1 00:00:00,080 --> 00:00:02,800 One day when I was a surf instructor, there was an old 2 00:00:02,800 --> 00:00:06,040 lady who fell down at the beach right where the water meets the 3 00:00:06,040 --> 00:00:09,760 sand. And I sat there waiting for my 4 00:00:09,760 --> 00:00:14,000 next lesson, essentially just watching everybody walk past her 5 00:00:14,000 --> 00:00:16,440 as she like tumbled around and the waves. 6 00:00:16,440 --> 00:00:19,800 And we actually had a group of lifeguards like come to our part 7 00:00:19,800 --> 00:00:22,720 of the beach and say, hey, guys, like there's no lifeguard within 8 00:00:22,720 --> 00:00:25,600 a mile of this place. So we need you guys. 9 00:00:25,600 --> 00:00:27,680 I know you're surf instructors, but we need you guys to like 10 00:00:27,680 --> 00:00:30,560 watch this beach because stuff happens. 11 00:00:30,560 --> 00:00:31,800 And that's exactly what happened. 12 00:00:31,800 --> 00:00:33,600 She was just tumbling. She couldn't get up. 13 00:00:33,920 --> 00:00:37,080 And I just remember thinking why is no one helping her? 14 00:00:37,560 --> 00:00:40,600 And then me and my Co worker ran down and and picked her up and 15 00:00:40,600 --> 00:00:43,840 got her to safety. In today's text Philippians 16 00:00:43,840 --> 00:00:47,760 chapter 2 and our stress less series, we see that Paul is in a 17 00:00:47,760 --> 00:00:50,920 predicament where he's on house arrest and he has nobody that he 18 00:00:50,920 --> 00:00:55,520 can send to check on the Philippians from Rome except 19 00:00:55,520 --> 00:00:57,880 Timothy. And so today's message is called 20 00:00:58,400 --> 00:01:00,240 be like Timothy. We want to be people who are 21 00:01:00,240 --> 00:01:02,440 like the type of man that Timothy was. 22 00:01:02,720 --> 00:01:04,640 And so we're going to do that. Look, Ilan is going to read our 23 00:01:04,640 --> 00:01:06,680 verses. She usually does the intro, as 24 00:01:06,680 --> 00:01:10,320 you know, here at Amon podcast, but she's holding the baby and 25 00:01:10,320 --> 00:01:13,080 nursing right now. So first, I mean, first 26 00:01:13,080 --> 00:01:14,360 Philippians, there's only one Philippians. 27 00:01:14,520 --> 00:01:17,200 Philippians, Chapter 219 through 24. 28 00:01:17,360 --> 00:01:21,920 I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, so that I 29 00:01:21,920 --> 00:01:26,440 too may be cheered by news of you, for I have no one like him 30 00:01:26,440 --> 00:01:30,240 who will genuinely who will be genuinely concerned for your 31 00:01:30,240 --> 00:01:31,880 welfare. For they all. 32 00:01:31,880 --> 00:01:35,000 Seek their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ. 33 00:01:35,400 --> 00:01:38,960 But you know Timothy's proven worth how as a son with a 34 00:01:38,960 --> 00:01:42,080 Father, he has served with me in the Gospel. 35 00:01:42,640 --> 00:01:47,160 I hope therefore to send him just as soon as I see how it 36 00:01:47,160 --> 00:01:50,160 will go with me. And I trust in the Lord that 37 00:01:50,160 --> 00:01:54,200 shortly I myself will come also. Amen. 38 00:01:54,200 --> 00:01:58,240 And ironically, this is like a perfect text for today because 39 00:01:58,920 --> 00:02:02,360 our Timothy just saved the day once again. 40 00:02:03,080 --> 00:02:06,200 We showed up here to this beautiful spot without a camera 41 00:02:06,200 --> 00:02:09,000 battery, got all the other equipment and we thought who 42 00:02:09,000 --> 00:02:12,440 could we call? Who could God send to help us? 43 00:02:12,760 --> 00:02:16,080 And it was my good friend Sage and he has definitely been like 44 00:02:16,080 --> 00:02:20,440 a Timothy for our ministry. Day one, you know, of day one of 45 00:02:20,440 --> 00:02:23,600 even podcast, day one of House church and so really grateful 46 00:02:23,600 --> 00:02:26,000 for him. And a person like Timothy 47 00:02:26,000 --> 00:02:28,960 doesn't always come around. And today's text, we're going to 48 00:02:28,960 --> 00:02:32,720 see why it was so hard to find a person like Timothy and back in 49 00:02:32,720 --> 00:02:36,000 Paul's day and why it's still hard today and how we can be a 50 00:02:36,000 --> 00:02:40,440 person like Timothy. So look at verses 19 and 20. 51 00:02:40,680 --> 00:02:43,560 It says, I hope in the Lord to send Timothy to you soon so that 52 00:02:43,560 --> 00:02:46,760 I may be cheered by news of you for I have no one like him who 53 00:02:46,760 --> 00:02:49,800 will genuinely be concerned for your welfare. 54 00:02:49,800 --> 00:02:53,560 So Timothy had a lot of joy because Timothy was a man that 55 00:02:53,560 --> 00:02:56,520 God could use, a man after God's own heart, just like David. 56 00:02:56,960 --> 00:03:00,760 And he was a man that was mentioned 24 times within Paul's 57 00:03:00,760 --> 00:03:02,960 letters. As you know, most of the New 58 00:03:02,960 --> 00:03:06,240 Testament is Paul's letters. So I want you to think about the 59 00:03:06,240 --> 00:03:11,440 fact that Paul wrote a letter to Timothy and the the people, the 60 00:03:11,440 --> 00:03:14,280 early Christians and the church fathers for thousands of years 61 00:03:14,280 --> 00:03:18,640 or hundreds of years at the time, thought that letter was so 62 00:03:18,640 --> 00:03:20,080 valuable. We're going to make it a part of 63 00:03:20,080 --> 00:03:21,600 the Bible. Isn't that crazy? 