Latest / Admonition Podcast / The Character of a Faithful Servant - Aaron Cozort - April 19, 2026

Transcript

The Character of a Faithful Servant - Aaron Cozort - April 19, 2026 · Admonition Podcast

• 0:01
  In Acts chapter 16
• 0:04
  where we are introduced to a young man whose name is Timothy.
• 0:13
  He is one who is a Christian in the region of Derbe and Lystra.
• 0:21
  We read in chapter 16 of the book of Acts in verse 1 that he came to Derbe and Lystra, behold a certain disciple was there named Timothy, the son of a certain Jewish woman who
• 0:32
  believed, but his father was Greek.
• 0:34
  He was well spoken of by brethren who were at Lystra and Iconium.
• 0:39
  Paul wanted to have him go on with him and took him and circumcised him because of the Jews who were in that region.
• 0:45
  For they all knew that his father was Greek.
• 0:48
  And as they went through the cities, they delivered to them the decrees to keep, which were determined by the apostles and elders of Jerusalem.
• 0:56
  So the churches were strengthened in the faith and increased in number daily.
• 1:02
  This begins Timothy's travels with the apostle Paul.
• 1:09
  We're familiar with Timothy, or we should be if we've studied our New Testament, as we know that Paul will write two letters to Timothy.
• 1:18
  We know that Timothy will travel with Paul.
• 1:20
  Timothy will be sent by Paul to different regions.
• 1:24
  But what I want us to focus on is the character of a faithful servant as exhibited in the life of Timothy.
• 1:34
  not looking at all the different texts that have to do with Timothy, but rather one section in Philippians two.
• 1:42
  As Paul is sitting in a Roman prison, he is sitting in Rome, Timothy being present at times with him and then not at times because of him being sent out by Paul.
• 1:56
  But at this moment in time, Paul is going to write to the church at Philippi, and he is going to write to them, and he's going to tell them that he desires to send Timothy to
• 2:08
  them.
• 2:10
  And as I was looking at this passage, you know...
• 2:16
  Sometimes, let me just take a sidebar here and say this, sometimes when I'm preaching and I look out of the audience, I see somebody who's thinking about something other than what
• 2:28
  I'm preaching.
• 2:30
  and it doesn't bother me too much because there are times where someone else is preaching and I'm listening and they say something and then for a period of minutes my mind's
• 2:41
  somewhere else because they took me to a passage and suddenly I'm looking at the passage and go, wait a minute, there's a sermon right here.
• 2:49
  And so if you find one of my other Bibles, you'll find here in Philippians chapter two, a sermon outline that preaching this morning.
• 2:57
  that occurred to me as someone else was preaching about Philippians and about Timothy.
• 3:03
  And I'm like, wait a minute, what did Paul just say about Timothy in these verses?
• 3:08
  And truly, as you look at this, he outlines what it means to be a faithful servant, especially a faithful servant of our Lord Jesus Christ.
• 3:22
  So notice nine points.
• 3:25
  So we're not going to dwell on any of them.
• 3:27
  Nine points in this passage that Paul identifies in the character of Timothy that teach us what it means to be faithful to Christ.
• 3:38
  Number one, we find in Philippians chapter two, verse 19, and it is a willing spirit.
• 3:46
  You turn to Philippians chapter two, beginning in verse 19, Paul writes, but I trust in the Lord to send Timothy to you shortly.
• 3:53
  that I also may be encouraged when I know your state." Going all the way back to Acts chapter 16, when Paul was first introduced to Timothy, the thing and the characteristic
• 4:05
  that you see in Timothy is his willingness to go, his willingness to be sent, his willingness to do the work.
• 4:15
  He had a willing spirit.
• 4:19
  He was not one who every time he was presented with an opportunity had an excuse why he couldn't.
• 4:27
  He was not one who endeavored to find a reason why he couldn't go.
• 4:32
  You remember when Moses was spoken to by God from the burning bush there in Exodus chapter three and Exodus chapter four, as God gave him sign after sign that God was going to send
• 4:46
  him to Egypt.
