Recently Rico Tice and I visited Southern Poland for the launch of the polish edition of Christianity Explored. You can view the photos of the conference, Szukajac Boga, of the community of Beilsko Bala as well as photos taken on the road from Katowice.
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| Celebrating the end of the conference with a BBQ |
Introduction to 1 Timothy from Stephen Sizer on Vimeo.
Thirty seven years ago next month I became a fresher at Sussex University. I was just settling into my new room when two American missionaries with Campus Crusade for Christ knocked on my door. Was I interested in doing a survey on religious opinions? I was. We met again a few weeks later and they led me to Christ, for which I will forever be grateful.
They recommended a good church where the Bible was taught and I began attending every Sunday. Another soul won for the Kingdom. Mission accomplished. Job done? No, not quite. In fact, definitely not. This is not what Jesus commanded his disciples to do in the Great Commission. Because this is not the way to reach the world for Christ. Jesus said,
“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18-20)
What did Jesus instruct his disciples to do? Make disciples.
What were they to do? “teach them everything Jesus taught them. Right? Wrong. That is not what Jesus told them to do. He said “Teaching them to obey everything I commanded you…” The Church is a body. It is not just a mouth. We need to put the hands and feet back on the body of Christ.
When Trent led me to Christ that was only the beginning of his responsibility for me. You see we are born to reproduce. After I became a Christian, we met weekly for Bible study and prayer. We went out witnessing together and I learnt how to share my faith from him. He discipled me. After a year, he weaned me off my dependency on him by leaving the country.
Before he left, he wrote in my Bible, “Several guys, mainly one, shared with me about the love of God found in Christ. It changed my life. I shared that message with you and it changed yours. Don’t let it stop with you, pass it on.” I began to meet with one of his colleagues for Bible study and prayer and together we shared our faith, led students to Christ, took them through some basic Bible studies, showed them how to feed themselves, took them to a good church, took them out with us to share our faith, led other students to Christ, let them lead the basic Bible studies and they began reproducing themselves as well. Trent continued writing me letters from Easter Europe, like the one Paul wrote Timothy. He challenged me to work with him.
Over the years I made numerous trips behind the Iron Curtain to help Christians become disciple makers. In May this year I went back to Beilsko Bala, in Poland – the venue of my first trip in the mid 1970s. This time we were training church leaders to use the CE course.
There are two models of church growth. One that works and one that doesn’t. One that Jesus endorsed and one that many churches employ. The difference? It’s the difference between addition and multiplication. The difference between encouraging discipleship and encouraging dependency. Jesus said “make disciples” or “multiply disciples”. He did not say “add dependents” but that is what we do most of the time. The Church will never fulfil the Great Commission this way.
Let me illustrate. If the 12 Apostles had all been as fruitful as Billy Graham and each led a Crusade mission reaching 5,000 people every day, five days a week, for 50 weeks of the year, for 50 years, how many people would they reach for Christ? 750 million people. And the world’s population is? 6 billion. But if each of those Apostles shared their faith with one person a day and saw one person come to faith in six months but during the next six months discipled them and so that the 24 shared their faith with one person a day and saw one person come to faith in the next six months, how many people would have heard the gospel in a year? 6480. How many believers would there be after one year? 48. And if those 48 disciples shared their faith with one person a day and led one person to faith in Jesus in the next six months and in turn discipled them over the next six months as Jesus instructs, how many would have heard the gospel in two years? 32,688. How many believers would there be after two years? 192. After 5 years how many would have heard the gospel? 780,000. How many believers? 94,000. Using this simple method, the numbers hearing the gospel and the number brought to faith in Jesus double every six months. After 50 years how many people in the world will have heard the gospel? It would not take 50 years. Every person in the world would have heard the gospel within about 18 years – less than half a generation.
Why hasn’t it happened then? Partly because of isolation, distances involved, war and language barriers which still inhibit the proclamation of the gospel – but the greatest impediment is not linguistic, its not lack of technology or the fault of geography. It’s because the Church is largely content with addition instead of multiplication. Content with encouraging dependency rather than discipleship. That is why our mission statement is to know Jesus and make Jesus known, to win, build and send. And that is why we are going to study Paul’s these Sunday evenings in the Autumn.
The Recipient of 1 Timothy
The assumption in 1 Timothy, made explicit in Paul’s second letter is that they were in the disciple training business.
“And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others.” (2 Timothy 2:2).
