God's Mission for Ordinary People

This summer, we’ve been exploring the second generation of Christians in the New Testament - not those who walked with Jesus on the Sea of Galilee, but those who came after. These are people we can relate to more easily, as they didn’t witness Jesus’ miracles firsthand.

During the first 30 years of the New Testament era, faith in Jesus brought hope to both the Roman and Jewish worlds. The church was growing at an astonishing rate - about 300% per decade. For every believer at the beginning of a decade, they shared their faith with three others who then shared with three more.

Despite facing persecution and internal challenges, the early church flourished because they understood three fundamental truths:

• Jesus Christ is at the center of it all

• The church is Jesus’ body - his hands and feet making a difference in the world

• Believers are God’s family and the holy temple where His Spirit dwells

Who Was Timothy and Why Does His Story Matter?

Paul’s final letter, written from a Roman dungeon while awaiting execution, was addressed to Timothy. This wasn’t just a casual correspondence -  it was a deeply personal letter from a spiritual father to his “dear son” in the faith.

Timothy wasn’t a superhero. He was young, timid, and faced enormous challenges:

• He had a mixed heritage (Greek father, Jewish mother)

• He struggled with anxiety

• He was tasked with fixing church problems he didn’t create

• He faced opposition and abandonment

Yet God used him powerfully. Timothy traveled extensively with Paul for about 15 years, bringing the countercultural message of Christ to people throughout the Roman world. When Paul was imprisoned or expelled from cities, Timothy was the one sent to strengthen the churches Paul had to leave behind.

What Can We Learn from Timothy’s Relationship with Paul?

Their relationship reminds us of great partnership throughout history and pop culture - Batman and Robin, Frodo and Sam, Shrek and Donkey. But being a “sidekick” can sometimes feel like being sidelined.

Have you ever felt like you were failing at something God called you to do? Whether as a parent, friend, or follower of Jesus? Timothy is your guy. He wasn’t perfect, but God used him anyway.

In his letter, Paul addresses Timothy with deep affection:

• “My dear son”

• “I thank God as I remember you constantly in my prayers”

• “I remember your sincere faith”

• “Fan into flame the gift of God”

Paul doesn’t start with rebuke but with love. He acknowledges Timothy’s tears and struggles while reminding him of the faith that lives within him.

How Do We Overcome Fear in Our Spiritual Journey?

“For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and love and self-discipline.” (2 Timothy 1:7)

Fear is a God-given emotion designed to last about 20 seconds - just long enough to alert us in danger. But when we hang onto it, fear turns into anxiety and becomes bigger than our faith.

The Holy Spirit will never condemn you. Condemnation says, “You’re nothing, you can’t do anything.” That’s not from God. The Holy Spirit convicts, but never condemns.

Paul didn’t send Timothy an inspirational coffee mug with a slogan - he sent him a command. Don’t let fear stop you. Fear will lie to you, whispering that you’re not enough, you’re too young, you can’t make a difference.

What God gives instead is:

• Power (dunamis - like dynamite)

• Love

• Self- discipline

What Does It Mean to Start Again After Failure?

In 2 Timothy 2:1-2, Paul writes: “You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others.”

Even after everyone had abandoned Timothy, Paul tells him to start again. God doesn’t call us to quit; He calls us to begin again.

The word Paul uses for “entrust” (paratithemi) means “to place something right next to someone.” Don’t direct from a distance - come close and invest your life up close. This is how Good changes the world through relationships.

In the simple verse, we see four generations of faith:

• Paul to Timothy

• Timothy to reliable people

• Those reliable people to others

Some of us have stopped trusting people because we’ve been burned. Timothy was burned too, but Paul reminded him he still had a job to do - not because he was healed or felt strong, but because he was sent.

What Does It Mean to Live a “Sent” Life?

The word “apostle” literally means “sent one.” Throughout Scripture, we see this pattern of being sent:

God told Jeremiah: “You must go to everyone I send you”

Jesus said: “As the Father has sent me, I am sending you”

Paul wrote: “We are Christ’s ambassadors”

This identity wasn’t just for Paul or the original apostles - it was for second - generation believers like Timothy and now for us. If you’re a follower of Jesus, you are sent:

• To your workplace

• To your neighborhood

• To your school

• To your family

It’s no accident you’re where you are. God has placed you there with purpose.

How Do We Live a Sent Life in Practical Terms?

• Prepare - Feed your faith through Bible study and prayer

• Ask - When in a situation, ask “Lord, why am I here?”

• Look around - Who needs to know you’re there?

• Be present - Don’t just look past people

• Be bold and kind - Sometimes all it takes is a conversation

God isn’t looking for your resume; He’s looking for your “yes.”

Can One Person Really Make a Difference?

Consider the story of Mordecai Ham, a tent revival preacher in 1930s. In 1934, two 14-year-old boys walked by his revival in Charlotte, North Carolina. Seeing no available seats, they started to leave wen an unnamed usher ran after them and found them seats.

Those boys were Billy Graham and Grady Wilson. Billy would go on to preach to millions, while Grady helped organize his crusades. But none of it would have happened without that anonymous usher who refused to let two teenagers walk away.

Your job isn’t to change the world - that’s God’s job. Your job is to change someone’s world.

Life Application

This week, consider how you might be “sent” to the places and people in your life:

• Where has fear been holding you back from what God is calling you to do? Remember that God has not given you a spirit of fear, but power, love, and self-discipline.

• Is there someone you need to “run after” like that usher did with Billy Graham? Someone walking away who needs you to make space for them?

• What gift do you need to “fan into flame” that God has placed within you?

• Who are the “reliable people” God is calling you to invest in, coming alongside them rather than directing from a distance?

• In what specific situation this week can you ask, “Lord, who needs to know you are here through me?”

Don’t settle for being sidelined by fear. Like Timothy - tired, timid, but faithful - you are sent with purpose. Your job isn’t to be perfect, but to be present, faithful, and bold in the grace of Christ.