• 4:48
  to stand before Pharaoh, to tell Pharaoh to allow his people to go, to do the work that interestingly Moses thought he was supposed to do 40 years ago.
• 4:59
  During that conversation, Moses comes up with excuse after excuse after excuse why he shouldn't be the one to go before he finally says to the Lord, can you send somebody else?
• 5:16
  That wasn't Timothy.
• 5:19
  Timothy exhibited a willingness to go where others would not, to go when others would stay.
• 5:31
  He had a willing spirit.
• 5:35
  And Paul writes to the church at Philippi, a congregation that had supported Paul, had worked with Paul, had helped Paul, and that loved Paul.
• 5:47
  that Paul was going send Timothy back who they also loved.
• 5:54
  but notice as well.
• 5:57
  He lived a trustworthy life.
• 6:02
  As Paul sends word to the church at Philippi that he desires to send Timothy to them shortly, he desires to send Timothy so that he may be encouraged to know their state.
• 6:19
  One of the things that's true is we live in a time where we know about the current events of the lives of all sorts of people.
• 6:29
  People we haven't seen in years.
• 6:33
  We see on social media what they're doing.
• 6:35
  We know where they're traveling, know how their kids are, know how their grandkids are.
• 6:39
  We haven't even talked to them.
• 6:41
  We know all about what they're doing.
• 6:47
  But Paul didn't know how the church at Philippi was doing.
• 6:54
  Other than the last communication that he had received from them.
• 6:57
  And in Paul's day, that communication traveled much, much slower.
• 7:04
  So Paul had gotten word from Epaphroditus when Epaphroditus had come, but Paul wanted to send Timothy back so that he could be encouraged about the state of the church in
• 7:15
  Philippi.
• 7:16
  that it was remaining strong, it was remaining faithful.
• 7:19
  Well, if you want to find out how someone is doing, you better send someone who's going to come back and tell you the truth.
• 7:31
  So Paul was going to send Timothy because Paul knew that whatever report he received back from Timothy was going to be the truth.
• 7:42
  Timothy was trustworthy.
• 7:44
  He was able to be entrusted with a mission that was near and dear to Paul's heart, and he was able to be trusted that whatever report he brought back would be accurate.
• 7:56
  is you consider the life and the character of a faithful servant of God.
• 8:04
  It is a person with a willingness to do the work of God.
• 8:08
  It is a person who lives a trustworthy life.
• 8:14
  But then consider number three.
• 8:16
  Paul writes concerning Timothy that he had a like-minded heart.
• 8:23
  Paul will write about this young man and say, I don't have anybody else who's quite as in tune with me as Timothy is.
• 8:35
  Notice what he says in Philippians chapter two in verse 20, for I have no one like-minded who will sincerely care for your state.
• 8:49
  Timothy was truly exceptional.
• 8:51
  He was exceptional.
• 8:53
  because he lived out in faithfulness the model of Paul.
• 9:01
  It's one thing to teach people.
• 9:05
  It's a whole other thing entirely to care about those people.
• 9:11
  We teach people sometimes that we don't even know, that we have no close relationship with, but Paul exhibited in his life a tender love, care, and concern.
• 9:22
  even for churches that were maligning him.
• 9:28
  Paul would write in 2 Corinthians, he writes to the church at Corinth that was allowing people to come in and say, Paul's not an apostle, Paul has no authority, and they're
• 9:39
  listening to these people.
• 9:42
  Paul will go down a list of the things that he had endured and hardships for the cause of Christ, and at the end of that list he says, the care of all the churches.
• 9:55
  Paul writes to the church at Corinth, one that he had a very complicated relationship with.
• 10:02
  He points out how much he cares for them.
• 10:06
  And Timothy was like-minded with Paul and that he cared deeply, sincerely, honestly for the church.
• 10:20
  It's so sad when ministers go out from us and they start proclaiming a message of Christ, but not the church.
• 10:31
  They want to declare Christ, but not His Kingdom.
• 10:36
  They want to talk about Christ, but not His people.
• 10:40
  They want to encourage people to be saved by Christ, but not added into the kingdom of His dear Son.
• 10:47
  They want to talk about anything except the Church.