On the back of Time and Newsweek, there’s often an advert for Patek Philippe watches. The photograph shows a father playing with his son and the slogan says “You never actually own a Patek Philippe. You merely look after it for the next generation.” That is what Paul is saying about the gospel in 1 Timothy.
The church does not own the gospel. We are to guard it and share it with the next generation. Paul urges Timothy over and over again to remain faithful to what he had taught him (1:18; 5:12–16, 21; 6:11–13). The letter concludes with Paul’s heartfelt cry: “Timothy! Guard what was committed to your trust” (6:20).
We know Timothy was taught the Scripture from early childhood by his mother Eunice and his grandmother Lois (2 Tim. 3:15). He was born of a Jewish mother and a pagan Greek father (Acts 16:1). He was saved during Paul’s ministry in Lystra during his first missionary journey (Acts 14:6-23). Timothy was probably a teenage boy at the time. He became Paul’s disciple, his friend and co-worker.
The words “my true son in the faith” (v2) denote his affinity or legitimate spiritual birth. By the time this letter is written Timothy has been Paul’s constant companion for fifteen years. He has frequently served as Paul’s trouble-shooter and as such was sent to Corinth (1 Cor. 4:17), to Thessalonica (1 Thess. 3:2), Philippi (Phil 2:19) and now Ephesus. He is probably in early to middle thirties by this point in his life. In many ways I think this letter resonates with us because we can identify with Timothy. First, he is not some kind of super-saint but a young man with real problems and yet used greatly by the Lord. Timothy considered himself inexperienced, insecure about the burdens and responsibilities being expected of him. Do you feel like that? I do.
If that is what is inhibiting you from active service for Christ then this letter is for you, this series is for you. Second, Timothy was also by disposition not an outgoing man but by temperament shy and needing affirmation. (2 Tim 1:7). Third, Timothy did not seem to enjoy great physical health.
He suffered from some kind of reoccurring problem with his stomach. (5:23). So this letter is intended as an encouragement, to motivate and challenge Timothy to remain faithful to his commission. In effect, this letter is Timothy’s charge from his teacher and mentor, the apostle Paul. The recipient of 1 Timothy.
The Purpose of 1 Timothy
The central purpose of First Timothy is found in 1:3 and 3:15:
“As I urged you when I went into Macedonia, stay there in Ephesus so that you may command certain men not to teach false doctrines any longer.” (1 Timothy 1:3).
“if I am delayed, you will know how people ought to conduct themselves in God’s household, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth. (1 Timothy 3:15)
A primary focus of the letter concerns false teaching and its devastating effects. The letter as a whole is bracketed by discussion of the false teaching, and the positive instruction is crafted in direct contrast to the false teachers. The false teaching apparently involved speculation about the law (1:7–11) and asceticism (4:1–5). Paul’s real concern is with the results of the false teaching—for example, promoting speculations (1:4; 6:4), arrogance (6:4), and greed (6:5–10). Paul addresses the content of the false teaching only in passing but focuses on the fact that true Christianity is evidenced by lifestyles shaped by the gospel. Those whose lives are not shaped by the gospel show that they have turned away from the faith (1:6, 19–20; 4:1; 5:6, 8, 11–12, 15; 6:9–10). 1 Timothy is then a clear call for the church to live out in tangible ways the ethical implications of the gospel. The church is God’s primary vehicle for accomplishing His work on earth (see Matt. 16:18–20). The local church is the hope of the world.
The recipient of 1 Timothy. The purpose of 1 Timothy.
The Key Themes of 1 Timothy
1. The gospel produces holiness in the lives of believers, and there is no legitimate separation between belief and behaviour. Thus, those who profess faith but do not demonstrate any progress in godliness should question their spiritual state.1:5; 2:8–15; 3:1–16; 4:6–16; 5:4–6, 8; 6:3–5, 11–14, 18–19
2. Worldwide evangelization is essential and is rooted in God’s own evangelistic desire.1:15; 2:1–7; 3:16; 4:10
3. One key evidence of reception of the gospel is proper behaviour in corporate worship (evangelistic prayer, unity, modesty, and submission).2:1–15
4. Church leaders should be people whose lives are shaped by the gospel.3:1–13; 4:6–16
5. Appropriate honour is a key element in how Christians should relate to one another in the church.5:1–6:2
6. The created order (e.g., wealth) is good and is to be appreciated, though not worshiped.4:4–5; 6:17–19
7. It is important to labour for the purity and preservation of the gospel.1:3–7, 18–20; 4:6–16; 6:2b–3, 12, 20–21
These are the core themes we shall address in the following weeks. For now, here is an outline of 1 Timothy.
