we see Timothy as he's raised up in this home. His father remained a Greek. indulging in those things, as we could say, of paganism. And yet all he had was this influence of his mother and his grandmother giving to him the gospel. And through that, grace overcame any statistical probability, and the Lord saved him and changed his heart. Oh, that we would not despise the impact of godly influence, that we would realize that we must pour into our children when they are young and when they're like a sponge and they can receive the word of God and memorize it with greater ability and with greater even being able to give themselves in terms of time to do these things more than even adults, that we would pour into them the word of God like a Timothy, that when they hear the gospel, that they would readily receive it. joy even in their hearts. But also then secondly, a holy childhood is conducive with gospel ministry. A holy childhood is conducive with gospel ministry. Sometimes we have the idea today that in order to be, you know, the most effective evangelist, Well, you have to have this great story of how you went deep into shameful sin and how the Lord, in a very dramatic fashion, pulled you out of it and so on. Timothy didn't have that testimony. He was raised under this godly influence in his home. And through that godly influence, through that teaching, he came to faith in Christ. And he then grew and matured in the Christian faith. more and above even over his peers. And he was brought into the ministry and he was made an effective minister of the gospel. He didn't have a very dramatic testimony in terms of being saved from the most wicked and perilous sins. And yet God used this young man as a wonderful token for good in the gospel ministry. And so we keep that in mind for our own children. Yes, there's times when the Lord would have to humble them, but we ought to desire their holiness. We ought to desire that God would keep them from sin because it is not necessary for them to have experienced sin in order to become a wonderful minister who is able to preach against it. Holy childhood is conducive with a holy gospel ministry. But notice with me, secondly, this morning, the concern that Paul had for the Philippians. We read there in Philippians chapter two, the verse number 19, but I trust in the Lord Jesus to send Timotheus shortly onto you. that I also may be of good comfort when I know your state." This is essentially why he's now commanding Timothy. Timothy at this time is with Paul in Rome. He's with Paul, he's receiving instruction, training. He's there as a help and comfort to the Apostle Paul. And Paul, as he thinks about the Philippians, he has this great concern to know how they're doing. to know how they're going on in the faith. And so his plan is that in God's time, he would send Timothy, and Timothy would go, stay with them for a period of time, and then come back to Paul and tell Paul all of their estate. But I want you to see something here even about Paul. I want you to see the concern that he had. the great concern, that I also may be of good comfort when I know your state." He wanted to know how the church was doing. Now, Paul had previously written in 2 Corinthians 11, in the verse number 28, as he's going through that part in that chapter, through all the sufferings that he's had to endure for the sake of Christ, his beatings, his whippings, his shipwrecks. He says in the verse number 28, beside those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches." He says, those sufferings that I have had to endure for Christ, they come and they go. It's not every single day that I've had to endure a beating or a whipping or a shipwreck, but the one care that consumes me, the one care that continually stays with me is the care. the worry that I have for the churches of the Lord Jesus Christ." Now, why would Paul be worried? Well, as you read much of his writings, he's worried about false teachers. He's worrying about people who would come in and seek to divide the flock through the false teaching that they would give. He's worried about disgruntled believers, he writes in the book of Romans. He says, mark them which cause division among you and have nothing to do with them. And he's not just talking about false teachers there. He's talking about Christians who would seek to divide the body of Christ. He's worried about that. He's worried that they would not, as a congregation, fully embrace all of apostolic doctrine and teaching. He was concerned. And as a good and as a godly minister, these things consumed him. As we'll come to see in just a moment concerning even Timothy, Timothy didn't have a clock card for ministry. Timothy didn't punch in in the morning and punch out at night, and neither did Paul. The concern and the burden that he had for the churches was great, it was always upon him. Such is the concern that all true ministers of the gospel are to have for the church. A burden that carries with them days, day after day, day after day. A care and anxiety, as we'll come to see that word, that would consume them, that they would have a desire to know how those churches are doing. Then notice his comfort. He wanted to know their estate, obviously to hear a good report that he may be of comfort. John would write in 3 John 1, verse 4, I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth. I have no greater joy. What gives me the greatest comfort, the greatest gladness, is to hear that God's people corporately, individually, are submitting to the word of God and following and walking after his truth. I pray that you and I would have the same comfort. As we seek to even do this in our own congregation, we have people come along, like last week, like our brother, Mr. Frank DiDurno, and rejoices us to hear the call of God going to a young man to go to Fredericton to minister. Rejoices our heart to hear about how the people are there, willing to labor and so on, about his own interest in evangelizing and establishing prayer meetings and the like. It's a wonderful comfort. but it also reflects a certain duty that we have to watch out. Now, our presbytery