64 00:03:21,600 --> 00:03:25,120 Like what Paul wrote in this personal letter to Timothy was 65 00:03:25,120 --> 00:03:27,080 so good. We made it a part of the Canon 66 00:03:27,080 --> 00:03:28,880 of Scripture. And there certainly is some 67 00:03:28,880 --> 00:03:30,480 Nuggets there. And I hope one day we can go 68 00:03:30,480 --> 00:03:34,160 through Timothy on the podcast. But let's look at these two 69 00:03:34,160 --> 00:03:36,200 verses. The need to be like Timothy. 70 00:03:36,200 --> 00:03:39,040 So we need to be like Timothy because Timothy comes into 71 00:03:39,040 --> 00:03:42,840 Paul's life when Paul goes to Derba and Lystra and plants a 72 00:03:42,840 --> 00:03:46,200 church and he doesn't just take Timothy as a boy on his 73 00:03:46,200 --> 00:03:48,840 missionary journeys, right? At first, right. 74 00:03:48,960 --> 00:03:52,880 It's not until Acts chapter 16, verse 2 where we hear that the 75 00:03:52,880 --> 00:03:57,400 brethren had spoken very highly of Timothy or he was well 76 00:03:57,400 --> 00:04:01,520 reported of by the brethren, as it says in Acts chapter 16, 77 00:04:01,520 --> 00:04:04,400 verse 2, that there was something remarkable about this 78 00:04:04,400 --> 00:04:07,440 young man. And what we know about Timothy 79 00:04:07,440 --> 00:04:11,480 is he, as we read the book of Timothy, he had no father in his 80 00:04:11,480 --> 00:04:15,400 life. He had a he had a, a Jewish mom, 81 00:04:15,400 --> 00:04:18,880 but a Gentile father. And he stepped away from God or 82 00:04:18,880 --> 00:04:20,680 he just, you know, walked away from the family. 83 00:04:20,920 --> 00:04:24,640 And so it says in second Timothy chapter 4 that it was Timothy's 84 00:04:24,640 --> 00:04:27,840 mom and grandma that raised Timothy in the faith. 85 00:04:27,880 --> 00:04:32,080 And so that is where he comes in contact with with Paul and then 86 00:04:32,080 --> 00:04:33,960 later joins his missionary journeys. 87 00:04:34,200 --> 00:04:40,520 And and Second Timothy chapter 1, verses 3 to 5, we see that it 88 00:04:40,520 --> 00:04:43,480 was yeah, it was his mom that led him to the Lord and raise 89 00:04:43,480 --> 00:04:45,840 him up in the faith. But something is different about 90 00:04:45,840 --> 00:04:49,520 Timothy that Paul would say there is no one like him in my 91 00:04:49,520 --> 00:04:52,920 life, that I can't find anybody within the Roman context. 92 00:04:52,920 --> 00:04:54,520 And there was lots of Christians there. 93 00:04:54,800 --> 00:05:01,160 Over 26 people are named from the Roman Christian Church in 94 00:05:01,240 --> 00:05:05,680 Romans chapter 16, but none of them were genuinely concerned 95 00:05:05,840 --> 00:05:08,560 for the Philippian church the way that Timothy was. 96 00:05:08,560 --> 00:05:10,920 And so of all people, Paul sends Timothy. 97 00:05:10,920 --> 00:05:13,680 So we want to be a person like this, certainly a person that 98 00:05:13,680 --> 00:05:17,080 God can use, certainly a person that the the spiritual leaders 99 00:05:17,080 --> 00:05:19,880 in our life speak highly of, that the leaders of our church 100 00:05:20,480 --> 00:05:23,720 will give good report about us. Like this is the type of people 101 00:05:23,720 --> 00:05:27,000 we want to be. Also the joy of being able to do 102 00:05:27,000 --> 00:05:31,160 ministry, the joy of God calling you to be a person to share the 103 00:05:31,160 --> 00:05:33,400 gospel or to be genuinely concerned with others. 104 00:05:33,960 --> 00:05:38,360 There's a joy that comes from serving Christ that only people 105 00:05:38,360 --> 00:05:40,320 like Timothy know, and we want a piece of that. 106 00:05:40,560 --> 00:05:43,000 Why aren't we like Timothy? I'm glad you asked. 107 00:05:43,000 --> 00:05:45,680 Look at verse 21. It says for they all seek their 108 00:05:45,680 --> 00:05:48,560 own interests, not those of Jesus Christ. 109 00:05:48,560 --> 00:05:52,280 So there's an interest of Christ and there's our own interests. 110 00:05:53,040 --> 00:05:54,800 The word here seek, it means to worship. 111 00:05:55,080 --> 00:06:00,000 It's the same word that Jesus used when he said seek first the 112 00:06:00,000 --> 00:06:02,880 Kingdom and all these things will be added unto you. 113 00:06:02,880 --> 00:06:05,680 Seek first the Kingdom and his righteousness. 114 00:06:05,920 --> 00:06:10,000 Or he also says, and he says that in Matthew chapter 633, but 115 00:06:10,000 --> 00:06:13,560 also in Matthew Chapter 7 verse seven, He says if you seek you 116 00:06:13,560 --> 00:06:15,960 will find. It's a word that also for the 117 00:06:15,960 --> 00:06:20,600 Jewish person meant worship. If what you worship, you'll 118 00:06:20,600 --> 00:06:25,760 find, if you worship his righteousness, His you seek 119 00:06:25,760 --> 00:06:28,600 first His Kingdom, you will find it, and all these things will be 120 00:06:28,600 --> 00:06:31,880 added unto you. So he says, the people around 121 00:06:31,880 --> 00:06:34,600 me, they're growing in the Lord, but at this point in time they 122 00:06:34,600 --> 00:06:37,800 are seeking their own interests. Is that you? 123 00:06:37,800 --> 00:06:39,320 Are you worshipping your own interests? 124 00:06:39,320 --> 00:06:40,720 Are you seeking your own interests? 125 00:06:40,920 --> 00:06:44,120 If that is you, then you are not like Timothy, because Timothy 126 00:06:44,120 --> 00:06:46,840 was seeking the Kingdom. He was seeking the interests of 127 00:06:46,840 --> 00:06:48,960 others. And that's what we see in verse 128 00:06:48,960 --> 00:06:51,960 21. So how do we become like that? 129 00:06:51,960 --> 00:06:53,560 How do we stop seeking our own interests? 