The following is a manuscript of the sermon presented by Senior Pastor Dr. Roger Patterson on Sunday, July 2, 2023 at our West U Baptist campus. To view the sermon in full, check out the link below.

First time we took Uber…Washington DC…been walking all day…other end of the mall from the Lincoln Memorial is the Jefferson Memorial…and we were dog tired…

So, we downloaded the Uber App and piled in…when we were dropped off at the Jefferson Memorial, we all thought, that was easy…And then I think we went and toured the Jefferson Memorial, then we took an Uber to our AirBNB Rental.

It’s so nice to have a driver, isn’t it? It’s so good to have someone to help you get from one place to the next.  And they can show you some stops along the way, point out landmarks, share significant facts along the way.

Sometimes, we also need someone to help us navigate challenging waters or a difficult landscape.

The Apostle Paul is helping drive change in the church at Ephesus by coaching Timothy on leading out in that change.

One of my favorite leadership quotes is by John Maxwell.

Dr. Maxwell says…

Everything rises and falls on leadership.

Then he adds,

And leadership is influence; nothing more, nothing less.

During the next 7 weeks, we will see 7 principles of leadership that Paul pours into Timothy. He is fighting a culture war. He has some very wealthy women dressing provocatively and overpowering leaders in the life of the church. Some of them are wealthy widows who are creating a tremendous disruption.

Further, it appears that there are leaders who aren’t properly vetted. Clearly, we have some who are teaching false doctrine, namely Hymaneus and Alexander, as we saw last week. And these leaders are influencing people in the wrong direction.

Paul’s appeal to Timothy as a leader-  church in Ephesus…church troubles, doctrinal issues, false teachers, moral issues… Timothy needs to grow his leadership skills and his influence and his mentor Paul is helping him do that.  Paul lifts Timothy as a leader and Timothy lifts his church to a better place. Leadership always lifts!

Let me give you a glimpse into where this is going, as we talk about these 7 principles.

Lift: 7 Principles to Drive Change

The Lift of:

1. Caring
2. Confrontation
3. Congruency
4. Cultivation
5. Clarity
6. Contentment
7. Challenge

Message #1- The Lift of Caring

When you think of a caring person, who comes to mind?

Of course, you most likely will say your mom. She was the first and most caring person in your life. But let’s pick our heads up and look outside our immediate family.

Who has impressed you with their care? These are ones who are willing to stop what they are doing and re-orient their lives to serve you.

It was early July a number of years ago and I was in Ottawa, Canada, the capitol city, preparing to give a talk at a leadership conference for church leaders. I was staying at a hotel that was connected to the convention center, and as would have it, I got turned around.

My wife says I am directionally challenged and so, I’m sure she was not surprised to hear this.

I find myself on the third floor of the hotel near the banquet rooms, but there is no one around. I’m realizing I am lost, but I don’t know how to get found.

That is until a man comes walking my way. He says, “Sir, may I help you?”

I said, “I look that lost, huh?”

And I see his name tag. His name tag provides his name, but also his title. His title said, “General Manager.”

In this moment, I tell him where I think I am supposed to be and why I am there. Once he learns about my mission, he says, “Follow me,” and he turns around, goes the opposite direction, and takes me three or found minutes out of his way, to get me to where I need to be.

I was like, “Wow! That’s great service and such a blessing.”

Caring people leave a mark. And Caring leaders leave an even greater mark.

You see, what I want to make sure we learn today is this: People matter.  And as followers of Jesus, some of the best ways for people to know that they matter to you and to God is by showing them you care by praying for them, modeling peace, and proclaiming the truth!

Remember what we learned last week… as you stand for truth, if your fight is against people then you are doing it wrong.  Our goal is to love and lift and care for people as we share the truth.  This chapter begins with some excellent encouragement along these lines.

1 Timothy 2:1-7

“First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time. For this I was appointed a preacher and an apostle (I am telling the truth, I am not lying), a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.”

How do we show care for those around us?  Three directives:

How do we show care for those around us?

1. We pray for others.

• 1. 2a.Note his words “first of all…”

1 Timothy 2:1-2a

“First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions…

One of the ways that I watched Dr. Barry Landrum lead this church so well for so many years, was his willingness to pray for and with people. I watched him in meetings lead us to stop and pray. I watched him carry around a prayer list. I watched him write a ministry on prayer.

And then, I heard him say to us…

“It’s so easy to forget to pray for someone when you say you will. If you can, stop what you are doing with someone and pray for them right then and there.”

• Four words used here to describe how we pray for people.
  • supplications- to entreat, beseech, implore
  • prayers- context is worship (cf: …house of prayer) generally communication with God
  • intercessions- intersection, where two meet, between God and man, between heaven and earth.
  • thanksgivings- simply gratitude.
  • When we put all four together here’s what it sounds like:

“Father, I beg you for my neighbor who is struggling with addiction. (Supplication)  Please, please come near to him and help him.  I praise you that you are able to set him free.(prayers)  I ask you to forgive him for his shortcomings in the same way you forgave me and I ask you to intervene in his life right now.(Intercession) I am thankful for him as my neighbor and I am thankful for you God who loves him and cares for him. (Thanksgivings)  Help him and comfort him and guide him, I pray.”