seeks to do that through written documents. Once a year, both the elders and the deacons have to fill out several forms that make sure that we're doing this and that and the other thing, and if there's any help or anything we need, and that gets sent back to the presbytery, and then if we appeal for help, the presbytery can come and help. And what's that seeking to do? It's first of all recognizing that good ministers will have a concern even for churches that are not their church. But also good ministers will make an attempt to make sure that those other churches are doing okay. Even at a congregational level, it's good for you to write to missionaries. It's good for you to write to ministers. It's good for you to learn about other churches in our denomination and so forth and seek to encourage those men and build them up in the faith even by your prayers and by your writing to them and your support and so on. Although we would have this concern that it would be our comfort, oh, that church is doing well, that church is going on. This was Paul's concern for the Philippians. That's why Epaphroditus was already there, and that's why Timothy was going. He wanted to hear this good news. But thirdly, notice with me then Paul's critique of other pastors. And this is very interesting. In this entire section here, it's fascinating that Paul would put this in. He says there in the verse number 20 and 21, for I have no man like-minded who will naturally care for your state, for all seek their own, not the things which are Jesus Christ's. Now Paul was in Rome, he was surrounded by ministers in Rome. And as we had already considered in chapter number one, we realized that there was a contentiousness between those ministers. That some were going out and preaching Christ, and they were doing it out of good motives. Others were going out and preaching Christ out of a selfish ambition, and were doing so to add more persecution upon Paul. Whether it be by, well, if I preach Christ here, the people make it more agitated and stir it up and call for a harsher punishment on Paul. So on. Nonetheless, these preachers were going about and they were preaching against Paul, seeking to add affliction to his bonds. And this is what Paul says, that he has nobody like-minded. That he has nobody who would naturally care for their state. Now what does he mean that there's nobody, okay? Well, obviously there were those men who were true preachers of Christ. They were ministering out of love and compassion for Paul and for the lost as well. But when Paul says all he's using it, as he just looks out, that there was nobody compared to Timothy. There's nobody like Timothy. There's nobody that is as like-minded. There's nobody that he can trust the same. There's nobody that he has more confidence in other than Timothy. But still, he makes a criticism. And as I've said, for all seek their own, verse 21, not the things which are Jesus Christ. Now, before we get into this criticism, we have to understand the critique. Paul is not saying that these men that are now seeking their own things and seeking to benefit themselves, that these men are false teachers. No, he didn't say that. He's talking here about men that he recognizes are ministers of the gospel. Men that he recognizes are a part of the church. And yet he says about those men, something has happened in their life and in their ministry, where he makes this critique, that they're no longer seeking Christ's glory. they're seeking their own, that become self-centered in their ministry, that become consumed with themselves in ministry. He makes this very serious critique, that these ministers who were true ministers have fallen by the wayside in terms of the motivation of their ministry. Now, what could he be criticizing here? Well, notice it says, for all seek their own. We could actually translate that with the Greek word seek there, for all continually seek their own. They're consumed with themselves. And again, these were the men in verse number 15 of chapter one who were preaching out of selfish ambition. But it leaves the question, how can a minister seek his own? Well, first of all, a minister can become consumed with the position of being a minister. In 3 John 1, 3 John 1, in the verse number nine, it says, I wrote unto the church, but diatrophies, who loveth to have the preeminence among them, receiveth us not." Who is Deotrephes? He was a minister in the church that John here was writing to. Wherefore, if I come, I will remember his deeds which he doeth, pratting against us with malicious words, and not content therewith, neither doth he himself receive the brethren, and forbideth them that would, and casteth them out of the church. And so here is a minister, and he was called to minister, he was called to serve, but what had happened? He'd become consumed with the position of the minister, and not actually the role that the ministry requires him to fulfill. And so he was running the church, and he was seeking the preeminence in the church, he was seeking to lord over that church, and so on. He loved the fact that he had the position. He loved the fact that he had the preeminence. He loved the fact that he had the prefix to his name, pastor, reverend, or so on, minister. He loved the position that it had. Why is it that men often can love that position? Well, the position does come with double honor, as Paul would again write to Timothy about. It does come with an honor of ministering the Word. And so, some may look at that and say, well, I get to communicate all the time, or I get to chair meetings all the time, or I have a sense of prominence in that church, I'm recognized as the minister of that congregation, I want that position. failing to remember that the position is a position of service, not just a title. But then also, a minister can seek after his own in terms of power, in terms of power. In 1 Timothy 5, or 1 Peter, sorry, 5, and the verse number 3, Paul writes there, and we'll read just for verse 2 for context, Notice the word Lord there. The minister forms a part of the church court. He forms a part of the eldership of the