130 00:06:53,920 --> 00:06:58,640 Look at the solution in verses 22 through 24, it says, but you 131 00:06:58,640 --> 00:07:01,960 know, Timothy's proven worth now as a son of the Father. 132 00:07:01,960 --> 00:07:05,320 He has served me, serve with me in the gospel. 133 00:07:05,840 --> 00:07:09,760 And I hope therefore, to send him just as soon as I see how 134 00:07:09,760 --> 00:07:12,000 it'll go with me. And I trust in the Lord that 135 00:07:12,000 --> 00:07:16,160 shortly I myself will come also. So there's three things we see 136 00:07:16,160 --> 00:07:19,160 here. We #1 see, he's like a son. 137 00:07:19,800 --> 00:07:21,200 He says, Timothy's like a son to me. 138 00:07:21,200 --> 00:07:25,680 And what does that mean? That means three things #1 Paul 139 00:07:25,680 --> 00:07:28,240 didn't bring him on as a missionary or as a spiritual 140 00:07:28,240 --> 00:07:32,680 leader too soon, right? That's something that he says in 141 00:07:33,600 --> 00:07:35,720 First Timothy chapter 3, six through 7. 142 00:07:36,000 --> 00:07:39,160 Paul says to Timothy, hey, as a young pastor, don't put anybody 143 00:07:39,200 --> 00:07:42,160 in the pulpit to sin. Don't put anybody in a position 144 00:07:42,160 --> 00:07:45,000 of leadership too soon because they won't be able to keep up 145 00:07:45,000 --> 00:07:47,360 with it. There's a story that I read in 146 00:07:47,360 --> 00:07:51,280 Warren Rigsby's commentary and the story goes, there's a man 147 00:07:51,280 --> 00:07:54,400 who was a club owner, he's very popular club owner and he opens 148 00:07:54,400 --> 00:07:55,800 up this club and it's doing well. 149 00:07:55,800 --> 00:07:58,280 He gets well known and then he gets saved and he goes to a 150 00:07:58,280 --> 00:08:00,600 pastor and he says, pastor, I'm saved. 151 00:08:00,600 --> 00:08:02,560 Now I don't want to do these things anymore. 152 00:08:02,920 --> 00:08:05,280 I need to be doing ministry. So where do where do you want to 153 00:08:05,280 --> 00:08:06,720 put me? Where can I serve God? 154 00:08:07,200 --> 00:08:09,520 And the pastor said, I think you just need to serve your local 155 00:08:09,520 --> 00:08:13,560 churches, learn about God, learn your Bible, sit in the pews and, 156 00:08:13,560 --> 00:08:15,200 and just be fed on the word of God. 157 00:08:15,600 --> 00:08:17,320 And the club owner was like, no, you don't get it. 158 00:08:17,320 --> 00:08:19,680 You know, I, you know, I'm ready, like I'm popular, I'm 159 00:08:19,680 --> 00:08:22,720 well known, I'm passionate. I got all this power, all this 160 00:08:22,720 --> 00:08:25,840 accolades, like you need to put me in a place where I can win 161 00:08:25,840 --> 00:08:28,600 souls for the Kingdom And the pastor's like I, I love your 162 00:08:28,600 --> 00:08:32,200 enthusiasm, but I need you just to sit in the Pew for now and 163 00:08:32,200 --> 00:08:34,280 and get to know your word, get to know Jesus more. 164 00:08:34,480 --> 00:08:37,640 Serve your church. The young club owner didn't 165 00:08:37,640 --> 00:08:41,000 listen and he starts doing ministry, but he crumbles under 166 00:08:41,000 --> 00:08:44,200 the pressure of ministry, under the cost of discipleship and he 167 00:08:44,320 --> 00:08:49,240 he ruins his life. The pastor said that his roots 168 00:08:49,320 --> 00:08:52,160 didn't go as deep as his branches went as far. 169 00:08:52,920 --> 00:08:56,600 That is us. We have to be careful not to put 170 00:08:56,600 --> 00:08:59,560 people in positions of leadership too soon or to give 171 00:08:59,560 --> 00:09:02,160 them a platform too soon, because they can end up crushing 172 00:09:02,160 --> 00:09:04,720 them under the weight of the burden of of leadership. 173 00:09:06,480 --> 00:09:09,760 Paul certainly didn't do that to Timothy when he met him in Durba 174 00:09:09,760 --> 00:09:12,280 and Lystra. He certainly didn't advise 175 00:09:12,440 --> 00:09:13,840 Timothy to do the same in his own church. 176 00:09:13,840 --> 00:09:19,280 So also being like a son to Paul meant that he was trained and 177 00:09:19,400 --> 00:09:21,720 first Timothy chapter 310 through 17. 178 00:09:21,720 --> 00:09:25,800 Paul is like, listen, as you see me, do you do those things? 179 00:09:26,080 --> 00:09:29,600 Train yourself by following the way that I'm following Christ. 180 00:09:29,880 --> 00:09:32,920 This is discipleship. This is your Timothy's in your 181 00:09:32,920 --> 00:09:34,360 life. They are the people that walk 182 00:09:34,360 --> 00:09:36,280 behind you. Watch your life closely and say 183 00:09:36,520 --> 00:09:39,760 I'm going to live like you. I'm not to your own horn, but 184 00:09:39,880 --> 00:09:41,840 this is in a position of leadership at House church. 185 00:09:41,960 --> 00:09:45,640 Has happened to us that mostly everyone at House Church that's 186 00:09:45,640 --> 00:09:47,240 married has a date day. Now. 187 00:09:47,440 --> 00:09:49,280 That wasn't something that we were trying to implement in 188 00:09:49,280 --> 00:09:51,760 their life. It just we just did that and 189 00:09:51,760 --> 00:09:54,160 then everyone wants to do that now and it's so beautiful. 190 00:09:54,320 --> 00:09:57,160 That's the type of stuff like follow me as I follow Christ. 