Commencement (2 Timothy 4:1-8)

Finishing well

“Never be discouraged. Never hold back. Give everything you’ve got.”

Denzel Washington, UPenn, 2011.

“I can’t wait to see everything you can achieve in the years ahead.”
Michelle Obama, King’s College Prep High School, Chicago, 2015.

“Stay hungry. Stay foolish.”

Steve Jobs, Stanford, 2005.

Words that prepare us; words that inspire us to face the challenges ahead; to pursue our true potential. That’s what we expect from commencement speeches by pop stars and prime ministers. Words that we can live by.

We get something quite different from the Apostle Paul. There is no podium. No crowds. Instead we get words written by a man condemned to die.

In his commencement speech, the Apostle Paul says:

I have fought the good fight. I have finished the race. I have kept the faith.
2 Timothy 4:7

You see, Paul does not focus on how we start but on how we finish. His words help us to end well.

Three points for tonight. What, Why and How. As you are packing your suitcase one last time and trying to fit three years of stuff into thirty kilograms to bring on that flight home, you might pick up each item and ask: What is this thing? Why am I lugging it all the way home? And how is it going to of any use back in Malaysia/Singapore/Hong Kong?

Tonight, I offer you one extra thing to squeeze into your spiritual suitcase to lug home. It is Paul’s reminder to keep the faith. What we are doing tonight is asking these three questions - What is it? Why should we make space for it? And how will it make a difference in the days to come.

1. What

Firstly, what does it mean to end well; to keep the faith? It’s means living to speak the gospel. It means giving your life to speak the gospel.

In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and kingdom, I give you this charge: Preach the Word.

2 Timothy 4:1-2a

Here is a command for pastors. When a new minister is ordained, you read this text; you give this command: Preach the Word. At which point, most of us are thinking, “I’m glad I’m not a pastor!”

The reason why Paul begins so seriously with, “In the presence of God,” is because the guy he is speaking to is thinking, “I will never be a pastor like Paul.”

Timothy is less experienced and less respected than Paul. And yet, here at the end of the apostle’s life, Paul hands the reins over to this young man. Not to Peter. Not to Apollos nor Barnabas. But to young Timothy.

And what Paul does is remind him of the power and presence of God’s Word. “From infancy,” he says in Chapter 3, verse 15, “you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.”

“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God”  - so that you - “may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

Timothy, this Word is powerful! It is powerful to save you. It is powerful to prepare you. So, preach this Word.

All of his life, others have spoken God’s Word to him. Now, it’s Timothy’s turn to speak God’s Word to others.

What about you?

Three years of CF, of attending CG. On top of this, the crazy ones went for FOCUS, Friday afternoon talks, CICCU Central, student lunches; not to mention Houseparty and Word Alive.

What has God been doing these three years? He has been pouring his Word into you to save you and prepare you. Not to be the next Apostle Paul (or the next John Piper, or whoever!). But to be just as faithful as Paul; just as focussed on the gospel.

For some of us, it might mean full-time ministry - teaching God’s word full-on; full-time. But for all of us, it simply means being prepared. As Paul puts it, “in season and out of season.” God may not call you to be a pastor but I promise you that He will call you speak the gospel at a time that will be neither convenient nor comfortable.

And being prepared simply means saying, “Yes, Lord,” when that happens.

“In season and out of season.” It means, not restricting God’s word to Sunday mornings or Friday evenings at bible study. It means you are ready to respond with the gospel on the plane journey back home. Not putting it off (“Maybe another day”) or passing the buck (“I’ll get my pastor to talk to him”) But, at times, simply saying, “I will try.”

So firstly, what does it mean to keep the faith? It’s more than believing the gospel. It means living to speak the gospel. Taking every opportunity to speak about Jesus.

2. Why?

Secondly, why bother? Or, why should this concern you? Paul gives us a negative and a positive answer.

The negative is found in verse 3.

For the time will when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.

2 Timothy 4:3

The number one question I get from students returning home is: Which church do I join? Answer: A church that loves Jesus and loves the bible. Not an easy thing but an obvious thing. It is obvious when a church loves Jesus. In the same way, it is obvious when a Christian loves Jesus and is constantly speaking about Christ. Find a church that loves Jesus and loves talking about Jesus.

But there is an even more important question that verse 3 tries to answer: What if this ideal church stops being ideal? What is their love starts to wane?

The church in Ephesus was planted by Paul and now pastored by Timothy. It was home to Apollos, a famous preacher (the Don Carson of his day). The Apostle John was there as well, another big name. And in the book of Revelation, the risen Christ addresses the church in Ephesus as the first of the seven churches in Chapters 2 and 3. In other words, this was a church with a reputation. “Come to my church, our pastor, Paul, wrote most of the bible!”

But things had changed. There was false teaching. Members were arguing and gossipping and fighting with one another. And what does Paul tell Timothy to do? Stay. “Stay there in Ephesus so that you may command certain people not to teach false doctrines any longer.” (1 Timothy 1:3)

Stay. Not jump ship. Not start another church down the road. But stay and remind them of the gospel. Stay and teach them to love the gospel.