• Then Paul also describes who we are to pray for.
  • ALL people.
    • Not only the ones we like. Not only the ones like us. Not only the ones we agree with. Not only the ones who share beliefs and values.ALL!
    • This means praying for people of all skin colors, people of all political parties, people of all sexual orientations, people of all socio-ecomonic classes…
    • And by doing so we gain a new perspective and disposition toward people who have a different view than ours.

John Chrysostom said

 “For no one can feel hatred towards those for whom he prays.”

• Prayers for people sets our hearts right toward them!

Have you ever given thanks for someone who was someone you would be very unlikely to be thankful for?

• Pray also for Leaders — especially for leaders!!!
  • In the original context here, this is no small ask… remember these are mostly jewish background believers in Ephesus and for generations they had suffered persecution under pagan monarchs..

So get this…this is huge! Paul is asking Timothy to lead the people to pray for their Roman leaders instead of complaining about them.

Early church father Tertullian put it this way-

 “We pray for all emperors, that God may grant them long life, secure government, a prosperous family, a faithful senate, an obedient people, that the whole world may be in peace…”

John Calvin — Even when rulers are unjust, we do not cease to pray for them, as John Calvin instructed the church to pray to God to “make bad men good.”

• Leadership is a hard and lonely road.

Praying for leaders goes beyond the government…. This applies to the church, to your local school, to civic organizations…your bosses and partners at work!

Are you praying for your leaders?

Prayer is the top answer to the question- “how do we show people we care?”

• Prayer keeps us fighting the right way and loving people….
• Prayer brings people together.
• Prayer builds unity.
• Prayer builds trust.
• Prayer lifts people up.

I find that almost no one is offended by the offer to pray for them and that you will be praying for them.

When’s the last time you asked a stranger or a friend, “can I pray for you?”

How else do we show care for those around us?

How do we show care for those around us?

1. We pray for others.
2. We model peace.

II. We model peace.

• Look at vs. 2b. 3.

1 Timothy 2:2b-3

that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior,

• The life the believer is supposed to live is called “peaceful and quiet.”
• GK = two different gk words here…peaceful and quiet…And they can be translated exactly the same but some nuances to the meanings

Peaceful = tranquil, without commotion;

Quiet= divinely-inspired inner calmness.

• Doesn’t that sound inviting?! As I get older, I find myself being drawn to the quiet life.
• And this peaceful and quiet life produces a lifestyle of godliness and dignity.

The Scripture is clear on this- we are called to a life of peace by the Savior who is the Prince of Peace.

2 Thessalonians 3:16

Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in every way. The Lord be with you all.

Isaiah 26:3

You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is fixed on you, because he trusts in you.

Matthew 5:9

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.

Romans 12:18

If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.

 Colossians 3:15

And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.

• Let me say this without any filter- christians should not be loud mouthed jerks!  That is incongruent with following the way of Jesus.
• We are not winning anyone over if we lack a peaceful disposition.
• How much quieter and peaceable would Facebook and Twitter be if evangelical Christians were actually praying for their opponents rather than shouting at them through their smartphone.
• It’s this simple- BE NICE!

Peace is attractive to the world around us.  Our world is so divided and hostile and when we can come into someone’s life and bring peace and a quiet confidence, it leaves them wondering about where that peace comes from.

1 Peter 3:15

but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect…

You see, there is a connection between peace and proclamation…  When we leave a peaceable lifestyle, we will often find ourselves in authentic relational proximity with those who need the Gospel.

Remember, we are talking about leading…about influencing. And Paul’s heart is that it always ties back to the good news.

So, let’s ask this key question again, if leaders lift by caring…

How do we show care for those around us?

1. We pray for others.
2. We model peace.
3. We proclaim the Good News

III. We proclaim the Good News.

• Look at vs. 4-7

1 Timothy 2:4-7

This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time. For this I was appointed a preacher and an apostle (I am telling the truth, I am not lying), a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.”

• Paul reminds us that Christ is “God our Savior” He is the One who wants to save us.
• Two theological truths here we are sure of:
• ) God desires salvation for all people.
  • The person you disdain the most and disagree with the most, you need to know God loves them and desires them to be saved.
• ) Christ’s sacrifice was sufficient for all people.
  • Jesus is the mediator for all and the ransom for all.
• Yet, This is not universalism. This is not “all paths lead to the same place.” Not everyone will be saved.

John Piper says this-

“But the fact that God does not save everyone does not imply the absence of compassion.  It is a real and genuine desire.” 

This passage articulated that heart and compassion God has for the lost.

Give Good News: If you are here today and you don’t know Jesus as your Lord and Savior, let me share with you this Good News.

            A…B…C

• If you are here today and you are a follower of Jesus, be reminded that our commission is to proclaim the Good News to all people.

Mark 16:15

And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.” 

That means everyone.

There is a connection between praying for people, being peaceable for people, and then having the opportunity to proclaim the good news to people.

• If you are not praying for others around you, chances are your heart’s not in a right enough place to ever share the Gospel with them.
• If you are not demonstrating kindness and peace to others around you (loud mouthed jerk) then you are not ever going to have a listening ear from those who need the Gospel.

Christopher Hudson says…

This mindset that Paul is teaching Timothy “pushes the church to move out of the bunker mentality and go on the offensive with an evangelsitc program that aims at all peoples.”

How do we show we care…

Pray for people

Live at peace before people

Share the good news of Jesus with people