An Outline of 1 Timothy
1. The Church’s doctrine (1:3-20)
2. The Church’s worship (2:1-15)
3. The Church’s church leadership (3:1-16)
4. The Church’s moral behaviour (4:1-10)
5. The Church’s social responsibilities (5:3-6:2)
6. The Church’s attitude towards possessions (6:3-21)
In more detail:
A. The Church and its Message – Ch. 1
1. Teaching sound doctrine – (vv. 1-11)
2. Proclaiming the Gospel – (vv. 12-17)
3. Defending the faith – (vv. 18-20)
B. The Church and its Members – Ch. 2-3
1. Praying men – (2:1-8)
2. Submitting women – (2:9-15)
3. Qualified pastors – (3:1-7)
4. Qualified deacons – (3:8-13)
5. Behaving believers – (3:14-16)
C. The Church and its Minister – Ch. 4
1. A good minister, preaching the Word – (vv. 1-6)
2. A godly minister, practicing the Word – (vv. 7-12)
3. A growing minister, progressing in the Word – (vv. 13-16)
D. The Church and its Ministry – Ch. 5-6
1. To older members – (5:1-2)
2. To older widows – (5:3-10)
3. To younger widows – (5:11-16)
4. To church officers – (5:17-25)
5. To servants (slaves) – (6:1-2)
6. To false teachers – (6:3-10)
7. To the pastor – (6:11-16, 20-21)
8. To the rich – (6:17-19)
This is where we are headed over the next few months these Sunday evenings. I invite you to read 1 Timothy with me on Sunday afternoons each week. If you want to read a commentary alongside your Bible, I recommend John Stott’s in the IVP Bible Speaks Today series. On Monday, December 29, 1913, an article appeared on page 6 of the Times newspaper.
Sir,–It has been an open secret for some time past that I have been desirous of leading another expedition to the South Polar regions.
I am glad now to be able to state that, through the generosity of a friend, I can announce that an expedition will start next year with the object of crossing the South Polar continent from sea to sea.
I have taken the liberty of calling the expedition “The Imperial Trans Antarctic Expedition,” because I feel that not only the people of these islands, but our kinsmen in all the lands under the Union Jack will be willing to assist towards the carrying out of the full programme of exploration to which my comrades and myself are pledged.
Yours faithfully,
ERNEST H. SHACKLETON.
4, New Burlington-street, Regent-street, W., Dec. 27.
The story ran again a week later on January 5th, 1914 indicating that Shackleton was already swamped with applications. The often quoted advert which Shackleton allegedly wrote has never been corroborated.
“Men wanted for hazardous journey, small wages, bitter cold, long months of complete darkness, constant danger, safe return doubtful. Honour and recognition in case of success.”
Unlike Paul’s letter to Timothy, this advert is most probably apocryphal. But it causes me to wonder what kind of ad Jesus would place today. “Men and women wanted for the task of helping to build my church. Even those working with you will often misunderstand you. You will face constant attack from an invisible enemy. You may not see the results of your labour, and your full reward will not come until all your work is completed. It may cost you your home, your family, your friends, even your life.” As we have begun to see, Timothy was willing to answer the ad. Have you? Will you?
Lets pray.
With thanks to John Stott, Warren Wersbie, Thomas Cash, Dennis Selfridge and Travis Moore (Sermon Central), the Nelson Study Bible and English Standard Version Study Bible.
Listen to the audio here
Joseph the Dreamer from Stephen Sizer on Vimeo.
Joseph the Dreamer: When life isn’t turning out as planned (Genesis 39:1-23)
Do you enjoy dreaming? Do you ever remember your dreams? Do they ever reoccur? Have you ever dreamed about dreaming? Have you ever thought about sharing a dream? Thursday night we went to see Inception at the Imax in London. I will never think about dreams in the same way again. Inception is probably the most complicated, the most fast paced and dramatic sci-fi thriller you will ever see. And on the biggest screen in the world it was one amazing experience. The premise is that professional thieves called “extractors” can invade people’s dreams to steal information via a drug-induced sleep that is shared by two or more people. From the ingenious mind of British filmmaker Christopher Nolan, Inception begs the question: what if you could share a dream with someone? Long before Christopher Nolan dreamed up the imaginary world of Inception, the Bible encourages us to dream, to imagine, to have visions of the future and to share the experience.
‘In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams.” (Acts 2:17; Joel 2:28)
Abraham from Stephen Sizer on Vimeo.