191 00:09:57,360 --> 00:09:59,720 Who are you training under? It could be us. 192 00:09:59,720 --> 00:10:02,680 You know, we're training under my parents who are ministry 193 00:10:02,680 --> 00:10:05,240 leaders. We're training other other 194 00:10:05,280 --> 00:10:08,800 uncles and aunties in our life. We're trained under Lokelani's 195 00:10:08,800 --> 00:10:12,160 parents as we learn from what works in their marriage as well. 196 00:10:12,360 --> 00:10:15,240 Who are the people that you are following under, following 197 00:10:15,240 --> 00:10:19,240 behind training under? You cannot be like Timothy if 198 00:10:19,240 --> 00:10:21,800 you're not trained very, very important. 199 00:10:22,040 --> 00:10:25,840 But lastly, trusting. Are you a person that trusts? 200 00:10:25,840 --> 00:10:30,400 Because Timothy was certainly an amazing man, but simply he was 201 00:10:30,400 --> 00:10:33,040 just a man of faith. He was a man that trusted God. 202 00:10:33,320 --> 00:10:36,080 A lot of us follow Jesus, but we don't trust Jesus. 203 00:10:36,480 --> 00:10:39,200 If you look at the last two verses of our text today, it 204 00:10:39,200 --> 00:10:44,080 says verse 23 and 24 that I hope therefore to send him as soon as 205 00:10:44,080 --> 00:10:46,840 I see how it'll go with me, and I trust in the Lord that I 206 00:10:46,840 --> 00:10:48,200 shortly will go with him. Also. 207 00:10:49,640 --> 00:10:52,160 Faith is not knowing how everything will go, but it's 208 00:10:52,160 --> 00:10:54,960 still going. Faith is not having the full 209 00:10:54,960 --> 00:11:00,080 picture but still trusting. What we see about Christ is he 210 00:11:00,080 --> 00:11:03,360 goes to the cross for us before we even knew him. 211 00:11:04,640 --> 00:11:08,200 For his disciples in the 1st century, Jesus goes to the cross 212 00:11:08,200 --> 00:11:12,320 before they even fully knew him. He lays down his life. 213 00:11:12,720 --> 00:11:15,560 Faith is trusting Christ even if you don't know the full picture. 214 00:11:15,840 --> 00:11:18,880 That is what Paul is saying. Paul is saying me and Timothy 215 00:11:19,200 --> 00:11:22,280 have become the type of people who walk in the ways of the 216 00:11:22,280 --> 00:11:24,440 Lord, even if we don't see the full picture of what's 217 00:11:24,440 --> 00:11:26,640 happening. Paul was like, listen, I want to 218 00:11:26,640 --> 00:11:30,640 send Timothy to the Philippians to help you guys out, even 219 00:11:30,640 --> 00:11:32,320 though I don't know how it's going to go with me. 220 00:11:32,320 --> 00:11:34,640 I may not ever get out of house arrest. 221 00:11:34,880 --> 00:11:38,440 I may not ever see the light of day, you know, after this. 222 00:11:38,440 --> 00:11:40,600 I may not make it another year. I may be killed. 223 00:11:40,880 --> 00:11:44,320 But my point is I'm still trusting that God is going to 224 00:11:44,320 --> 00:11:48,000 answer prayers, that God is going to be to you what I know 225 00:11:48,000 --> 00:11:50,120 He has been to me. That is faith. 226 00:11:50,160 --> 00:11:53,000 That's life of a Christian. And because Timothy was Paul's 227 00:11:53,000 --> 00:11:56,640 son of the ministry, this is how Timothy lived. 228 00:11:56,880 --> 00:11:59,880 He was simply a man that trusted God. 229 00:12:00,120 --> 00:12:02,320 What it means to be a Christian is, do you trust God? 230 00:12:02,560 --> 00:12:04,400 That's why we never graduate from the gospel. 231 00:12:04,440 --> 00:12:07,280 If we're going to be people who don't live by stress, who don't 232 00:12:07,280 --> 00:12:10,800 live riddled by by worry, we got to be people who trust Jesus. 233 00:12:10,960 --> 00:12:13,720 When we go to the cross, what we see is we have every reason to 234 00:12:13,720 --> 00:12:15,880 trust in him. We have every to trust in him, 235 00:12:15,880 --> 00:12:19,360 in every single do you need a husband? 236 00:12:19,880 --> 00:12:22,080 Do you need a wife? Do you need a job? 237 00:12:22,480 --> 00:12:25,720 Do you need housing? Do you need guidance All of that 238 00:12:25,720 --> 00:12:29,200 is proven that God will give that to you if that is what's 239 00:12:29,200 --> 00:12:33,480 best for you at the cross. It's the cross shows us we can 240 00:12:33,480 --> 00:12:37,240 trust him If you really see what he's done for us at the cross 241 00:12:37,240 --> 00:12:39,440 and you really become a person like Timothy, a person like 242 00:12:39,440 --> 00:12:41,840 Paul. Timothy was a man that just 243 00:12:41,840 --> 00:12:45,880 walked by faith. And so how do we not put 244 00:12:45,880 --> 00:12:47,640 ourselves in a position of leadership too soon? 245 00:12:47,840 --> 00:12:50,280 How do we be trained up in the way of the Lord? 246 00:12:50,520 --> 00:12:53,720 How do we trust God even if we don't know the full picture? 247 00:12:53,920 --> 00:12:56,080 We keep bringing ourselves back to the gospel. 