That’s the negative reason. Things are going to get tough but that’s why you need to stay put. Maybe the reason why God has put you in that less than ideal church situation so that you can be loving when others are unloving, so that you can be faithful when others have been unfaithful. So that, in time they will learn to love Jesus again.

That is an important to keep in mind, if you are serving as a bible study leader, as a Sunday School teacher, as a pastor in your church: Don’t serve God for man’s applause. You will have to “tan koo koo,” (Hokkien: Wait Long Long).

“They will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.” False teachers will always be popular. They will always be in demand. They will not thank you for preaching the gospel, Timothy. But keep on keeping on.

That’s the negative reason. But there is a positive, and that’s verse 8; what Paul calls “the crown of righteousness.”

Now, there is in store for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day - and not only to me, but also to all who have loved his appearing.

2 Timothy 4:8

Paul is saying, there is another graduation, another degree that he is looking forward to. One that Jesus will award to him with honours. Not only to him, but to all who look forward to Jesus’ return.

Paul was a smart guy. Back in the day, he had the qualifications, the charisma to really make it in life; to be the top Pharisee in his community. Yet his uni friends would be looking at Paul right now, and saying, “What happened to that guy? He’s in prison. He has no money.”

“What a waste.”

Paul would answer with the words of Philippians 3:

But whatever was to my profit, I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ.

Philippians 3:7-8

Christ is my treasure. Now, when I have forsaken all other treasures - career and comfort. Yet there will come a day, when even my most critical opponents will not be able to deny: God is no one’s debtor. He will grant me the crown of righteousness. He will make all my sacrifices seem like a nothing.

Not only to me, but also to all who have loved his appearing. What are you living for? Live for Him. If Christ is King, he holds all the crowns. If Christ is Lord, his approval is the only one we need. Live for Him and for His glory alone.

3. How

Finally, how: How do we apply this when we back home in a new place, new job, new church? How do we keep the faith?

But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.

2 Timothy 4:5

Be steady. Get the job done. Not revolutionary. Not rocket science. Kinda boring. Keep calm and get the job done.

Now, Paul actually says this a couple of times in 2 Timothy. He says: The world around you is going to lose control but you need to stay in control. Everyone else will go crazy; but you? Keep calm.

We see this at the beginning of Chapter 3 where Paul says:

But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God.

2 Timothy 3:1-4

Things will go from bad to worse.

While evil men and imposters will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.

2 Timothy 3:13

But as for you, Timothy…

But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it.

2 Timothy 3:14

Paul compares and contrasts: What the world will do; and how Timothy should respond. The world will lose control, You, Timothy, must keep calm. So, there must be a difference. But what is this difference?

We tend to think, the difference is bad behaviour and good behaviour. In some senses, that is true. “People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, arrogant,” while Timothy is urged to pursue “righteousness, faith, love and peace” (2 Timothy 2:22). But that’s not the biggest difference. It’s not simply that they will do evil while you should try to do good.

No, the biggest difference is that they will move further and further away from the truth, but you must remain in the truth. You see, after Paul lists that long string of evil thoughts and actions at the beginning of Chapter 3 - without love, unforgiving, ungrateful, treacherous, slanderous, brutal and so on - he sums it up in in verse 5 with this description:

Having a form of godliness but denying its power.

2 Timothy 3:5

Despite all their evil thoughts and actions, they appear godly. They have a form of godliness. What do you call this? It is looking good while doing evil. In this day and age, we have become experts at looking good while getting away with all kinds of evil.

Furthermore, Paul describes them in verse 7, as:

Always learning, but never able to acknowledge the truth.

2 Timothy 3:7

They turn up for bible study but they have never turned to God in repentance. They come to CF. But they have never come to Jesus. It’s scary. Because Paul is saying, evil men don’t look evil. They might look quite good.

No, friends the biggest difference is not simply that they do evil and we need to do good things. The biggest difference is they deny the truth, they wander away from the truth (2 Timothy 2:17), they deny the truth (2 Timothy 3:7) and they oppose the truth (2 Timothy 3:8).

But you, Timothy, need to keep trusting in the truth of the gospel.

Last year, my bible study group did a Skype call to a brother in South Korea. He did his PhD and went home, got involved with his church and even started a new ministry among students on his campus. Everyone wanted to know, “What’s your secret?” and he was confused. Specifically, he was asked, “How are things different now that you have left Cambridge and gone home?” His honest answer was, “Nothing.”

He wasn’t being humble or dismissive. Rather, he was merely doing the very same things he did as a student in Cambridge. He went to bible study. He served in church. And now that he was back home, he continued doing the exact same things.

Paul says, “Continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of.” The gospel you have heard and put your trust in here in Cambridge is the same gospel you need to hold on to and keep trusting in back in Singapore, Malaysia and Hong Kong. It is the gospel that has saved you in Jesus. It is the gospel that has prepared you to serve Him wherever he leads you.

Some of you are not Christians and you have been joining us at CF and hearing this message again and again. And God has been repeating this same message again and again. Jesus really is the King. He died on the cross, taking all your sin upon himself. He rose so that you might have new life in Him. There are no hidden extras for you to find out. What you have never done is actually respond to this message you have heard again and again. Perhaps God is saying to you tonight, “Don’t put it off. What else do you need to know except what you have heard in the message of the gospel?” Jesus is Lord. I am sinful. Please forgive me, change me and give me new life.