• 10:54
  That wasn't Timothy.
• 10:56
  Timothy was like-minded with Paul that he cared deeply for the church.
• 11:03
  But then consider number four, that he was genuine in his care for others.
• 11:09
  Paul will write, as we just read concerning Timothy, that he sincerely, as the New King James puts it, genuinely cared.
• 11:22
  At times in our lives we go through scenarios where we're busy doing other things.
• 11:31
  We're focused on something of priority and importance and someone comes up and they say, hi, and we say, hi, how are you?
• 11:40
  And our entire focus is on the thing we were already doing.
• 11:44
  And they say, whatever they said, we don't even hear it.
• 11:50
  Now, that's an example of maybe a bad tendency, but if we lived our entire lives that way, if our care for everyone around us, if our care for our brethren was only a surface level
• 12:09
  care.
• 12:11
  If we desire to know how they were and then we find out that they're absolutely in pain and misery and difficulty and they need desperate help and we go well be warmed and filled
• 12:24
  and move on.
• 12:28
  James says, that's not pure and undefiled religion before God.
• 12:34
  That's not what it means to be Christ-like.
• 12:37
  That's not what it means to be a Christian.
• 12:39
  Timothy exhibited a genuine care for the church, a sincerity of heart that said he wanted the best for this congregation, and I guarantee you it was not the only congregation he
• 12:54
  felt that way about.
• 12:59
  Paul will tell us that if we're going to be faithful, we've got to move beyond the surface.
• 13:07
  We've got to move beyond the casual.
• 13:10
  We've got to move beyond that which costs us nothing.
• 13:16
  to a care and a concern for one another that is deep and genuine.
• 13:22
  But then consider number five, that Paul will say concerning Timothy, that Timothy had Christ-centered priorities.
• 13:33
  You go back to verse 19 and he says, I trust in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you shortly, that I may also be encouraged when I know your state, for I have no one
• 13:42
  like-minded who will sincerely care for your state.
• 13:45
  for all seek their own, not the things which are of Christ Jesus.
• 13:54
  Paul says, I've dealt with a lot of people.
• 13:57
  I've known a lot of teachers.
• 14:00
  I know a whole lot of people who I could send to you, but I'm gonna send Timothy to you because in Timothy's life, Christ comes first.
• 14:10
  In Timothy's life, his priorities are properly set.
• 14:17
  Now that doesn't mean that every person who has Christ as a highest priority has to become a missionary, has to travel around with Paul.
• 14:24
  That wasn't Paul's point.
• 14:26
  Paul's point was when he looked at Timothy, Timothy didn't ask, what about me?
• 14:33
  Timothy asked, what about Christ?
• 14:37
  Timothy didn't look at his life and say, wait a minute, what do I want?
• 14:41
  Timothy looked at his life and said, what would Christ have me to do?
• 14:50
  if the church was filled with more Timothes.
• 14:57
  there wouldn't be a brotherhood work that didn't have enough financial resources to do their work.
• 15:03
  If the church was filled with more Timothes, there wouldn't be an empty seat in a school of preaching.
• 15:11
  if the church was filled with more Timothes, there wouldn't be a Bible class in need of a teacher, for there would be one.
• 15:22
  If the church was filled with more Timothes, there wouldn't be any empty pulpits.
• 15:27
  There wouldn't be a lack of elders.
• 15:30
  There wouldn't be an absence of those willing to work and evangelize if the church was filled with more Timothes because there would be people who would say, not, what do I
• 15:41
  want?
• 15:43
  What does Christ want?
• 15:47
  Timothy was one who sought the things of Christ.
• 15:54
  Now that's not unique to teachers.
• 15:57
  It's not unique to preachers.
• 15:59
  What did Jesus say?
• 16:00
  Matthew chapter 6 verse 33, seek those things which are above.
• 16:06
  Jesus will tell his disciples to seek first the kingdom of heaven and all these other things shall be added unto you.
• 16:16
  Did Timothy go through hard times?
• 16:18
  yeah, he did.