248 00:12:57,120 --> 00:12:59,840 If you know the gospel, you won't jump into leadership too 249 00:12:59,840 --> 00:13:02,640 soon because you know the cost of it. 250 00:13:03,360 --> 00:13:07,440 If you if you know the gospel, you will not bring somebody into 251 00:13:07,440 --> 00:13:09,760 a position of leadership too soon because you know the cost 252 00:13:09,760 --> 00:13:12,920 of it. If you know the gospel, you will 253 00:13:12,920 --> 00:13:19,000 see that until I become a person that is trusting him and walking 254 00:13:19,000 --> 00:13:22,760 behind him, no matter if I have the full picture or not, I'm not 255 00:13:22,760 --> 00:13:25,720 ready. And until the people around me 256 00:13:25,720 --> 00:13:28,360 that I'm training up until they get into that position where 257 00:13:28,360 --> 00:13:31,480 they, they start to make decisions based off of not 258 00:13:31,480 --> 00:13:33,640 having all the answers, not having all the money, not having 259 00:13:33,640 --> 00:13:36,200 all the the wisdom or all the guidance yet. 260 00:13:36,200 --> 00:13:39,080 But they still go anyway. They get out of the boat anyway, 261 00:13:39,480 --> 00:13:41,760 right? They're not foolish, but they 262 00:13:41,760 --> 00:13:45,200 get out of the boat anyway. They go anyway. 263 00:13:46,240 --> 00:13:48,360 That's how you know the person is trained and ready to go. 264 00:13:48,560 --> 00:13:53,400 But it lastly, look at the most intimate decisions in your life. 265 00:13:54,320 --> 00:13:56,640 The decisions that you make about money, the decisions you 266 00:13:56,640 --> 00:13:59,480 make about where to work, where to live, who to date. 267 00:13:59,680 --> 00:14:03,520 Look at those decisions. Are they biblical decisions? 268 00:14:03,880 --> 00:14:06,320 Are you generous? Are you dating someone that you 269 00:14:06,320 --> 00:14:11,560 know is lined up with Scripture? Look at those decisions, and if 270 00:14:11,560 --> 00:14:15,040 they're not biblical decisions, you're not truly trusting Jesus. 271 00:14:16,080 --> 00:14:18,560 You can trust Him. He laid. 272 00:14:18,560 --> 00:14:20,000 No one loves you more than Christ. 273 00:14:20,480 --> 00:14:23,240 There's no greater love. Let the cross be proof of that. 274 00:14:23,240 --> 00:14:26,480 You can trust Him. He rose from the dead, which 275 00:14:26,480 --> 00:14:28,480 means what? Not only can he trust Him, but 276 00:14:28,480 --> 00:14:33,800 everything that is good for you will come to life because Christ 277 00:14:33,800 --> 00:14:35,960 rose from the dead. Everything that is good for you, 278 00:14:35,960 --> 00:14:39,280 everything that is yours in Christ Jesus will be yours. 279 00:14:39,280 --> 00:14:43,480 So you're not going to have to trust God and then go without 280 00:14:43,600 --> 00:14:46,320 things that are good for you. No, because you rose from the 281 00:14:46,320 --> 00:14:48,920 dead. You trust a God who will 282 00:14:48,960 --> 00:14:53,760 absolutely, abundantly go far beyond what you can imagine and 283 00:14:53,760 --> 00:14:56,800 give you all things that you need in Christ because you rose 284 00:14:56,800 --> 00:14:57,760 from the dead. Amen. 285 00:14:59,000 --> 00:15:02,280 So the question would be, where do you need to trust Him more? 286 00:15:02,520 --> 00:15:03,720 Where do you need to trust him more? 287 00:15:03,840 --> 00:15:06,280 What is the decision of your life that you're not proud of or 288 00:15:06,280 --> 00:15:08,240 you know, that is not lined up with scripture, but you're just 289 00:15:08,240 --> 00:15:11,440 holding on to it because you feel like you need it and you 290 00:15:11,440 --> 00:15:12,920 don't trust that he can provide better. 291 00:15:13,600 --> 00:15:15,640 Hard question, but good question. 292 00:15:15,640 --> 00:15:18,000 Let's read about it in the comments and hear about it from 293 00:15:18,000 --> 00:15:20,520 Lokelani first and after the Amen. 294 00:15:20,680 --> 00:15:22,760 Father, we thank you for this opportunity to open up your word 295 00:15:22,760 --> 00:15:26,640 and to see how we can be like Timothy. 296 00:15:26,640 --> 00:15:29,400 We don't want to be people of our own interests, seeking our 297 00:15:29,400 --> 00:15:32,120 own interests, worshipping our own interests, but we want to be 298 00:15:32,120 --> 00:15:35,280 people who seek your Kingdom 1st and Your name we pray. 299 00:15:35,280 --> 00:15:36,920 Amen. Amen. 300 00:15:36,920 --> 00:15:38,280 This is the. Part of the episode. 301 00:15:38,280 --> 00:15:39,880 Called after that Amen. Where? 302 00:15:39,880 --> 00:15:42,000 We ask you a question to help you apply this message. 303 00:15:42,000 --> 00:15:45,440 To your life, our question today is. 304 00:15:46,160 --> 00:15:48,640 Where do you need? To trust God more? 305 00:15:48,640 --> 00:15:49,920 Where do you need to trust God more? 306 00:15:49,920 --> 00:15:51,720 Where in your life do you need to trust Him more? 307 00:15:52,480 --> 00:15:55,760 I'll answer first, as Alex said, and then it'll be your turn to 308 00:15:55,760 --> 00:15:59,080 respond. I think for me it's in 309 00:15:59,080 --> 00:16:04,240 relationships. We've just the last year or so, 310 00:16:04,880 --> 00:16:11,160 we've gone through a lot on land, not really online, but on 311 00:16:11,160 --> 00:16:14,480 land. And we've, I wouldn't say we've 312 00:16:14,480 --> 00:16:18,240 lost a lot of relationships, but there have been like a lot of 313 00:16:18,240 --> 00:16:22,720 people who have walked away from us or walked away from the faith 314 00:16:23,080 --> 00:16:26,200 or, you know, people that we were in friendship with, in 315 00:16:26,200 --> 00:16:29,760 relationship with people, we deeply cared about their souls. 316 00:16:31,360 --> 00:16:38,800 And that has been hard because I like that. 317 00:16:39,040 --> 00:16:41,640 It sounds like I'm Tooting my own heart, but I really love 318 00:16:41,640 --> 00:16:46,400 people and. Yeah, I think that. 319 00:16:46,960 --> 00:16:50,800 Both Alex and I really want what's the best for people. 