Conclusion: Nostalgia and amnesia

The message is the same for the Christians here tonight. God has given us everything we need in the gospel to be faithful and to be holy - not to be happy and successful - but to be faithful to him and to live for his glory. Don’t leave the gospel behind. Make sure it is with you wherever you go in every season of your life.

I met a former CF-er just a couple of weeks ago at a baptism. It is a great encouragement to me personally to see a brother still continuing on trusting in Jesus, still continuing on serving Jesus, years after leaving Cambridge. He reminded me of a talk I had given once and I’d like to share the conclusion with you tonight.

It’s about nostalgia. The memories we make here in Cambridge are special and the moments are significant. We rightly want to hold on to them and treasure these memories we have shared with our brothers and sisters in CF.

Inevitably, many CF-er’s do come back to visit to relive those memories. They want to go punting. They want to visit their old church. They even want to see Henry Martyn’s picture again hanging at the back of the hall. And they say to me, “How good was it back in the day! Ten, fifteen years ago, we really heard God’s voice. Ten, fifteen years ago, we were on fire for Jesus!”

When I hear that - I know what they mean; they mean that God was so gracious in using the CF, using StAG and Eden, using the friends they made here to impact the gospel on their lives. Yet, a part of me goes, “Really? The last time you heard God’s voice truly and most clearly was ten, fifteen years ago?” Friends, God is the same God, here or in Malaysia or in Singapore and he speaks to us clearest in the message of his Son, whether it is preached here or in Malaysia or in Singapore. If you told me, after ten years, that the best sermon you ever heard was here in Cambridge, or even here in CF, it would break my heart.

Don’t let spiritual nostalgia turn into spiritual amnesia.

The Apostle Paul wants us not simply to start well but to finish well. To be able to one day say, with honesty and confidence, that we have fought the good fight, that we have finished the race. That we have kept the faith.

It is more than believing the gospel, it is living every day ready to speak the gospel to others.

It is motivated not by human reward - applause, money, respect - but by our heavenly Judge who will judge the living and the dead, who, one day will say to us, “Good and faithful servant.”

God has given us everything we need to be faithful and to be holy in this life for Jesus’ glory. Keep trusting in Jesus. And never stop speaking about Jesus for his glory and his kingdom.

Surprisingly helpful: Why trusting in Jesus is worthwhile in times of practical need (Acts 6:1-6)

1. A surprising problem

Now in these days when the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint by the Hellenists arose against the Hebrews because their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution.

Acts 6:1

The church was experiencing explosive growth. From 120 to 3000 in a single day at Pentecost (Acts 2:41), to 5000 at the last count (Acts 4:4) which was just the tally of “the number of men” - meaning, it was somewhere around seven to ten thousand strong, once you added up the women and children. This was the first megachurch.

So we read, “in these days when the disciples were increasing in number,” (Acts 6:1) a complaint arose. It is surprising because this complaint concerned a minority within the church. The Greek-speaking Christian widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food.

And yet it was a major problem, to the extent that the apostles would summon “full number of disciples” to discuss this issue. Why? For one thing, it was a potentially divisive problem: The Hellenists arose against the Hebrews. One racial group was making an accusation against another racial group. The Greek-speaking Jews were the second-generation believers in the church. They looked like their fellow Jews, but many read their bibles in Greek instead of the original Hebrew and some couldn’t even speak Hebrew (and those who did, conversed with a slight Roman accent). The accusation had overtones not simply of neglect but discrimination.

Furthermore, the word for “complaint” (Greek: gongusmos) is reminiscent of the grumbling of the Israelites in the desert during the time of the Exodus, directed against Moses and his leadership. This might explain why the apostles took action immediately. It was an accusation against their oversight.

But isn’t this a practical problem? For those of us who come from large churches: Isn’t this a familiar problem? Any church that grows so big in such a short span of time will experience this problem of neglect: Some will inevitably feel left out. As the membership grows and the responsibilities of the leadership multiplies, people will not get the same kind of attention from their leaders as they would have when the church was smaller in size.

And yet, here in the early church we find a response that is truly surprising from the apostles: They address this very practical problem with the attention it deserves. They gather in the whole church. Why? Because in these days when the church is growing and multiplying and experiencing tremendous blessing, they understand that it is all the more important that the needs of the few be met, not less.

As a church grows, its role in loving the individual - in loving each and every member - grows as well; it doesn’t diminish. That is a challenging thought for those of us who come from large churches. We ought to be more attentive, not less, towards the individual - especially those who are most likely to be neglected; especially those who are most vulnerable. Paul illustrated this principle in 1 Corinthians 12, when he wrote:

The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you”, nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable.

1 Corinthians 12:21-22

Who are the seemingly “weaker” members in your church? Who are the “widows” in your church? The bible tells us we ought to look at them as indispensable. As a church grows numerically, so also should our love towards each individual believer.

