Philippians 2:19-30
“Examples of Godly Service”
INTRO
We continue on with our current sermon series in Philippians today.
And, as we continue on, we reflect on the joy it’s been to dig into some amazing things already in this book.
- We’ve been urged and encouraged to make Jesus and the Gospel known
- To preach/speak/verbalize the Gospel so that people will come to know Christ as Savior
- We’ve been commanded by God to live worthy of the Gospel
- To live in a way that we’re walking in step with Christ, living for Christ, shining for Christ
- We’ve seen the call to humility
- To have the same mind as Christ
- Who wasn’t focused only on his own interests, but who looked at us and willingly laid
his life down so we wouldn’t have life
- We’ve seen that God works in us to save us and redeem us
- We’ve seen the call to live free of grumbling and complaining
- We’ve seen familiar verses packed with great and weighty truths
- 1:6 – he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Christ Jesus
- 1:21 – for me to live is Christ, and to die is gain
- 1:27 – let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ
- 2:5 – have this mind among yourselves...
- 2:12-13 – work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you
We’ve seen a lot of great theological depth already.
- There’s a lot packed in here.
And, today...we come to a passage that might feel out of place to us.
- There’ve been so many great verses here already...but, here...
- No one’s favorite Bible verse is in this passage/in these 12 verses
- It maybe reads a bit like a historical lesson
- It’s a travel schedule...
- It’s telling us that Timothy’s coming to see them...and that Epaphroditus is on his way
- This might seem confusing and out of place
- But, these words are just as divinely inspired as the others
- “to live is Christ, to die is gain”
- “he who began a good work in you will bring it completion”
- “work out your own salvation with fear and trembling”
And, what’s cool’s that we see illustrations here of guys who are living out what’s already come before in
Philippians
- They’re living out...
- 1:21 – “let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel”
- 2:3 – “count others more significant than yourselves”
- 2:7 – emulating Christ and “taking the form of a servant”
- 2:8 – having humble hearts that’re willing to die for others
- all these ways that exalt Christ, our Savior and Redeemer
These guys are examples of Godly men who are living to exalt and magnify Christ
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- They’re living out the gospel in their everyday lives
- They’re living as examples of Christ-centeredness
- These guys are worth watching
- They’re worth imitating
- They’re worth putting forward as examples to follow
- D.A. Carson, “Christian character’s as much caught as it is taught.”
So, who are we watching?
- Who are you watching?
- Who do you look up to?
We watch those we admire...and we’re influenced by those we watch.
- So, who do you admire?
- Who do you study?
- Who do you look up to?
- Whose example do you want to emulate?
And, as we come asking these questions...of who we admire and look up to and desire to learn from as Godly
examples...God’s telling us, “these guys!” “People like this.” “People who have these kinds of character traits.”
“Be like them as they’re like Christ.” “Look here.”
And, the first example we’ll look at is Timothy.
So, we begin with Timothy.
- We’re most familiar with Timothy
- He’s Paul’s protégé
- Paul considers him to be his son in the faith (2 Tim 1, 1 Cor 4)
- He’s a young pastor
- He’s also not a novice/amateur...he’s proven himself
(“Timothy’s proven worth” in v22)
And, Paul’s looking forward to sending Timothy to the Philippian church. “hope” (v19).
- Remember “hope” in the NT’s different from what we think of
- It’s not, “I hope the Canucks win the Cup this year”... instead, it’s a “looking forward
to/expecting”
- Paul’s looking forward to sending Timothy...he expects to send him
And, he gives a few reasons why he wants to send Timothy
1) v19 – “so that I too may be cheered by news of you”
- “in order that”... “that the result would be” that Paul would be cheered by news of them
- Remember, Paul’s in prison...prison conditions aren’t comfortable...not now, but definitely not
then
- It was dark, it was crowded, there wasn’t ventilation/lack of air, the chains were heavy
and rough and rusted, food was at a bare minimum – just enough to keep you alive so you
could feel the punishment and torture put on you, hygiene was basically non-existent and
much has been written of the stench that came from the Roman prisons, sickness and
death was the norm and suicide was the most common response to the misery in prison.
- This is where our brother Paul was when he wrote these words
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- Imagine being in these kinds of conditions...hearing of the Philippian church, who Paul loves,
will be a great encouragement to him
- Wouldn’t that cheer us up too?
2) v20 – “for I have no one like him, who will be genuinely concerned for your welfare”
- He’s sent because Timothy’s genuinely concerned for them...he’s legitimately concerned for
them...he actually loves them...his concern for them’s real
- No one else has the same love/care/concern for them...as Timothy does
- Paul and Timothy share the same love for these believers
3) v21 – “for they all seek their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ”
- Others are self-seeking...caring about themselves first and foremost
- But not Timothy
- See the contrast there in v22 – “But you know Timothy’s proven worth...”
- Timothy’s served with Paul in sharing Christ...in making the Gospel known...in
laboring for God
So, Paul’s laying out his case here for why he’s sending Timothy.