320 00:16:50,800 --> 00:16:57,600 And basically because of all that, it can be hard to not have 321 00:16:57,600 --> 00:17:02,240 fear in the relationships that we currently have or to not be 322 00:17:02,240 --> 00:17:07,160 spinning around the what ifs in our mind with the people that we 323 00:17:07,160 --> 00:17:09,880 are pouring into and that we are doing life with. 324 00:17:09,880 --> 00:17:12,599 Like it can be very worrisome. Like, are they going to leave 325 00:17:12,599 --> 00:17:19,400 or, you know, I feel like I have to hold back because I don't 326 00:17:19,400 --> 00:17:22,280 know how like what's going to happen in this relationship. 327 00:17:22,319 --> 00:17:25,720 And so that's just definitely an area I need to trust him more 328 00:17:25,720 --> 00:17:28,800 in. And just remember the 329 00:17:28,800 --> 00:17:33,760 encouragement that like our relationship with Christ, like 330 00:17:35,000 --> 00:17:41,600 can always can and always will be solid as long as we continue 331 00:17:41,600 --> 00:17:47,120 to trust in him and he will never leave, He'll never forsake 332 00:17:47,120 --> 00:17:49,440 us. And even if we mess up, even if 333 00:17:49,440 --> 00:17:54,120 something is our mistake, a lot of people leaving, you know, it 334 00:17:55,200 --> 00:17:57,040 wasn't necessarily anything we did. 335 00:17:57,400 --> 00:18:00,600 And if there was something that need to be cleared up, like we 336 00:18:00,600 --> 00:18:04,840 have reached out the hand of friendship and done so. 337 00:18:04,920 --> 00:18:08,360 And the rest is. Up to the other person, but. 338 00:18:10,080 --> 00:18:14,440 Yeah, I think that let that be the comfort and he truly will 339 00:18:14,440 --> 00:18:17,040 bring the Timothy's in your life. 340 00:18:17,040 --> 00:18:20,040 And I think that we think we need a huge crowd to follow us 341 00:18:20,040 --> 00:18:22,560 at all times to know that we're doing God's will. 342 00:18:22,560 --> 00:18:25,720 Or we need a lot of people in our life who are encouraging and 343 00:18:25,720 --> 00:18:29,400 supporting us or even living and thinking the way that we do in 344 00:18:29,400 --> 00:18:33,440 order to be, to know that we're following Christ in the correct 345 00:18:33,440 --> 00:18:34,960 way. But that's not true. 346 00:18:34,960 --> 00:18:37,560 I mean, if you look. Through scripture we see. 347 00:18:37,560 --> 00:18:40,440 So many people walking away from Jesus, we see so many people 348 00:18:40,440 --> 00:18:45,520 opposing him even within, you know, Christianity, it wasn't 349 00:18:45,520 --> 00:18:49,160 called Christianity at the time, but even within the faith and 350 00:18:49,560 --> 00:18:52,880 opposing him. And but then we always see the 351 00:18:52,880 --> 00:18:55,640 faithful few, right? And so let that be an 352 00:18:55,640 --> 00:18:57,800 encouragement in your life. I'm going to let it be an 353 00:18:57,800 --> 00:19:03,040 encouragement in mine and I and so into those relationships, you 354 00:19:03,040 --> 00:19:07,080 know, like don't like I struggle with, like don't hold back in 355 00:19:07,080 --> 00:19:11,560 fear of losing these people because ultimately they're the 356 00:19:11,560 --> 00:19:15,200 Lords and God will always continue to supply the right 357 00:19:15,200 --> 00:19:19,000 relationships in your life as long as you are, you know, 358 00:19:20,280 --> 00:19:26,640 listening to his spirit, abiding in him, following him and just 359 00:19:26,640 --> 00:19:30,200 what a joy that we have. But even if you're in the season 360 00:19:30,200 --> 00:19:33,160 where you feel like I'm the only Christian right now, like in 361 00:19:33,160 --> 00:19:37,800 this season, I don't have church family around me yet, you know, 362 00:19:37,800 --> 00:19:41,840 or my parents aren't believers or my friends are opposing me. 363 00:19:43,560 --> 00:19:46,800 The our relationship with Christ, we always have access to 364 00:19:46,800 --> 00:19:52,080 it, The Holy Spirit and dwells within us and we always have 365 00:19:52,080 --> 00:19:54,720 access to that through his word, through prayer. 366 00:19:55,800 --> 00:20:00,080 And it really realigns everything in our life when we 367 00:20:00,360 --> 00:20:04,080 are going to the Father continuously as a friend. 368 00:20:05,840 --> 00:20:08,360 Yeah. Yeah, totally. 369 00:20:08,360 --> 00:20:12,040 You're definitely going to lose friends, lose relationships when 370 00:20:12,040 --> 00:20:14,240 you follow Christ. And it is something that you 371 00:20:14,240 --> 00:20:16,560 really have to trust that I'm doing the right thing because, 372 00:20:16,560 --> 00:20:19,800 yeah, when people leave your restaurant and never come back, 373 00:20:19,800 --> 00:20:22,840 you think I need to fix the menu or, you know, And so it's same 374 00:20:22,840 --> 00:20:25,240 with our own life. Like when people walk out of our 375 00:20:25,240 --> 00:20:27,880 lives, we think, OK, I need I need to do something better. 376 00:20:28,240 --> 00:20:29,960 And I mean, what if Christ thought that? 377 00:20:29,960 --> 00:20:32,320 Like Christ was human, is, is human? 