2. A surprising solution

And the twelve summoned the full number of the disciples and said, “It is not right that we should give up preaching the word of God to serve tables. Therefore, brothers, pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we will appoint to this duty. But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” And what they said pleased the whole gathering, and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolaus, a proselyte of Antioch. These they set before the apostles, and they prayed and laid their hands on them.

Acts 6:2-6

The solution proposed by the apostles is surprising on several levels. Firstly, they gather the “full number of disciples” - everyone was called to this meeting of several thousand believers to address this one issue.

Secondly, the apostles ask the congregation for their help in choosing “seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom”. The task of identifying and appointing these stewards was entrusted to the congregation. Why? Well, the apostles didn’t know everyone in the church. Here was a church of thousands pastored by twelve apostles.

Thirdly, their proposal pleased “the whole gathering.” The expression could be translated “the all of everyone.” It is saying that every single member voted “Yes” in this resolution.

Some see this account as the appointment of the first deacons within the church. The word “diakonia” occurs three times in the passage, where we get the English word, “deacon”. In verse 1, it is used to describe the task of distributing food to the widows. In verse 2, it is again used to describe a food-related task, this time, to “serve” tables. But in verse 3, the apostles use the same word to describe their priorities in the “ministry” of the word.

Another way to understand this is to ask: What were these seven men being appointed to do as deacons? The first two occurrences of “diakonia” suggest that they were to be delivery boys or waiters. That is, theirs was a practical task to dealing with the day-to-day responsibilities within the church - feeding the widows, making sure there was enough food, keeping the costs within budget - that sort of thing. Hence, the bible outlines qualifications for the appointment of deacons in 1 Timothy 3:8-13, alongside the appointment of elders within the church. The two roles are meant to complement one another. Elders are tasked with leading the church, especially through the teaching of God’s word. In fact, what is striking in the list of qualifications in 1 Timothy 3 is how similar the qualifications are between that of an elder and a deacon - with one exception: the ability to teach. Again, the distinctive role of the elder is their responsibility in leading the church through the ministry of the Word of God.

Having said that, the third occurrence of “diakonia” describes precisely that: the ministry (or “deaconing”) of the word. Acts 6 is a key text many turn to to highlight the main responsibilities of deacons within the church and yet the word never occurs in this passage to describe a person (diakonos = deacon/minister) but rather as a description of a task (diakonia = ministry). In other words, what Acts 6 gives us is a picture of what it means to serve; what it means to do ministry. Whether you are wiping tables, arranging chairs or preaching the Sunday sermon, that’s ministry. There is no less dignity or worth in doing either one of these tasks. Ministers are not defined by their role or title in the church but by their service to the church. The seven men they were appointing that day were servants, yes. Their job was not unlike that of the delivery guy who gets on the bike to deliver the black bean noodles you ordered from Hong Kong Fusion to your doorstep. But they are servants no less than the apostles themselves are servants through their ministry of the word.

Now in a moment, we will see that there ought to be a priority in the way we are to serve. In verse 2, the apostles say, “It is not right that we should give up preaching the word of God to serve tables”. But even there, the apostles are recognising their limitations. The apostles couldn’t do this themselves. They needed help. They needed more ministers to help them serve the church well. Through the congregation puts forward the list of names, it is the apostles who “appoint” these seven men to the task in verse 3, that is, the apostles are publicly entrusting their authority to these deacons. The seven deacons are as much a help to the church as they are to the apostles in the ministry/service they are entrusted with.

Notice how all seven men have Greek names, strongly implying that they are all Greek-speaking Jews. Bearing in mind how the Greek-speaking believers were the ones who lodged the complaint against the local Hebrews, it is remarkable how the whole congregation - made up of majority Hebrews and minority Hellenists - chose to elect these seven Greek-speaking Christians as their first council of deacons. That would have been like the Chinese Church electing members of the English Congregation exclusively to its next Council - only BBCs! Or the entire CICCU voting in a whole team of internationals to head up its Executive Committee! Can you imagine that every happening today?

To understand why they did this, we need to remember the nature of the problem. It wasn’t the food. The problem was rather that of neglect. The widows were being “neglected” in the daily distribution of food (Acts 6:1). What we see here is the church addressing the problem not simply by proposing a solution (ie. “Make sure we feed the widows. Let’s come up with a system to make sure all the widows get their food delivered on time.”) but by entrusting the problem to trustworthy men.

Hence, the selection criteria: “Pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom.” (Acts 6:3) The most important qualification for these men was not their ability to cook the food, to deliver the food nor manage the distribution of the food, as useful and essential as these skills would have been to carry out their jobs. No, the key qualification they were looking for was faithfulness, trustworthiness and godliness (even though their job would have mainly involved handling the food). Similarly, when we choose members for our music team, the key qualification might not be musical skill (as important as that might be); when we choose our bible study leaders, the key qualification might not be their ability to read Greek and Hebrew. In any ministry, the key criteria are faithfulness, trustworthiness and godliness.

