Sermon Tone Analysis

Strengthening the church in faith

Strengthening the church in faith…

, “Paul came also to Derbe and to Lystra.

A disciple was there, named Timothy, the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer, but his father was a Greek.

He was well spoken of by the brothers at Lystra and Iconium.

Paul wanted Timothy to accompany him, and he took him and circumcised him because of the Jews who were in those places, for they all knew that his father was a Greek.

As they went on their way through the cities, they delivered to them for observance the decisions that had been reached by the apostles and elders who were in Jerusalem.

So the churches were strengthened in the faith, and they increased in numbers daily.

Paul came also to Derbe and to Lystra.

A disciple was there, named Timothy, the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer, but his father was a Greek.

He was well spoken of by the brothers at Lystra and Iconium.

Paul wanted Timothy to accompany him, and he took him and circumcised him because of the Jews who were in those places, for they all knew that his father was a Greek.

As they went on their way through the cities, they delivered to them for observance the decisions that had been reached by the apostles and elders who were in Jerusalem.

So the churches were strengthened in the faith, and they increased in numbers daily.

My pastor friend in the ministry 39 years old, and wasn’t likely to live out the week.

He asked me for prayer and as the morning dragged on, one of his parishioners came in to room and praying for my recovery.

In was an older congregant, who seemed to have the true faith that God could do the impossible.

This member was also faithful Timothy of this pastor’s ministry.

“He said pastor, don’t forget , “But you, O LORD, are a shield about me, my glory, and the lifter of my head.”

My friend was taken aback by the power of that Psalm, only if God would apply that to his situation.

He was suffering from leukemia and had just finished his last round of chemo.

It looked like he was going to be okay.

The oncologist was pleased with his latest test results.

Then something crazy happened that made it all seemed reversed–his appendix burst.

His white blood cells were depleted from the chemo–he couldn’t fight infection.

His platelet count was low–his blood wouldn’t clot.

In other words, surgery was not an option.

And without it, the poison flooding his body would be fatal.

The doctors inserted a tube into his abdomen, hoping to drain off some of the toxins.

But this would only buy him hours, not the weeks he needed to build up the strength to survive an appendectomy.

Many of his visitors murmured their prayers, said goodbye.

Except his Timothy; he just kept reminding him of

, “But you O LORD, are a shield about me, my glory and the lifter of my head.”

The nurses doped him up to keep me comfortable.

I lost track of time.

Soon, the sun had set again.

His visitors left.

His wife went home to look after the kids.

He had always believed that fear is not an emotion–it’s a spirit; during this time that evil spirit spoke even louder to him.

But through the days of great discouragement, he countered that evil voice with the message from his Timothy, , “But you O LORD, are a shield about me, my glory and the lifter of my head.”

He said aloud.

I repeated it over and over until he was able to sleep.

He woke up the next day and saw the ceiling tiles; the day after that as well.

His doctors and nurses knew of only one case where anyone with cancer like his survived a burst appendix for so long.

Somehow, though, he made it several weeks.

His platelet levels normalized.

The surgeon prepared him for the operation.

“I’m going to do an exploratory procedure,” he said.

“We need to see what damage has been done.”

Through the fog of anesthesia, I remembered those words; ‘You are a shield around me and my glory and the lifter of my head.’

When his eyes opened to the hospital ceiling tiles, his wife was squeezing his hand.

The surgeon came in, holding some five-by-seven-inch glossy photos taken from inside my lower abdomen.

“I’ve never seen anything like this,” the surgeon said.

He held up one of the photos.

It just looked like blobs to me.

“Here is your appendix, well, what’s left of it,” he said, pointing with his pen.

“But surrounding it...is a kind of tent, composed of adhesions.”

He made a circle.

“It’s the strongest kind of scar tissue there is.

We normally see it only after someone has surgery.”

“What does that mean?”

I asked.

The surgeon fumbled for the right words.

“All the toxins were contained within this structure.

These adhesions, they acted almost like...tiny shields, tightly packed together.”

My friend was overcome with emotion, the doctor attributed it to the successful surgery; but my friend attributed to his Lord.

My friend thought to himself all the years that he had invested in this Timothy in his ministry, now paid off in strengthening him in the time when he needed it the most.

Simply by sharing the word of God with him as he had shared with him so many times.

, “But you O LORD, are a shield about me, my glory and the lifter of my head.”

This is the second part of a bridge passage that goes from Acts15:36–16:5 showing how Paul’s second missionary journey began with a visit to strengthen existing congregations in Syria and Cilicia (15:41), and then Derbe, Lystra, and Iconium in .

Both of these sections last week and this week’s underscore the purposes and the places of continuing pastoral oversight in Luke’s understanding of evangelism.

There are two features of this particular narrative are of special importance.

First, there is the introduction of Timothy, who figures significantly in subsequent narratives as a member of Paul’s new team as his new spiritual son in the faith.

Timothy’s circumcision by Paul is explained in terms of his family situation, because his father was a Greek and Paul’s concern to facilitate the team and the acceptance of the people in which he would minister in a Jewish context (16:1–3).

Once more, Luke demonstrates Paul’s desire to keep the way open for the evangelization of Jews.

Second, there is the note about delivering the decisions reached by the Jerusalem Council, thus strengthening the churches (16:4–5).

The impression is given that these predominantly Gentile congregations were sufficiently satisfied with the decisions from Paul and his team to move on and minister elsewhere.

Luke illustrates again Paul’s concern to further the mission among the Gentiles while keeping the door open for further evangelization among Jews.

With a summary verse in 16:5 reminiscent of 9:31, Luke signals the end of one panel of his work and the beginning of another.

In this passage we see that Paul is strengthening the church in faith by adding a disciple named Timothy.

And Paul is strengthening the church in faith by sharing the decisions reached by the apostles and elders.

Let us pray…

Paul is strengthening the church in faith by adding a disciple named Timothy.

Paul came to Derbe and then to Lystra, where congregations had been established on the first missionary journey with Barnabas we see this in .

But now he is coming with Silas from the east on this occasion, traveling from Syria to Cilicia (15:41), and then crossing the Taurus range by the Cilician gates, to visit Derbe before Lystra.

So the text tells us that, “Paul came also to Derbe and to Lystra.

A disciple was there named Timothy…” There Paul met Timothy, who would play such an important role in his subsequent life and ministry Timothy is described as a disciple (mathētēs), meaning a Christian in this context, a student who adheres to and travel with a teacher in a pedagogical relationship; especially in the care and training of a spiritual leader.

highlights such a person, “Now there was in Joppa a disiciple named Tabitha, which translated means Dorcas.

She was full of good works and acts of charity.”

Now this disciple, “…Timothy was the son of a Jewish woman who was believer, now this is an important distinction.

Here the text builds a case for Timothy’s spiritual credibility, because a believer, his mother had raised him.

The word here is the Greek text is “pistos” which means believer.

Well pastor, what is a believer?

A believer is something that is faithful, reliable, trustworthy, truthful, and a person who is characterized as someone who has total reliance upon Jesus Christ for their salvation.

Can you say this morning without a doubt that you too are a believer?

Are you faithful, reliable, trustworthy, truthful, and a person who is characterized as someone who has total reliance upon Jesus Christ for their salvation?

How do we know what Timothy’s upbringing was like?

Look at what Paul said later in , “I thank God whom I serve, as did my ancestors, with a clear conscience, as I remember you constantly in my prayers night and day.

As I remember your tears, I long to see you, that I may be filled with joy.

I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, dwells in you as well.