378 00:20:32,760 --> 00:20:37,000 What if he thought everyone I'm that I'm friends with abandoned 379 00:20:37,000 --> 00:20:41,120 me when I took up this cross? So maybe I'll put the cross 380 00:20:41,120 --> 00:20:42,640 down. Maybe that's not what God wants 381 00:20:42,640 --> 00:20:45,400 from me. No, Christ knew the plan. 382 00:20:45,400 --> 00:20:48,240 He knew what the Father had called him to do because he is 383 00:20:48,240 --> 00:20:52,960 100% man, 100% God. And he walked alone up Golgotha. 384 00:20:53,320 --> 00:20:54,680 And I think we have to do the same. 385 00:20:54,680 --> 00:20:56,920 Like there's going to be times in your life where it's not 386 00:20:56,920 --> 00:20:58,680 doing something wrong that pushed people away. 387 00:20:58,680 --> 00:21:00,880 It's doing something right that pushed people away. 388 00:21:00,880 --> 00:21:05,560 And do not be surprised that the prettiest, most coolest, most 389 00:21:05,560 --> 00:21:10,200 spiritually on fire people might desert you when you really start 390 00:21:10,200 --> 00:21:12,960 living for Christ. And that doesn't mean you become 391 00:21:13,320 --> 00:21:15,680 offensive or you just become this person that's just like 392 00:21:15,680 --> 00:21:17,880 this like hardcore passionate Christian. 393 00:21:17,880 --> 00:21:20,720 That's just mean. It just means that when you put 394 00:21:20,880 --> 00:21:26,240 God first, you find that most people who act like they put God 395 00:21:26,240 --> 00:21:28,040 first, God is not really first in their life. 396 00:21:29,000 --> 00:21:30,720 And it can be decisions like, you know what? 397 00:21:31,000 --> 00:21:37,680 I am not going to, I'm not going to live a super fast-paced, busy 398 00:21:37,680 --> 00:21:39,120 life. I'm going to live a simple, slow 399 00:21:39,120 --> 00:21:44,760 life and put my church community in my in, in my family and the 400 00:21:44,760 --> 00:21:50,520 right priority in, in my life. Or I'm not going to chase clout. 401 00:21:50,520 --> 00:21:53,320 I'm not going to chase fame. I'm not going to chase money. 402 00:21:53,960 --> 00:21:56,480 You simply by doing that is going to convict the people 403 00:21:56,480 --> 00:21:59,960 around you because again, you're not seeking human interest, 404 00:21:59,960 --> 00:22:01,240 you're seeking the Kingdom of God. 405 00:22:01,560 --> 00:22:05,640 So that's what it comes down to. Like we said today Warren Whisby 406 00:22:05,640 --> 00:22:09,280 says you can live in Philippians chapter one verse 21 or you can 407 00:22:09,280 --> 00:22:11,880 live in Philippians chapter 2 verse 21. 408 00:22:12,240 --> 00:22:16,000 Verse 21 of chapter 1 is like to live is Christ to die is gain. 409 00:22:16,560 --> 00:22:20,840 Chapter 2 is to live as my own self interests and to die is not 410 00:22:20,840 --> 00:22:22,640 to be able to get those interests anymore. 411 00:22:23,200 --> 00:22:28,640 And Philippians chapter 221 says seek first the Kingdom. 412 00:22:29,040 --> 00:22:31,200 It says don't seek your own interests, seek the Kingdom. 413 00:22:31,480 --> 00:22:32,840 That's a person that God can use. 414 00:22:32,840 --> 00:22:37,080 And so as you look at your life, the more you you put away human 415 00:22:37,080 --> 00:22:39,520 interests and you seek God's interests. 416 00:22:39,520 --> 00:22:42,760 You seek the interests of Christ, which is what to know 417 00:22:42,760 --> 00:22:46,480 God and to make him known to why did God save us? 418 00:22:46,640 --> 00:22:51,600 It says in Ephesians that we might be holy before him and 419 00:22:51,600 --> 00:22:54,720 adopted as children. When you that the number one 420 00:22:54,720 --> 00:22:58,200 interest in your life is that I may live wholly again. 421 00:22:58,240 --> 00:23:01,440 That's not about living a perfect, clean, cookie cutter 422 00:23:01,440 --> 00:23:03,200 life. It's about being set apart. 423 00:23:03,320 --> 00:23:05,840 Certainly it's about living a clean, pure life, being 424 00:23:06,520 --> 00:23:10,000 separated from the world. But it's about being set apart 425 00:23:10,480 --> 00:23:12,760 that I don't live the way the world lives. 426 00:23:12,840 --> 00:23:15,120 I don't let my life looks different. 427 00:23:15,120 --> 00:23:17,520 Can people say that about you? Not just because you wear 428 00:23:17,520 --> 00:23:19,640 Christian clothes, not because you listen to Christian music 429 00:23:19,640 --> 00:23:22,200 that is different, but everyone wears clothes. 430 00:23:22,320 --> 00:23:24,440 Everyone listens to music of some sort. 431 00:23:24,680 --> 00:23:27,280 But are you truly living set apart? 432 00:23:27,600 --> 00:23:29,560 That's what that's the reason why God saved you. 433 00:23:29,720 --> 00:23:31,800 Not so you can be popular, not so you can have a lot of 434 00:23:31,800 --> 00:23:33,680 friends. Not so you can get the life that 435 00:23:33,680 --> 00:23:35,520 you always wanted. It's so that you can be set 436 00:23:35,520 --> 00:23:38,000 apart. And Ephesians says adopted, 437 00:23:38,160 --> 00:23:43,240 brought into his family. What it means to be a Wilson is 438 00:23:43,240 --> 00:23:45,680 we don't live like other families on the block, right? 439 00:23:45,760 --> 00:23:48,440 It's the same with Christ in an even greater, infinitely greater 440 00:23:48,440 --> 00:23:49,520 way. If you're a part of God's 441 00:23:49,520 --> 00:23:51,800 family, that means God's name is on you. 442 00:23:52,000 --> 00:23:54,200 That means there's some responsibility, some privileges 443 00:23:54,200 --> 00:23:56,920 that come with that, but there's also some heaviness that comes 444 00:23:56,920 --> 00:23:58,080 with that. You are set apart. 