Why did they choose seven Greeks? They would be entrusted with distributing the food to both the Greek and Hebrew widows, of course, but I think it would have been especially encouraging the Greek widows who had been neglected in past, to know that they were being represented in the leadership. It is one thing for Singaporean students to frequent a local church and sit with their friends and mix the church family over coffee after service; but something happens when they see one of their Singaporean friends go up on stage to do the bible reading (in a thick Singaporean accent) or play in the music group or perhaps even deliver the sermon that morning. When they see that, something clicks and a voice at the back of their head says, “Maybe I don’t have to be a spectator in this local church. Maybe my Singaporean-ness doesn’t disqualify me from serving God and serving my fellow brothers and sisters in this local church.”

This was a surprising solution. There was 100% consensus. They did not choose the usual suspects. But most of all, it is a surprising because the church didn’t propose a fantastic programme, they proposed faithful people as the solution.

3. A surprising result

And the word of God continued to increase, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith.

Acts 6:7

Verse 7 does not say, “And all the widows were fed.” That is what we would have expected it to say: Problem solved!

Rather, the account ends with the church growing; with more people hearing the gospel and being saved. In addition to this, “a great many priests” became Christians. Up till now, the priests were the main opponents to the church. The chief priests and Sanhedrin were frequently jealous of the church and its growth. They kept arresting the apostles and threatening them for preaching about Jesus. Yet here, the very opponents of the gospel become its converts.

In other words, God blesses the church even more abundantly and unexpectedly because of the manner in which they handled this seemingly minor problem. Why? In part, it must have been the witness of their love and care for the widows. In part, it must have been the unity the church displayed in tackling this potentially divisive issue.

Yet notice how it isn’t simply that the church grows but that the gospel also grows with the church: “The word of God continued to increase.” I think God is blessing the church in a specific way in response to what the apostles said back in verse 2, “It is not right that we should give up preaching the word of God to serve tables.” The apostles saw that there was a priority in their responsibilities; a peculiarity in their service: They were to put the word of God first. In this sense, the election of the seven deacons was not simply to ensure that the ministry of food distribution would be carried out in the most effective manner, it was so that ministry of preaching and teaching the word of God could be carried out without hindrance. The apostles were rightly to focus their attention on the word of God.

And the surprising thing is: God blesses that move, almost as a sign of affirmation. The word of God increases and the number of “disciples” multiplies. Acts 6 is actually the first time it refers to Christians a disciples in the book. The word literally means “students”, again emphasising that focus on the word of God as the source of the Christian’s instruction and life. Here in Cambridge, we think of student ministry as something peculiar to this city. We have lots of in-depth studies from the bible, evangelistic talks from the bible and expository preaching from the bible - because Cambridge students need to be challenged in their minds with the bible. Well, Acts 6 tells us that all Christian ministry is essentially student ministry: Christians must be continually shaped by the word of God. The bible must always be at the centre of our identity and activity as the church.

As we have seen the nature of the problem was neglect: Neglect of the widows. Neglect of the helpless and the weak. It is wonderful how the entire church recognises the problem and addresses it head on in a practical and loving manner. But the apostles’ statement teaches us to be mindful of neglecting a greater responsibility: the ministry of the word of God.

Therefore, it is no coincidence that the following two chapters in Acts record the ministry of Stephen and Philip - the first two names listed in the team of servants - not distributing food as they were appointed to do, but rather, preaching the word of God to the Jews, the Samaritans and the first of the Gentiles. The truth is, we don’t know if Stephen and Philip ever got a chance to do the ministry they were appointed to because soon after, Stephen gets killed, widespread persecution breaks out against the church and all the believers are expelled from Jerusalem (including, presumably, the widows). Instead, what we see clearly from Acts 7 and 8 are these two young men taking up the call to preach the word of God boldly and faithfully, just like the apostles, even when it cost one of them his life.

Against the backdrop of a practical need, the bible highlights a greater priority: faithfulness to God’s word and focus on God’s mission. The temptation for us today is to neglect this priority in favour of our practical needs. We justify our neglect with our urgent needs. The reason is: We don’t believe God will come through for us. We think we will lose out if we don’t focus first on our needs.

And what this passage reminds us is: God is no one’s debtor. He blesses his church. He multiplies his word. More and more people come to know Jesus and more and more people become recipients of his salvation. Both the physical hunger of the widows as well as the spiritual hunger of his people are satisfied.

Do everything in love (1 Corinthians 16:12-24)

Behind-the-scenes

Reading today’s passage is like watching the movie credits. The movie has ended; people are getting up. Everyone is going home. No one stays back for the movie credits. Well, maybe if it’s a Jackie Chan movie and there are those cool shots of Jackie doing crazy stunts that went wrong. Even so, you are not looking at the credits; not at those names scrolling up in the background. Who wants to read a list of names that goes on and on?

Today’s passage is like that. Who would read this? It is just a list of names that goes on and on.

But the credits remind us that a lot work happens behind the scenes. This week, our brother Sid is getting married. And he can tell you: The work that goes on behind the scenes; it is hard work. It is important work: Months of planning, lots of preparation and lots of good friends that go into making that one wedding day possible.