church. They make decisions over the spiritual working out of the congregation. There is an element of power that comes with that. In the decisions that they make, they carry weight, they carry authority, and so on. But Paul is warning here, do not take up that place. Do not take up that position merely for the power that you want. And there's men in their power hungry. And they want the position of a pastor because they want the power that they think that the office comes with. Again, that power is not a power to say, you do this and you do that. The only authority in the church is the Word of God. But the eldership have the power to say to people, you must conform yourself to the Word of God. They have the power of discipline when people abide in unrepentant sin to say, you're not coming to communion. You're not allowed to participate in prayer. They have the power to welcome repentant sinners back in. They have the power to baptize or say, no, you're not going to be baptized. But again, it is a power that is regulated by the authority of the word. But there's men and they look at the position and they see something of the power and there rises up within them an interest in having that power. Paul says, no, not as lords over the flock. Not as lords over God's flock, but being an example. And here, he's bringing them back. Not to the position, not to the power, but he's bringing them back to the requirements that the ministry places upon them. That you're to be an example, as Paul would write to Timothy, of holiness and ungodliness to the congregation. You're actually to live out the scriptures in front of them. You're to feed the flock of God. You're not to do it for filthy looker, for money's sake, but you're to do it with a ready mind, realizing that you do it for Christ. The third reason why men would take up the position of ministry is for personal prosperity. Read there 1 Peter 5 verse 2, not for filthy looker. And there is an element to which ministry, especially in days gone by, would furnish a minister very well. It's very interesting whenever you read the biography or the story of Thomas Chalmers, he was a Scottish minister and who was the founder really of the Free Church of Scotland that had a massive impact upon the world. But you read about him, how he entered into ministry as an unconverted man. And his desire for ministry was because the ministry essentially would furnish him materially, it would give him a manse, it would give him a salary, and it would also allow him to pursue his own interests in study of economics and other different aspects. And so he took up the ministry because of the position, because of the personal prosperity, and because of those interests that he had. Again, failing to recognize that churches in the past gave a minister a manse, they gave a minister a pension, they gave him a salary, so that that minister in his entirety, 100%, could give himself to the ministry. Not to simply lavish him, that he might for filthy looker take up the office, but that he then with even greater freedom might serve, not being encumbered about by earthly things. That was the reason. And yet, as you read Thomas Chalmers, you're reading about the mindset that many ministers have had down through the years. Well, if I get into this, you know, people will respect me. I'll have a position within society. When something happens, the papers will come and ask me for my opinion. I'll be paid the fair salary of the area that I'm in. I'll receive a mansion, a pension, and so on. And all of these things can furnish me, and yet they're only doing it for filthy looker. They're doing it for personal prosperity. Paul rebukes them for such a thing. What an awful thing to be a minister and have lost your way. To be a minister only for the position, to be a minister only for the power, to be a minister only for prosperity. May the Lord help us to pray that all of our ministers would be spared from such an attitude. that we would have young men in our seminary that would say to themselves, well, you know, God's going to call me to this little, small, tiny church. They'll not pay me a full salary and so on. Who cares? I just want to go. I know I'm called there. Would God give us such men? Would God give us ministers who are, again, even though they have all of these things, that they would realize that the purpose is to be 100% devoted to the ministry? that would not use the power that they have to lord over the congregation, but would realize their power is regulated by the word. Paul makes this critique. What a very, very sad critique. Again, I emphasize the critique. He's not critiquing false teachers. He's critiquing ministers of the gospel. And it is possible for ministers of the gospel to fall into such a sad state of affairs. What ought we to do as we think about this? You ought to pray. You ought to pray earnestly for me, your minister, for other ministers in our denomination, for ministers as a whole, that God would spare them from ever taking the gear from the highest gear in ministry and simply shifting into neutral. That God would spare us from being overcome by the lusts and the sinful tendencies that there are in every man's heart. And that God would give us such a motive that we would not seek our own, but only the things that are Christ's. Finally, Paul's confidence in Timothy. Having critiqued the other ministers, Paul now lists several qualities. Some he lists directly about Timothy, others are implied because of the critique that he gave about these false teachers, and we're just going to go through these five very briefly. First of all, he says, and he commends Timothy, he is the highest degree of confidence in Timothy as a minister and servant of the gospel because he is like-minded. Verse 20, for I have no man like-minded. The implication is, Timothy is like-minded to me. One commentator said that the goal of discipleship is reproduction. The Lord Jesus Christ said in Matthew 10, verse 25, it is enough for the servant to be like his master. In other words, if the servant that you're training turns out like the one who was training him, that is a