Unstoppable ChurchSample

Acts 16:1-5 NKJV– Paul Recruits Timothy at Lystra:

When Conviction Meets Fear, Meet Fear with Faith and Wisdom

Paul returned to Lystra and recruited Timothy to join him in his Gospel ministry. What a great opportunity for young Timothy, right?! Timothy gets invited to spread the Gospel of the resurrected Jesus Christ alongside one of the most popular Christians on the planet! Timothy will get to join Paul in spreading the Gospel, establishing churches that will serve as examples to all churches for all time, and assisting Paul in discipling believers and church leaders that were already established by Paul. What an opportunity! There was just one problem.

Timothy’s parents had to consider one major reality: To take advantage of this opportunity could be extremely dangerous and even life-threatening for their son! Do they allow him to leave the safety of their home and travel with a guy who just one year previously visited their city (Acts 14:8-20) and was beaten badly by some of the citizens because of his message and ministry? In fact, they beat Paul so badly that the only reason they stopped beating him and walked away was because they believed they had killed him (Acts 14:19). Because of this, Timothy’s parents were probably even shocked to see Paul back in their city. And they quickly realized that Paul was not afraid to return to extremely dangerous areas for the sake of the Gospel. And now, this fearless minister approaches them and requests that Timothy (approximately 18-20 years old) join him full-time to experience all that comes with spreading the Gospel, establishing churches, and discipling believers and leaders.

Moreover, unlike Timothy’s mother, who was a believer, Timothy’s father was not a believer (Acts 16:1). It makes one wonder, was Timothy’s father part of the angry mob the year before? Even if he did not throw any stones, was he at least in agreement with the mob that Paul’s message was to be ignored? Or, maybe he objected to the despicable actions of the mob? We do not know. But whatever Timothy’s father’s position was on what happened, one still has to ask, “What loving father, regardless of his religious beliefs, would ever feel comfortable blessing the choice of his son to travel with a man who attracts this level of persecution?” And what of his believing mother?

Timothy’s mother (Eunice) and his grandmother (Lois) devoted themselves to the spiritual development of Timothy (II Timothy 1:3-5). As a result, he came to faith in Jesus under their tutelage and was already a believer before Paul met him (Acts 16:2). They undoubtedly prayed for young Timothy to be used by God in a great way. But even they must have been conflicted about Timothy traveling with Paul. They probably were very proud that the Apostle Paul asked Timothy to join him. While at the same time, they must have been naturally hesitant to agree with the situation.

Ultimately, Timothy willingly and without any known conflict from his parents joined with Paul and ministered with him until Paul’s death approximately 20 years later. They must have settled in their minds the correct balance between his conviction to spread the Gospel and their natural concern for Timothy’s safety. Nowhere in Scripture are his parents rebuked for any dishonorable thoughts or actions while deliberating their decision. They struck the right balance that allowed them to claim that they served the Lord with all their hearts while honoring the Lord in their deliberations about the true danger that could come in Timothy’s life.

What is the God-honoring balance? It seems that a balanced believer should be willing to endure persecution, but not pursue it. Hope that no persecution comes as you do the Lord’s work, but should it come, consider it a blessing. If believers are to serve the Lord with conviction, they should commit to serving Him with all their hearts and be open to leaving the comfort of their current life situation. At the same time, they are able to acknowledge their fears, anticipate realistic dangers, and be prepared for dealing with various trials. In fact, Paul avoided persecution when he was able, not as a coward but as a wise minister (Acts 9:23-25, 17:5, 10). Even the Apostle Peter emphasized this very point in I Peter 4:12-16.

God is honored by believers who have an unconditional commitment to His mission and who exhibit God-given wisdom in pursuing His calling. Timothy and his family provide inspiration that should motivate all believers to dismiss the mere thought of being the recipients of suffering, slander, or false accusation. These possibilities should not keep believers from actively engaging in spreading the Gospel, establishing churches, and discipling believers and leaders in our generation.

Ponder & Pray Today…

Reflect on the times in your life when you chose to follow the Lord’s clear direction, and it was fulfilling, even if you experienced challenges in the process. Even though it was hard to obey God’s will at that time, think about how glad you are today that you followed through and accomplished what you knew God wanted you to do.

Pray for yourself, your loved ones, and your group members that you would remain in tune with the Holy Spirit. Pray that you would know when you should act and when you should pause and wait. And pray for wisdom that you would not attempt to rationalize a self-serving decision in any way but would be quick to obey God’s will when He impresses upon your heart to act.