Today Paul wants to draw our attention to the people who make church possible. You don’t always notice them. But there are lots of them. And they work tirelessly, faithfully in the background. Paul introduces us to three of these ministries today. (1) There is the academic (verse 12); (2) the band of brothers (verses 17-18); and (3) an encouraging couple (verse 19). Three ministries that help make church possible; that help make mission effective; that help make worship worthwhile.

The all-star academic

Now about our brother Apollos: I strongly urged him to go to you with the brothers. He was quite unwilling to go now, but he will go when he has the opportunity.

1 Corinthians 16:12

What is wrong this guy? Just reading verse 12: Apollos sounds like someone who doesn’t want to come to church. Paul wants him to come, his friends keep sending him messages on Facebook, but he doesn’t keeps giving excuses. Actually, that’s not the whole story. For the real story on Apollos, we need to turn to the book of Acts. Because there we see a different Apollos. There we see Apollos, the all-star academic.

Meanwhile a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, came to Ephesus. He was a learned man, with a thorough knowledge of the Scriptures. He had been instructed in the way of the Lord, and he spoke with great fervour and taught about Jesus accurately, though he knew only the baptism of John. He began to speak boldly in the synagogue.
Acts 18:24-25

Here is a guy who graduated from the top bible college with top marks in Hebrew and Old Testament Theology. This guy was smart! “He was a learned man, with a thorough knowledge of the Scriptures.” But more than that, this guy had guts! Verse 25 says that Apollos preached in the synagogue. Today, that would be equivalent to going to a mosque, on a Friday afternoon after the prayers, in the middle of Baghdad; opening up your bible and going, “Let me tell you about Jesus.”

Apollos was looking for trouble. He was fearless. In the synagogue he was taking on theologians, rabbis and scholars. And he was arguing from their scriptures – from their Old Testament – to prove that Jesus really was the Christ.

Now if Apollos is this maverick; he is this hot shot evangelist... so why does verse 12 imply that he wasn’t really all that fearless. In fact, verse 12 literally says Apollos did not want to go to Corinth “at all” (“pantos”). He resolutely refused to step foot into Corinth.

This is all the more surprising considering Corinth was pretty much like Cambridge two thousand years ago. It a city was full of thinkers, debaters and philosophers. In Corinth, a guy Apollos would be respected. In Corinth, a guy like Apollos would be revered for his intelligence, his wit and his boldness.

Paul wanted him to go. And we know from Chapter 1, the church wanted him to go. In fact, there is every indication that the church wanted someone like Apollos to be their pastor. But Apollos said No.

The perfect pastor

Let me put it another way: Many of you know we are looking for a pastor to serve at the Chinese Church. People want a pastor who can preach. People want a pastor who is good with kids; who has a degree; who has experience.

Now imagine we found the perfect pastor – someone smart, loving, experienced, humble. Imagine he was the perfect guy – the Cantonese congregation loves him; the Mandarin congregation respects him; the English congregation thinks this guy is cool!

Imagine this perfect candidate wrote back saying, “No. I don’t want to be your pastor. I don’t want to be anywhere near your church.” If that happened, some of us would say, “How rude!” Yong soi!” And that may very well be the case. But at some point, some of us may ask, “What is wrong with us? What is the reason why this perfect pastor doesn’t want to serve in our church?”

Apollos was the perfect pastor for the CCCC  – the Corinthian City Christian Church. And the reason why he refused to serve there was because of their pride.

You see, the Corinthian Church is possibly the most gifted and the most spiritual church in all of the New Testament. But it is also the most sinful. Again and again, Paul deals with horrible situations in this gifted yet proud church. They were proud because of their gifts. They were sinful yet boastful about their sins. They were rich and looked down on the poor.

And this church in Corinth wanted a pastor like Apollos - not that there is anything wrong with wanting a good pastor, or even a gifted pastor – but they wanted a pastor like Apollos because they were saying of themselves, “We are smart, we are gifted; so we deserve a pastor who is as smart and as gifted as us.”

What kind of pastor are we looking for here in the Chinese Church? The bible is warning us to check our motives. Because what we want from our leaders; what we demand from our pastors – sometimes says more about us, than about our leaders.

The bible tells us what God requires of his servants. They must be faithful. They must love Jesus. They must preach this book. If you are curious, the two passages that spell this out are 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1. There is nothing in there about university degrees or charismatic personalities. The bible is clear that elders and pastors (the two are one and the same) are to be faithful men, leading faithful lives, preaching the bible faithfully.

The thing we need to see about Apollos is that he wasn’t just smart. He was faithful. We see this in Acts where it says that Apollos “taught about Jesus accurately”. What does accurately mean? It means everything he said about Jesus 100% correct. That’s accurate. He scored 100% in his Theology paper.

But in the very next verse we read:

When Priscilla and Aquila heard his, they invited him to their home and explained to him the way of God more adequately.
Acts 18:26

Where it says “adequately” – they explained to Apollos adequately – the word is actually the exact same word as before in verse 25. It is “accurately”. They explained Jesus more accurately to Apollos.

Hold on! How to get more accurate, than accurate? How do you score higher that 100%?