• 16:20
  In 1 Timothy, Paul is going to write to Timothy and he is going to describe the difficulties that are going to arise and the things that he is going to endure as he is
• 16:29
  teaching and preaching there in Ephesus.
• 16:31
  And when you get to 2 Timothy, Timothy is in crisis.
• 16:36
  Timothy is near giving up.
• 16:40
  Timothy is in tears because of the scenario that he finds himself in and Paul's writing to him to carry on.
• 16:50
  The fact that someone puts Christ as the determining factor in their life does not mean their life will always be easy or the decisions they have to make will always be simple.
• 17:03
  Timothy exhibited faithfulness as a servant, and that he did not consider what it was for him that he should do, but what it was for Christ.
• 17:16
  Then consider number six.
• 17:19
  He had a proven character, proven through testing.
• 17:25
  As Paul...
• 17:27
  writes concerning Timothy, he says, for all seek their own, not the things which are of Christ.
• 17:31
  But you know, he writes to the church of Philippi, you know his proven character, that as a son with his father he served with me in the gospel.
• 17:46
  Paul will write concerning this young man and he will say, listen, I'm gonna send Timothy back to you because he cares for the church genuinely, just like I do.
• 18:01
  Because I want to be encouraged to hear about your state, but also because you know Timothy and you know he's proven himself.
• 18:13
  over and over and over again as Timothy has remained with Paul, as he has served with Paul.
• 18:20
  Paul says, no one has been with me like Timothy.
• 18:26
  and how he has proven himself again and again and again.
• 18:33
  Paul again would write to the Corinthian brethren in 1 Corinthians chapter 11, and he would write to them to follow me as I also follow Christ.
• 18:46
  And Timothy lived out that message.
• 18:50
  Timothy followed the example of Paul.
• 18:52
  Paul as he wrote to Timothy,
• 18:54
  would remind him concerning the things which he had already been taught and the things which Paul had taught him privately and the things which Paul had taught him publicly.
• 19:06
  Timothy was one who was listening and was fervent in his desire to know how to live and how to serve and he followed Paul's example.
• 19:19
  Paul said to the church of Philippi, you witnessed it and it hasn't changed.
• 19:27
  We're going to be faithful servants of Jesus Christ.
• 19:31
  Our faithfulness must not be a whim.
• 19:36
  Our faithfulness must not be something that flutters in and out with the breeze.
• 19:42
  Our faithfulness and our service to God must not be that which is easy when life and times are easy and absent when difficulties arise.
• 19:55
  Our faithfulness to Christ, our faithfulness to His kingdom, our faithfulness to service must be, as Paul writes to Timothy, instant in season and out of season.
• 20:09
  That is constant and unchanging, always present.
• 20:15
  As Paul said, he was.
• 20:18
  Then consider number seven.
• 20:21
  Timothy was one who was humble, uh
• 20:24
  in service.
• 20:26
  He had humility in his service.
• 20:29
  Notice Paul writes, but you know, verse 22, his proven character that as a son with his father, he served with me in the gospel.
• 20:43
  Timothy, after he joined with Paul in Acts chapter 16, would travel with Paul over years.
• 20:54
  And you want to know what typically happens with young people over years.
• 20:58
  They start off humble.
• 21:00
  They start off knowing, I don't know anything.
• 21:02
  They start off willing to learn and then they get too big for their britches.
• 21:09
  and they think they know everything.
• 21:11
  And they've got it all figured out.
• 21:12
  I don't need that old man anymore.
• 21:14
  That wasn't Timothy.
• 21:17
  Paul writes concerning Timothy that his continued action year after year after year on these journeys with Paul was to behave as a son to a father.
• 21:32
  to be one who went where he was told, did what he was told, uh helped where he could, served where he was able, and functioned with adoration and admiration to Paul.
• 21:50
  Paul is going to say, here's my son, my son in the faith, his name is Timothy.
• 22:01
  Paul is going to describe the humility with which Timothy operated
• 22:10
  and that was unchanging.
• 22:12
  It was constant in his actions and his service.
• 22:18
  Timothy was willing to submit himself.
• 22:22
  Timothy didn't say, you know what, Paul, I've got my own ministry to be active in.