good thing. And Paul had trained Timothy, and Timothy had embraced all of that teaching and all of that training. Now, he obviously was his own man. He obviously would do certain aspects his own way. But Paul knew that when he sent Timothy to these places, that Timothy would not try and reinvent the wheel. but he would do so as he had learned from Paul, that he also would emulate that kindred spirit with Paul, that he would deal with the people in a similar manner as he, that he would not be too heavy-handed with the people, nor would he be too slack with the people. Timothy was a man who was like-minded. There is wonderful work that can be done. when ministers of the gospel have a like-mindedness, and when they strive for a like-mindedness. Secondly, he was also burdened. And this is where we see in Timothy's life the care that Paul himself had also emulated. Notice it says there in the verse number 20, for I have no man like-minded who will naturally care. That word naturally could be translated as genuinely care, who will genuinely care for your state. That word care there is a very interesting word. It's used by the Lord Jesus Christ several times to speak of anxiety, to speak of an anxiousness, to speak of a worry of mind. And when used in the negative sense, the Lord Jesus Christ is saying, don't be like this way. When it comes to earthly things, the Christian is not to be anxious. And yet here we see that Paul is commending Timothy because he's anxious over the work of God, that he is such a burden and a genuine care for them that it is going right to the point of giving him anxiety dealing. Just like Paul, the care of all the churches was upon him. John Gill said concerning that the work of a faithful gospel minister is a work of care. One of his characteristics is that he cares for the Church of God, and though anxious care in worldly things is forbidden, yet in the affairs of Christ's house, it is highly commendable, and especially when it is natural or genuine and sincere, as Timothy's was. Oh, that God would give us all a care, a burden, for the work of God, the church of Christ. But he also was a young man who was prioritized. In verse number 21, for all seek their own, not the things which are Jesus Christ. The implication being, Timothy is a man sold out to God, not seeking his own, he is fully seeking Christ. Oh, that we would have our priorities life. that our entire life, no matter what we do, whether we eat, whether we drink, whether we sleep, whether we work, wherever we go, that it would all be done for the glory of Jesus Christ alone, that that glory would consume us, that it would be completely overcoming us, that I must do this for His glory, even if it means self-sacrifice, even if it means me putting myself out, that it would be done, my life would be for the glory of God. He was a young man who was also proved. Verse 22, but ye know the proof of him, that as a son with the father he has served with me in the gospel. The proof of him, it means to prove after testing. This was a man who was not a novice. Although he was young, yes, yet he had much spiritual experience within the church of the Lord Jesus Christ. And he had proven himself with Paul. He had proven his character in his own congregation, Acts 16 verse 2. He had proven his willingness and commitment to go and to serve. Paul says of him that he is our fellow servant. In verse 1 of Philippians chapter 1, Paul and Timotheus, the servants of Jesus Christ, Paul would call him his fellow soldier. So here's a young man, he is willing and he's committed and he is serving and serving and serving. He's also submissive. He's submissive. He's called to be a pastor and a minister and yet to the elder authority in his life to Paul, he is submissive because Paul would say there, as a son with the father, he has served with me in the gospel. That idea of serving there, that word serving, it carries with it the idea of submission, that of a servant. And so Timothy isn't saying, well, Paul, you're not gonna tell me what to do. Do you not realize what position and place I have now in the church and so on? No, he recognized the authority, the apostolic authority of Paul, and he submitted himself to it. And again, he fits in at the end of this chapter perfectly as a humble minister of Christ. that God had exalted to be a minister because he was humble. Because he was humble. Lastly, he was dependable. He was dependable. Him, therefore, I hope to send presently so soon as I shall see how it will go with me. I'm going to send Timothy very soon. And Timothy was willing. Now when you read through the life of Timothy, you'll realize that Paul used him a lot. Acts 17, he stayed at Berea. Acts 19, he was sent to Macedonia. He was sent to various other churches, such as the church in Corinthians and so on, or the church in Corinth. And here now in Philippi, and he was just a dependable servant of God. You know, in conclusion this morning, What do we draw from this? Not just the type of servants that you and I are to be in the church, like-minded, getting on board with the ethos, with the idea, with the procedures, with the spirituality of our congregation. Not just burdened, having a genuine care for the church of God. Not just prioritized. but proved as well that we would realize that it takes time to prove, even ourselves in ministry, that we would be dependable. But we take from this as well that this is what we ought to pray for, for our ministers. This is what we ought to pray for, even for one another, that the Lord would help us to model these things, that the Lord would help us to emulate these things. Let me encourage you. incorporate prayer for ministers into your family worship. As your families are gathered together, as they gather together at whatever time that you have picked as a family, that you would incorporate every day prayer for your minister, for me, and for other ministers as well, into your family worship. That the Lord would keep our ministers, that the Lord would improve our ministers, And the Lord would even bless the ministry that they have in our churches. And the Lord bless His word.