We get a clue at the end of verse 25, “(Apollos) knew only the baptism of John”. John’s baptism is the turning away from sin in order to repent, or turn, to God. John recognised that Jesus came to bring God’s kingdom. That meant judgement on sin was round the corner. All this was true. All this was accurate.

But all this was not complete. Jesus came to take our sin upon himself. Jesus took God’s punishment that we deserved for our sins, upon himself when he died on the cross. Apollos did not know that. He did not know about the cross. Everything he said up to this point was correct. It just wasn’t complete. Without the cross, we will not get a complete picture of who Jesus is and what he came to do. Without the cross, the bible can be read accurately, it can be taught academically, but it won’t be preached faithfully. Not without the cross.

Being academic does not mean long bible studies and big words. It just means you leave out the cross. You haven’t understood the point of God’s message. The whole point of Rock Fellowship each week, when we meet to read the bible and hear God’s word, whether it is Old Testament or New Testament; whether it is Exodus or 1 Corinthians is to answer this question: How does this help me understand why Jesus died on the cross?

The cross changed Apollos from an all-star academic to a faithful preacher of the gospel. Together with Paul, he planted the church in Corinth (1 Corinthians 3:6). Together with Paul, he recognised the church in Corinth needed not another big personality as their pastor. They needed the gospel. They need to hear about the cross of Jesus Christ.

The band of brothers

You know the household of Stephanas were the first converts in Achaia, and they have devoted themselves to the service of the saints. I urge you, brothers to submit to such as these and to everyone who joins in their work, and labours at it. I was glad when Stephanas, Fortunatus and Achaiacus arrived, because they have supplied what was lacking from you. For they refreshed my spirit and yours also. Such men deserve recognition.

1 Corinthians 16:15-18

Stephanas, Fortunatus and Achaicus are Heng Tai. They are the bros. When you need help, they are there. When you need a lift to Rock, they’ll pick you up in their sports cars. When you are down, they come over with pizza and watch football with you. These are the guys your count on. They are reliable, dependable and faithful.

And Paul says twice - in verses 16 and 18 – these guys deserve respect. Such men deserve recognition. Why? Because often we don’t respect them. Often they don’t get recognised. They work tirelessly in the background. They keep serving without any expectation of reward. They are the Backstreet Boys – or, as I like to call them, the Backside Boys.

They are taken for granted. And Paul says they deserve more than that.

Do you know when I wrote this sermon? 11pm last night in a pub. (Was I drunk? Yes, on a can of Coke.)

I was in the pub with WM, D, J and Sid on his night out with the guys, the week before his big wedding day. Sid was out with his Heng Tai. (What do Christian guys do on stag nights? They drink coke, eat Monster Munch snacks and talk about the sermon.) Let me ask you: When it’s your turn to get married, who is going to take you out on your guys/girl’s night out? Do you have brothers or sisters like these – with whom you can share your happiest moments in life? With whom, you can share your struggles and tough times? You might have 200 friends on Facebook (some of us have more), but who are your real friends? These guys – Stephanas, Fortunatus and Archaicus – Paul mentions just these few; these three made a big difference in his life and ministry. They were dependable friends. They were trustworthy friends. They were his brothers in Christ.

Now there is a special reason why Paul writes about these three brothers. And it isn’t because he hangs out with them every weekend to play Soul Calibre 3 on Playstation. These three brothers were responsible for the letter of 1 Corinthians.

Back in Chapter 1, Paul who is away in Ephesus, hears about the situation in the church in Corinth through these brothers. They bring him the news about the problems and conflict going on back home. And now in Chapter 16, we see that Paul has written this letter of 1 Corinthians as a response and it is the brothers who are entrusted with carrying this letter all the way back to the church. The reason for this is very clear in verse 18, “For they refreshed my spirit and yours also.” Paul is saying: these men have made an impact on my life and yours. And even though, some of you have a big problem with me; some of you have a big problem with what I am saying in this letter; these brothers – Stephanas, Fortunatus and Archaicus – are there to bridge the gap. You know them and love them. I know them and I love them.

Here is an important reason why such brothers are so valuable in the church. It isn’t just because they are the ones who set up the chairs every week. It is because they display the integrity of the gospel. Even those who are offended by what they stand for cannot deny their love and service in Jesus.

Men: Don’t try to be Jerks for Jesus. In the name of passionate service for God it is easy for us guys to get carried away. Instead of being more like Jesus, we act more like jerks. We start bossing people around. We tell people off. We act tough. But all in the name of ministry. That isn’t ministry. And these aren’t these guys.

Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong. Do everything in love.

1 Corinthians 16:13-14

Verse 13, where it says “be men of courage”; it literally says, “Act like men.” And many men hear verse 13 like a call to war. Yeah, I be on my guard! Yeah, I’ll stand my ground! I will be a man – courageous and strong! That’s me all right.

They don’t hear verse 14. Do everything in love. Stephanas, Fortunatus and Archaicus are men – real men, who stand up for Paul and live out the gospel. But they have “devoted themselves to the service of the saints” (Verse 15). Meaning: they live to serve others.

Are you like these guys? Do you “refresh the spirits” of the people around you? Meaning: in your service, is it in love? Or do you just rub people the wrong way – all in the name of serving Jesus?