445 00:23:58,080 --> 00:24:01,360 And so when you really live like that, people will walk out of 446 00:24:01,360 --> 00:24:03,320 your life. And the last thing that I 447 00:24:03,320 --> 00:24:06,600 thought of that you were talking about is, you know, the 448 00:24:06,600 --> 00:24:08,440 relationships in your life are very important. 449 00:24:09,040 --> 00:24:10,960 And even though the relationships in your life can't 450 00:24:10,960 --> 00:24:14,960 qualify you for ministry, some of them can disqualify you. 451 00:24:15,680 --> 00:24:21,120 And you look at Timothy and the relationships in his life were 452 00:24:21,120 --> 00:24:24,240 great relationships, but just because he didn't have a dad 453 00:24:24,520 --> 00:24:27,040 doesn't mean he wasn't OK to do ministry, right? 454 00:24:27,040 --> 00:24:30,720 He still did ministry. But if Timothy would have 455 00:24:30,720 --> 00:24:36,120 married someone that was not fit for ministry, that could have 456 00:24:36,120 --> 00:24:38,360 disqualified Timothy from ministry. 457 00:24:38,680 --> 00:24:43,320 And I've seen that in our own lives that either a girl who 458 00:24:43,320 --> 00:24:45,840 loves ministry, wants to do ministry, marries a guy that's 459 00:24:45,840 --> 00:24:49,200 not on fire for the Lord, or is a very lukewarm Christian 460 00:24:50,640 --> 00:24:53,960 disqualified from ministry because now they can't lead in a 461 00:24:53,960 --> 00:24:55,880 ministry because this person is pulling them down. 462 00:24:56,280 --> 00:24:59,080 And the same thing with guys. I've seen guys that are so fit 463 00:24:59,080 --> 00:25:02,440 for ministry, but yet they marry someone who doesn't, who 464 00:25:02,440 --> 00:25:04,760 disqualified disqualifies them for ministry. 465 00:25:05,080 --> 00:25:07,440 Again, it's God who qualifies us. 466 00:25:08,000 --> 00:25:11,880 Who you marry can't qualify you, but they can disqualify you. 467 00:25:12,160 --> 00:25:15,480 Because think about if we were running this podcast and 468 00:25:15,480 --> 00:25:18,400 Lokelani was very immodest online. 469 00:25:18,400 --> 00:25:20,400 I'll let you guys comment. Where does Lokelani get her 470 00:25:21,720 --> 00:25:24,400 clothes from? She does this thing called newly 471 00:25:24,400 --> 00:25:26,640 where they send like it's very not often. 472 00:25:27,320 --> 00:25:29,000 That's not every month. Though not every month, but 473 00:25:29,000 --> 00:25:30,600 everyone's. But it's more affordable because 474 00:25:30,600 --> 00:25:31,760 you don't have to keep the clothes. 475 00:25:31,760 --> 00:25:34,040 You can send them back if they're not what you like. 476 00:25:34,040 --> 00:25:37,880 But just so you know, but she is very modest. 477 00:25:37,880 --> 00:25:40,120 And what if she was immodest? This podcast wouldn't work. 478 00:25:40,480 --> 00:25:43,080 You know, if this was if she was immodest or live in a certain 479 00:25:43,080 --> 00:25:46,400 way or vice versa. If I was living a certain way 480 00:25:46,400 --> 00:25:49,000 outside of the podcast, this podcast wouldn't work. 481 00:25:49,000 --> 00:25:53,360 So I think the if you're in a relationship with someone and 482 00:25:53,360 --> 00:25:55,840 you don't feel right about them, you don't feel 100% about them, 483 00:25:55,840 --> 00:25:58,760 the answer is no. If you, if there's something 484 00:25:58,760 --> 00:26:01,600 about their character that it's like, I don't know what kind of 485 00:26:01,600 --> 00:26:04,800 mom this person would be like, or a dad this person would be or 486 00:26:04,800 --> 00:26:06,760 husband this person would be, the answer is no. 487 00:26:06,760 --> 00:26:08,960 If you have to second guess, the answer is no. 488 00:26:10,200 --> 00:26:13,840 If you're second guessing like superficial stuff about them, 489 00:26:13,840 --> 00:26:16,880 like how much money they make or how pretty they're going to be 490 00:26:16,880 --> 00:26:18,960 in 30 years, like that's superficial. 491 00:26:18,960 --> 00:26:20,160 All that stuff is going to change. 492 00:26:20,480 --> 00:26:23,240 But if you know their character is godly and that they will 493 00:26:23,240 --> 00:26:26,080 pursue Christ with you throughout this life, there's no 494 00:26:26,080 --> 00:26:29,400 question, marry that person, marry that person. 495 00:26:29,640 --> 00:26:32,760 But if you're not, if you're on the fence, they're not the 496 00:26:32,760 --> 00:26:34,240 person. They're not the person if you 497 00:26:34,240 --> 00:26:37,880 have the second guess. So be very careful, right? 498 00:26:38,080 --> 00:26:39,840 Who you marry is that person forever. 499 00:26:39,840 --> 00:26:43,120 You're married forever. But again, if your goal is to 500 00:26:43,120 --> 00:26:45,360 serve Christ and to raise your family up in the church, you 501 00:26:45,360 --> 00:26:47,760 better make sure that that person is on board with that, 502 00:26:48,120 --> 00:26:50,880 spiritually speaking. So love you guys. 503 00:26:51,160 --> 00:26:55,760 Thank you for being here. Anything else want to do the 504 00:26:55,760 --> 00:27:01,400 outro amenpodcast.com/donate if you want to support us and we'll 505 00:27:01,400 --> 00:27:04,200 see you guys in the next one. Until then, go out and be the 506 00:27:04,200 --> 00:27:04,760 church.