• 22:27
  I'm starting my own thing don't need your instructions on where to go.
• 22:32
  I'm not going to be sent by you.
• 22:34
  I'm going to do what I want to No.
• 22:39
  All the way up until the end of Paul's life.
• 22:43
  At time when Paul and Timothy were separated and Timothy, by and large, was operating on his own, Paul will write in 2 Timothy chapter 4 as he's nearing the end of his life for
• 22:56
  Timothy to come to him
• 23:01
  and to bring his cloak
• 23:04
  and to bring the Scriptures, the parchments, and all indications of Scripture is that Timothy did exactly as he was instructed by Paul all the way up to the end of Paul's life
• 23:19
  because he was humble in service.
• 23:23
  But then consider number eight.
• 23:25
  Timothy was committed to the gospel.
• 23:29
  Once again, in verse 22, he says, but you know his proven character that as a son with his father, he served with me in the gospel.
• 23:42
  The good news, the declaration of the message of Jesus Christ, that message
• 23:49
  that Paul said he proclaimed faithfully that Jesus Christ came to this earth, lived and died and was buried and was resurrected and ascended back into heaven that we might have
• 24:02
  the hope of eternal life.
• 24:06
  And Timothy didn't just serve Paul.
• 24:09
  Timothy wasn't a bond servant to Paul.
• 24:12
  Timothy wasn't enslaved to Paul.
• 24:14
  Timothy was a bond servant to Christ.
• 24:20
  and he declared faithfully the message.
• 24:26
  Again, Paul in 2 Timothy chapter 4 would write to Timothy and charge him to preach the word, be instant in season, out of season, reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long suffering
• 24:39
  and doctrine for the time will come where they will not endure sound doctrine but will heap unto themselves teachers having itching ears.
• 24:48
  Paul writes to Timothy and he says, never change the message.
• 24:57
  no matter what people want to hear.
• 24:59
  No matter whether they all leave, no matter whether the room you're talking to has got one person in it or a million people in it, you don't change the message.
• 25:11
  because the message doesn't belong to you.
• 25:13
  It belongs to God.
• 25:16
  Paul said that as a faithful servant, Timothy was committed to the gospel.
• 25:25
  And you say, well, Aaron, does that mean I need to quit my job?
• 25:28
  Does that mean I need to go live on a foreign land?
• 25:31
  Does that mean I need to live in a hut in Africa somewhere in order to be committed to the gospel?
• 25:36
  No.
• 25:39
  It means wherever you are, in whatever state you're in, whatever period of life you find yourself, whatever opportunity that you have, you will declare the truth of the Word of
• 25:55
  God.
• 25:57
  You will stand firm for the doctrine of Jesus Christ.
• 26:02
  You will hold fast to it and not your opinion.
• 26:06
  You will proclaim it and not fables.
• 26:09
  You will declare the truth of it, and you will never turn from the right hand or to the left.
• 26:17
  because your commitment is to the message of Jesus Christ.
• 26:25
  Then consider number nine.
• 26:28
  Paul will write that Timothy was valuable.
• 26:34
  He was valuable to spiritual leadership.
• 26:38
  He was valuable to Paul.
• 26:40
  As Paul writes to this church which he loves, this church which had sent him support,
• 26:45
  this church which he was concerned about, this church that he earnestly desired to hear their state so that he could be encouraged, he will go ahead and notate that I'm not
• 26:54
  sending Timothy until I'm done with it.
• 27:00
  Paul will say, verse 23, therefore I hope to send him at once as soon as I see how it goes with me.
• 27:11
  But I trust in the Lord that I myself shall also come shortly.
• 27:16
  Paul's going to tell the church at Philippi, I'm going to send Timothy after I know what's happening here.
• 27:26
  If you have a tool that is useless, you don't care if you've got it with you or not.
• 27:34
  It's useless.
• 27:36
  I've got a lot of tools, and if they're broken, they're useless.
• 27:43
  If they don't work right, no point in carrying them.
• 27:48
  If they don't function for the job, no point in having them.