Every week, after Rock Fellowship, I get back and watch the Apprentice. It is very engaging. Some of the most talented, business-savvy individuals in competition with one another for a once-in-a-lifetime business deal with Lord Sugar. And each time I watch it, I am reminded how tempting it is to serve Jesus the way these young executives try to serve Lord Sugar. On the Apprentice, you don’t have friends. On the Apprentice, you use your friends to get ahead.

It reminds me of what Jesus said to his disciples:

Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave—just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Matthew 20:25-28

Jesus came not to be served. He came to serve us. That is how we see his greatness. God became a servant in humility and submission. The Son of Man gave his life. In the same way, those who serve Jesus – the word service (diakonia) is where we get the word, ministry – will serve their brothers and sisters in love and commitment.

And Paul says in this passage, these brothers and sisters – these servants – deserve recognition and respect.

The enterprising couple

The churches in the province of Asia send you greetings, Aquila and Priscilla greet you warmly in the Lord, and so does the church that meets in their house.

1 Corinthians 16:19

Aquila and Priscilla are, I think, the most godliest, exemplary, mission-minded married couple in the New Testament. They are mentioned 7 times in the bible; in Acts, Romans, Ephesians, 1 Corinthians and 2 Timothy.

Who are they? They weren’t missionaries. They weren’t preachers. They were not employed by the church. Instead, they ran a business making tents. It was a very successful business because they were able to afford houses in big cities like Rome, Ephesus and Corinth. That’s like having a condo in Hong Kong, a house in London and a villa in France. If you have three houses in three big cities, you are loaded!

And here in verse 19, we see what they used these houses for. Bible study. “The church that meets in their house,” Paul says, they say Hi. In each of these homes (there may be more, but these three at least we know of in the bible) Aquila and Priscilla said to the church, “Use this house as a place of fellowship, worship and ministry.” In other words, they had Rock Fellowship there every week. Or when J comes back on holiday from seminary, M will open her house to host a barbeque. Or when Q is leaving for HK, W invites all the youth to bake cakes and has a big farewell celebration.

My point is: all this is ministry. This is mission. Opening your homes and inviting people to come into your lives.

Now what’s the big deal? Look with me back at Acts 18. Do you remember Apollos, the academic? Well it says there in verse 26 that Aquila and Priscilla heard Apollos preaching. It must have been impressive – like listening to Mark Driscoll; full of passion and energy. Loads of scripture. But it was obvious also to them, that Apollos, as impressive as he was, didn’t yet know of the cross (Acts 18:25).

So what did they do? Did they rebuke him publicly? “You think you’re such a hot shot? Well, you don’t really know the full story about Jesus do you? You only know the baptism of John!” No. They didn’t do anything of the sort. Instead, we read:

When Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they invited him to their home and explained to him the way of God more adequately.

Acts 18:26

They invited Apollos home. They said to him, “Come over for tea and some jammie dodgers, and we would like to tell you more about what happened to Jesus when he died and rose again.” They used their home as a place of ministry. They didn’t bring Apollos to a church to hear a sermon (in fact, they were in the synagogue already). Instead, they invited Apollos to their house and witnessed to him there. And the result? The ancient equivalent of Billy Graham. Apollos continued to be a powerful witness for Jesus. Except now he was able to preach the gospel more faithfully and powerfully. Thanks to this married couple and their commitment to the gospel, and their generosity to others.

Could you use your home to serve Jesus? It is wonderful when you invite your friends over on Sunday to join us at the Chinese Church. But how about having them over to watch Wimbledon? How about hosting a VISA course in your apartment?

Hebrews 13 reminds us as Christians: “Do not forget to entertain strangers for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it” (Hebrews 13:12). The point is not that angels will turn up on your doorstep one day (though the author was thinking of Abraham when he welcomed God himself without knowing it at first). The point is: You don’t know. You don’t know how God will use that simple act of love and generosity to bring about a great deal of good and blessing. You could be witnessing to the next Apollos. He might be the next John Piper. She might be the next Helen Roseveare.

Aquila and Priscilla didn’t have to leave their jobs. They didn’t have to leave home. Instead, they used their jobs and they used their homes to serve Jesus. Paul says this is what ministry looks like.

No other name

Paul is giving credit where credit is due. He isn’t alone in ministry. Together with Apollos; together with Stephanas, Fortunatus and Archaicus (Or Steffi, Tuna and Archie); and together with Aquila and Priscilla – they all serve one Lord and one God: Jesus. As far as they are concerned, Jesus is the only name that matters in the end.

If anyone does not love the Lord—a curse be on him. Come, O Lord!

The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you.

My love to all of you in Christ Jesus. Amen.

1 Corinthians 16:22-24

It is all about Jesus. If you don’t love Jesus, then it doesn’t matter how big a success you are: You are an enemy of God and his judgement still stands against you. But if you love Jesus, you will serve him and want to see his name glorified and praised.

Father,

Help me to do everything in love.

In love for Jesus, who loved me

In love for my brothers and sisters,
the church for whom Jesus gave his life.

That in all things, Jesus will be glorified and made much of.

In His wonderful name I pray,

Amen