Lesson 08/28/05

TIMOTHY BECOMES A TEAM LEADER!

Let’s talk about breast-feeding! At the moment it is one of the hot topics facing the Chandler City Council. So hot that they have decided to form a task force to craft a new policy or ordinance to address breast-feeding at public facilities in Chandler. The task force may even create a resolution for the state Legislature to consider adopting as a statewide policy.
This task force will consist of a seven-member panel made up of the assistant city manager, two mothers who openly support breast-feeding, two mothers who support breast-feeding in a discreet manner, and two representatives from the business sector.
One of the candidates for this panel is the lady who brought the issue to the forefront when she was asked by a lifeguard at a city pool to breast-feed her 2-month old son in the restroom as someone had voiced their disapproval of such an act in public. Interestingly, this lady is a Tempe resident but for obvious reasons would like to be on the panel to resolve this issue.
Suppose, for whatever reasons, you’re chosen to serve on this seven-member panel. At the first meeting you discover that the assistant manager has no intentions of chairing the task force. He explains that his job was simply to bring the task force into existence and then serve as the city’s representative. According to him, the City Council wants this administrative directive, this ordinance, or this resolution to come from representative residents of the community.
Would you want to chair this task force? Why or why not? In the space below list a few reasons supporting your answer.
I would not want to chair the Breast-feeding Task Force because:
1. It would require too much of my time.
2. I don’t want to be the one resolving conflict between participants.
3. It would mean dealing with the media, something I would not enjoy.
4. It would mean I’d have to be an impartial participant.
5.
I would consider chairing the Breast-feeding Task Force because:
1. I would then be in a position to determine the scope of our work.
2. I would control the agenda and hence the direction of the task force.
3. I believe I could inspire others to produce a quality product.
4. As chairperson I would grow personally and professionally.
5.
Whatever reasons you put forth for your desire to chair or not chair the Breast-feeding Task Force one things come out loud and clear - it always cost you something to be the leader. Some are unwilling to pay the price and say “no thank you.” Others count the cost, add in the benefits, and choose to take on the extra responsibility. Both know full well that it is far easier to follow than it is to lead.
So what does this have to do with Timothy? Well, during the Second Missionary Journey he followed Paul and obviously learned a lot in the process. But the responsibility for the team was always on Paul’s shoulders. However, on the Third Missionary Journey Timothy was given the opportunity to lead.
This Third Missionary Journey has its beginning in Acts 18:23 where we read:
After spending some time in Antioch, Paul went back to Galatia and Phrygia, visiting all the believers, encouraging them and helping them to grow in the Lord.
Paul was on furlough in Antioch for “some time.” We really don’t know for how long. We don’t know whether it was for six months, a year, or a bit longer. Whatever the case, after spending “some time” in Antioch he was ready to embark on a discipling journey and to once again carry the gospel to the Gentiles.
It appears, judging from this verse, that he set out by himself. Luke gives us absolutely no indication that Silas was with him or anyone else. He doesn’t even tell us whether this journey was prompted, encouraged, or commissioned by the church in Antioch. It appears that Paul simply became restless and set out by himself regardless of what others were planning to do in this regard.
He traveled through Tarsus, Lystra, Iconium and then made his way to Ephesus which was undoubtedly his destination. Picking up the story in Acts 19:1-10 we read:
While Apollos was in Corinth, Paul traveled through the interior provinces. Finally, he came to Ephesus, where he found several believers. 2 “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” he asked them. “No,” they replied, “we don’t know what you mean. We haven’t even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.”
“Then what baptism did you experience?” he asked. And they replied, “The baptism of John.”
Paul said, “John’s baptism was to demonstrate a desire to turn from sin and turn to God. John himself told the people to believe in Jesus, the one John said would come later.”
As soon as they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 6 Then when Paul laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in other tongues and prophesied. 7 There were about twelve men in all.