When Michael was born five weeks premature, and I held that little bundle of life in my hands for the first time, I didn’t know whether the Lord who had given us a son would take him back again. Although I wasn’t quite as old as Abraham, it was the first time I could really identify with him in this passage. Seventeen years later, Mike is taller, more intelligent and more attractive than me. At the age of 75, Abraham enrolled in the “School of Faith.” Now, over 100, he was still having faith-stretching, heart stopping experiences. We are never too old to face new challenges, fight new battles, and learn new truths. When we stop learning, we stop growing; and when we stop growing, we stop living. “The first forty years of life give us the text,” wrote Arthur Schopenhauer, “and the next thirty supply the commentary.” The “commentary” is being written as we listen to God, as we follow His directions, one day, one challenge, one step at a time. Sad to say, many people understand neither the text nor the commentary, and their lives are ended before they have understood the meaning of life.
It often takes an awful tragedy like a rail crash or a close call on the motorway, or some serious air turbulence at 30,000 feet to bring us back to the reality that we are just one step, one second, one breath, one heart beat from eternity.
Genesis 22 records the greatest test that Abraham ever faced. It also helps us see the progressive unfolding of God’s rescue mission for planet earth. For it contains a beautiful prefiguring of our Lord Jesus Christ’s sacrifice at Calvary. In both, the lesson from this passage is this: obedient faith overcomes in the trials of life. I want us to consider five lessons we can draw from the sacrifice of Abraham. We can learn them the hard way or the easy way. Blindly on our own, or with insight and wisdom from God’s Word.
Obedient Noah from Stephen Sizer on Vimeo.
I get to stay in some rather exotic hotels in my travels. I think my favourites would be the Paraa Safari Lodge at Murchison Falls in Northern Uganda, or the Jacir Palace in Bethlehem. My most forgettable stay would have to be the Continental Inn, Bweyale in Uganda where running water and electricity are optional. I tend to rate hotels on the thickness of the towels, how often the sheets are changed and the quality of the toilet paper, if provided.
My most memorable stay must be the YMCA in Hong Kong. It doesn’t exactly look like a hotel. Overlooking Tsing Ma Bridge on Ma Wan Island, Noah’s Ark is the only life size replica in the world. More profitable that the nearby Disney World, Noah’s Ark has five levels including a bio-diversity and environmental centre, a museum exploring expeditions to find the original Noah’s Ark and when you are hungry, a restaurant. But on the top deck, above the animal quarters, is a hotel. Each room has a patio on the top deck that looks out over a biblical garden. Picture yourself building a boat the length of one and a half football fields and as high as a four-story building.
Jesus as Lord, Servant and Peacemaker: A Holy Land Tour for Church Leaders: 21 March-1 April 2011
Trip Facilitators: Stephen Sizer, Lynne Hybels and Steve Haas. Hosted jointly by World Vision and the Willow Creek Association with the assistance of the Holy Land Trust
“As followers of Jesus called to be peacemakers, we need to understand the context in which Jesus lived, as well as the current tragic conflict in the Holy Land. This tour offers both as we follow the Jesus story, and meet with indigenous Christians committed to incarnating the spirit of Jesus today.” Lynne Hybels (Advocate for Global Engagement, Willow Creek Community Church)
“This encounter will stretch and provide you with insights on how to lead your church more effectively. It will also provide a life-line to those of our Christian family that remain in this turbulent region of the world.” Steve Haas (VP & Chief Catalyst, World Vision)
“If you want to make a difference to the ‘peace-process’ stalemate, this tour is for you. You’ll get to see the main biblical sites but more importantly you will meet fellow church leaders working for justice, peace and reconciliation and discover how you can partner with them.” Stephen Sizer (Senior Pastor, Christ Church, Virginia Water)
Tour objectives in collaboration with the Willow Creek Association, Holy Land Trust and World Vision:Download a brochure here
We recently asked 80 church members what or who was most influential in their becoming a Christian. Here are the survey results:
1. Parents 27%
2. Relative or Friend 23%
3. Youth Leader 6%
3. Youth Camp 6%
3. Bible reading 6%
3. Alpha/Christianity Explored 6%
4. Pastor 5%
5. Sunday School Teacher 4%
5. Dream or Revelation 4%
5. Christian book 4%
6. Church Service 1%
7. Mission 0%
8. Evangelist 0%
Half of all those surveyed, said that a relative or friend was most influential with parents comprising the largest category. Next in significance, 10% attributed their conversion to a youth leader or youth camp.
In total, church based staff, programmes and events, accounted for only around 20%.