• 27:54
  It's kind of like,
• 27:55
  when you go into that drawer and you grab the tape, you know, the tape that's been in the drawer for like 10 years, and it got all hot and it congealed together, and now it'll
• 28:10
  stick to nothing except itself.
• 28:13
  You can't get it off by the time you get it off, you put it on something, it won't even hold it together.
• 28:18
  It's worthless.
• 28:21
  If you're like, well, do I want to keep it or get rid of it?
• 28:24
  Get rid of it.
• 28:24
  Why?
• 28:25
  It's worthless.
• 28:28
  Not Timothy.
• 28:30
  Paul said, I'm going to send him to you right after I'm done with him because he was valuable.
• 28:38
  He had value to the work of Paul.
• 28:43
  And Paul is going to make sure of his state before he sends Timothy to somebody else.
• 28:51
  Paul valued Timothy.
• 28:55
  He valued the work he could do, the effort that he could put forth, the labor that he could accomplish, because at the time that Paul's writing this, he's sitting in prison.
• 29:06
  There's only so far Paul can go.
• 29:10
  There's a limitation to who Paul can see.
• 29:13
  There's a limitation of the work Paul can accomplish.
• 29:15
  So he needs someone who can go for him, even locally.
• 29:21
  And that's what Timothy was doing.
• 29:24
  So Paul says, I'm going to see how it goes with me before I send him to you.
• 29:32
  the characteristics of a faithful servant.
• 29:37
  They're not mind-blowing.
• 29:41
  They're not the characteristics of some above-human hero or God.
• 29:51
  They're the characteristics of faithfulness.
• 29:54
  And they're exhibited in the life of a young man named Timothy.
• 29:59
  But as Paul writes about Timothy, he could be writing about any one of us if we were willing to exhibit the characteristics of Timothy.
• 30:12
  so as you consider your life.
• 30:15
  Paul will write to Timothy in 2 Timothy chapter 2 and in verse 2 that the things which Paul had taught Timothy, Timothy was now charged to commit to other faithful men.
• 30:32
  who would be able to teach others also.
• 30:36
  Paul says, Timothy, can't die with you.
• 30:40
  It can't stop with you.
• 30:42
  You know what I taught you.
• 30:43
  Now you've got to go teach others.
• 30:47
  But here's the shining characteristic that you've got to look for as you decide who to teach, Timothy.
• 30:53
  They must be faithful.
• 30:56
  They must be willing to live the same life you've lived.
• 31:02
  They must care for the Body of Christ.
• 31:06
  They must genuinely care for the Body of Christ.
• 31:10
  They must be humble.
• 31:14
  They must be willing to serve.
• 31:17
  They must be committed to the Gospel.
• 31:20
  They must be those who are trustworthy.
• 31:24
  They must be those
• 31:27
  are valuable.
• 31:29
  And you've got to hand the gospel to them so they can hand it to others.
• 31:36
  that faithful character of Timothy encourages us, exhorts us.
• 31:44
  Perhaps it rebukes us if we are not of such character.
• 31:50
  If you're here this morning and you're outside the body of Christ, this message was not primarily intended for you.
• 31:58
  For in order to be faithful to Christ, you must first be willing to submit to Christ.
• 32:04
  Timothy was.
• 32:06
  Back in Acts chapter 16, we read that there was a disciple there in Derbe.
• 32:15
  And that disciple's name was Timothy.
• 32:18
  That meant he had already been obedient to Christ.
• 32:20
  He was a Christian.
• 32:23
  So what did he do to begin his journey of faithfulness?
• 32:26
  He heard the Word of God and believed it.
• 32:29
  He repented of his sins and confessed the name of Christ, and he was immersed in water for the remission of his sins that he might rise to walk in newness of life.
• 32:37
  But he didn't determine that to be the end.
• 32:39
  He determined that to be the beginning.
• 32:42
  And then he lived faithful unto death.
• 32:46
  If you have need of the invitation of Jesus Christ, either to put him on in baptism or to once again become faithful to him, why not follow Timothy's example?
• 32:59
  and be committed to the gospel no matter what comes.
• 33:02
  If you have need of the invitation, why not