Then Paul went to the synagogue and preached boldly for the next three months, arguing persuasively about the Kingdom of God. 9 But some rejected his message and publicly spoke against the Way, so Paul left the synagogue and took the believers with him. Then he began preaching daily at the lecture hall of Tyrannus. 10 This went on for the next two years, so that people throughout the province of Asia—both Jews and Greeks—heard the Lord’s message.
Now let me ask you a question. Where is Timothy? Is he participating in all that is happening in Ephesus or not? At this point, we really don’t know the whereabouts of Timothy. He may be with Paul or he may be back in his hometown of Lystra.
Now look at vv. 21 and 22 of this same chapter.
Afterward Paul felt impelled by the Holy Spirit to go over to Macedonia and Achaia before returning to Jerusalem. “And after that,” he said, “I must go on to Rome!” 22 He sent his two assistants, Timothy and Erastus, on ahead to Macedonia while he stayed awhile longer in the province of Asia.
It seems like Luke records the highlights of the entire journey before he ever lets on that Timothy played a role in all that was happening in Ephesus. Nevertheless, Timothy was definitely in Ephesus at this time. To me this means that Paul must’ve picked Timothy up on his way from Antioch to Ephesus. There are other possibilities as to how Timothy wound up in Ephesus but this makes the most sense to me. For surely, while on furlough, Timothy made his way to Lystra to see his family.
Toward the end of his stay in Ephesus Paul asked Timothy and Erastus to go on ahead to Macedonia while he stayed behind in Ephesus. This meant he was asking the two to visit, strengthen, and encourage the believers in Philippi, Thessalonica, Berea, and perhaps other churches that had been planted through local outreach programs.
Timothy, by now, was probably in his mid-twenties. As odd as it seems, at this age on this trip he was the senior partner. Erastus may or may not have been older, yet Timothy was the seasoned partner. He was the one leading this small team of two into well-familiar territory.
If Timothy and Silas had been sent out on the Second Missionary Journey, Silas would have been the senior partner and Timothy would’ve followed his lead. But here, it was now Timothy’s turn to lead while Erastus tagged along.
This means Timothy was now feeling the weight of responsibility. It means everything was on his shoulders. The team would succeed or fail based on his decisions and actions. He was responsible for absolutely everything. All Erastus had to do was follow Timothy’s example. He had it easy. If things went wrong, it wasn’t his fault!
There are numerous areas where a leader needs to accept responsibility other than those peculiar to the task ahead of him. Solomon, in the book of Proverbs, addressed a number of important responsibilities that fall into every leader’s lap regardless of the job itself.
First, the leader has a responsibility to encourage, rebuke, and correct those under his charge. He has a responsibility to speak in such a manner that others are lifted up for Proverbs 25:11 reads:
Timely advice is as lovely as golden apples in a silver basket.
While Proverbs 28:23, addressing the issue of rebuking others, reads:
In the end, people appreciate frankness more than flattery.
Second, he has the responsibility of listening to those under his charge. In Proverbs 18:13 we read:
What a shame, what folly, to give advice before listening to the facts!
And 19:20 reads:
Get all the advice and instruction you can, and be wise the rest of your life.
Third, he has the responsibility to be honest. Proverbs 24:26 reads
An honest answer is like a kiss on the lips.
Fourth, he has the responsibility to be strong in the face of difficulties and/or temptations. For Proverbs 25:26
Like a muddied spring or a polluted well is a righteous man who gives way to the wicked.
Fifth, he has the responsibility to be knowledgeable of what is going on around him. In this knowledge he has the responsibility for acting decisively. For in Proverbs 24:12 we read:
Don’t try to avoid responsibility by saying you didn’t know about it. For God knows all hearts, and he sees you. He keeps watch over your soul, and he knows you knew! And he will judge all people according to what they have done.
You see in addition to the task at hand Timothy, all of a sudden, had all the hidden responsibilities that every leader has regardless of his or her particular circumstances. What this means is Timothy was responsible for everything that happened or did not happen as he and Erastus ventured into Macedonia. Yes, he had the wonderful opportunity of accomplishing a great task but he also had the full weight of responsibility.
So what was the purpose of the trip? Luke doesn’t tell us, but we know from the rest of the story that Paul wanted to take up a collection from the churches in Macedonia to help the famine-stricken church in Jerusalem. So Timothy and Erastus probably had the specific task of preparing the churches for this relief offering.

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