What does this tell us? That special evangelistic events are at best a means by which Christians can introduce family and friends to Jesus, but they are no substitute for genuine friendship and trust. Humbling statistics for professional clergy and evangelists.
Our own statistics corroborate those found in other surveys. See this article from the US based National Network of Youthworkers
Leadership Journal also recently published the findings of a survey of 750 Muslims who converted to Christianity. The survey revealed the five predominant reasons they chose to follow Christ.
The respondents were from 30 countries and 50 ethnic groups. The survey was prepared at Fuller Theological Seminary’s School of Intercultural Studies, and reported in Christianity Today.
Filled with the Holy Spirit from Stephen Sizer on Vimeo.
At a fundraising dinner for a school that serves learning-disabled children, the father of one of the students shared a story of what had happened to his son. Shay and his father had walked past a park where some boys Shay knew were playing baseball. Shay asked, “Do you think they’ll let me play?” Shay’s father knew that most of the boys would not want someone like Shay on their team, but the father also understood that if his son were allowed to play, it would give him a much-needed sense of belonging and some confidence to be accepted by others in spite of his handicaps.
Shay’s father approached one of the boys on the field and asked (not expecting much) if Shay could play. The boy looked around for guidance and said, “We’re losing by six runs and the game is in the eighth inning. I guess he can be on our team and we’ll try to put him in to bat in the ninth inning.”
Our Secure Refuge from Evil from Stephen Sizer on Vimeo.
The French President Nicolas Sarkozy was in London on Friday. He came to make a programme for the BBC. It was to mark the 70th anniversary of another BBC programme made for France by Charles de Gaulle on the 18th June 1940. The general had fled his country the day before as a new administration, headed by Philippe Petain, sought an armistice with Hitler. In the stirring radio appeal Gen de Gaulle declared himself leader of the “Free French”, spawning the French Resistance, which went on to play a crucial role in defeating the Germans. He told his nation that “the flame of the French resistance must not and will not be extinguished”. Posters displaying his words were put up all over London in the days that followed the broadcast, to galvanise French exiles.
Although it may seem hard at times to believe it, we are at war.
We are part of the resistance against the evil powers at work in our world. That is one of the reasons we meet every Sunday – to train and prepare ourselves for battle. This morning Archbishop Edmund from Kebbi in Nigeria described the very real war going on there between the Christian south and Muslim north. It is a conflict being played out in a number of African countries. But we make a profound error of the first order if we equate this as a war between religions or peoples. In Toronto recently I gave a presentation on the Christian Jihad at a conference of evangelical and Muslim leaders. Jihad is translated in English as “Holy War”. It literally means “struggle”. In the New Testament, the language of conflict and warfare is used to describe the struggle Christians face in living the holy life as God intends. In the first instance, the ‘Holy War” or struggle faced is internal not external. It is personal and not political. The apostle Paul’s two letters to a young disciple called Timothy provide a fascinating insight into Christian jihad as Paul employs the metaphor of the ‘soldier’ to describe the Christ follower. Here are the verses:
“Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses.” (1 Timothy 6:12)
“Join with me in suffering, like a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No one serving as a soldier gets involved in civilian affairs; rather, they try to please their commanding officer.” (2 Timothy 2:3-4)
Toward the end of his life the apostle Paul couple look back confidently and say, past tense,
“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the 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 longed for his appearing.” (2 Timothy 4:8)
You were created to become like Jesus Christ from Stephen Sizer on Vimeo.
When you were young, who were your heroes? Who did you want to become? Who did you pretend to be? Whose posters did you have on your bedroom wall? My first recollection was wanting to be the Lone Ranger. Then it was Scott Tracy of Thunderbirds.
Then it was David McCullum as the Man from UNCLE. Then I finally grew up, and simply wanted to be James Bond. What about pop stars? Who did you idolise? While my mother probably wanted me to grow up to be like Cliff Richard, I wanted to be Paul McCartney of the Beatles. But, strumming a tennis racket and growing my hair long didn’t make me a rock star. In the 1970’s I graduated to the Beach Boys and made myself a full sized surfboard at school.
The problem was it didn’t float… In the 1980’s when Steve Ovette and Sebastian Coe were competing for an Olympic place, I bought myself a tracksuit and went through a jogging phase but it didn’t last more than a fortnight. In the 1990’s when Tiger Wood was winning every golf tournament, I bought myself a new cap and putter to try and improve my game, but it hasn’t worked, yet. Aspiring to be like someone else is natural. Whether it’s a positive or negative role model seems to depend on whether you are a parent or a child.