- But, in doing so, he’s showing how Timothy’s living out everything that’s been laid before
- He’s an example of one who counts others more significant than himself (2:3)
- He’s not only looking after himself, but he’s looking after the interests of others (2:4)
- It’s as though Paul’s saying, “Look, you can do this! Timothy’s living this out! This is what it looks
like to live in the way Christ did.”
How encouraging this is for us too!
- It can be easy to sit back and think that this call to live the way Christ did sounds good, but it’s not all
that possible...b/c were not Jesus!
- Well, we’re not...but, this is what it looks like.
- And so, we can live this way too...as people who are genuinely/legitimately concerned
about our brothers and sisters...and those who are lost
- It’s possible...we can do it...when the Holy Spirit’s dwelling in us, we can
- But, do we?
- Do we count others more significant than ourselves?
Who’s number one in our lives? Who’s number one in your life?
Are you genuinely concerned about others?
- Do you legitimately care for others?
OR...do you seek after your own interests?
- This is where we’re at a lot of the time...unfortunately
- In our sin, we’re often stuck there...looking after ourselves first and foremost and...even
sometimes...only looking after ourselves
Whose interests are first in your mind?
- Do we care first about ourselves? Or, do we care first about others?
- Even in this season of colds going around, we’re quick to keep our distance
- That’s kind of our natural reaction, isn’t it?
- But, that kind of “protective” barrier isn’t where we’re called to be either
- Think about the myriads of workers and servants and missionaries diving into Ebola danger zones in
Africa
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- Going there to serve others and to encourage our brothers and sisters in Christ there
- Going there to bring the Gospel of Jesus Christ to people...even people on their death beds as
this disease takes over their bodies
- They’re not being negligent...they’re putting others before themselves
- Or, think about the health care workers also in North America and, now Europe, treating confirmed and
potential Ebola patients
- Or, the people cleaning up the planes and apartments and homes of these folks
- This is selfless, genuine, legitimate care and concern for others
And, this is in an unbelieving world and culture
- How much more we should as believers!
- How much more so for the cause of the Gospel of Jesus Christ
- How much more we should...
- For people to see and know and love Jesus – the only one who gives life!
- For God to be glorified in our lives by pointing others to Christ!
- For people to delight in God’s love for his children!
- In order to imitate Christ...who gave himself up and
went to the cross and died the death we deserve to die...as sinful, needy people
And...this is Timothy
- He imitates Christ in that he’s concerned for the Philippians
- Paul says he’s got no one else like him
- In a sense he’s a one-of-a-kind
- Living his life, following Christ’s example, in putting others before himself
- And, in doing so, he’s an example himself to be followed
- He’s living out Paul’s words in 1 Cor 11:1 – “be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.”
We called to imitate Christ and to imitate those who follow Christ’s example too
- So, can you think of a few Timothys? Or even one Timothy?
- Can you think of someone who puts others before themselves...regularly...so that Jesus will be
glorified?
- The health care workers who are serving people are examples of service to others
- But, we have an even greater call to serve others with Gospel purposefulness
- Can you think of someone who’s an example to follow...not to idolize...but, an example to
follow of Gospel service to others?
- And...are you a Timothy?
- Do you care first and foremost for yourselves and your own interests and your own desires?
- Or, are you willing to help a brother/sisters in need?
- Maybe to give up a Saturday morning of sleeping in to serve someone in our family/our
church body with a need – leaves to be raked, children to help out with, a home to be
cleaned, a church ceiling to repair
- Are you willing to give up time to share Christ with a lost classmate or co-worker or family
member or neighbor?
What might be holding you back from being a Timothy?
- We’ve always got excuses don’t we??
- Our little defense lawyer usually immediately springs into action
- It can be anything from living the dream of having the car, the boat, the camper, the house, the
retirement, the college degree...pursuing what’s important to us
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- It can be anything from comfort to laziness to inconvenience too
- Article this week on caring for our aging parents (takes work/effort...but Jesus calls us to this)
- The reality’s that the Gospel’s lived out in the everyday sacrificial actions and attitudes
of selfless service...”having the same mind as Christ” (2:5)
- Husbands/wives – sacrificial love for each other’s laying down our own
rights/desires...brother Joe preaching
- Moms/Dads – pouring your time, energy, effort into training and discipling
- Brothers/Sisters – at home and in the church family
- This isn’t glamorous
- This doesn’t draw attention to ourselves
- Sacrificially living out the Gospel in the everyday/mundane/ordinary
isn’t glamorous...but neither was being flogged and being nailed to a cross
If this is where you’re at...following the example of Christ...then, praise God!
- Praise God and keep on...do it all the more!
- Love and serve and care and give all the more
- B/c we can always do better...until the day we go home to be with God, we can always
grown and do better in living for him
So, that was Timothy...now to Epaphroditus...he’s our second example.
We don’t know as much about Epaphroditus.
- He’s mentioned only here in Philippians (today and then in ch. 4) and also in Colossians 1:7
- So, we don’t know as much about him...but, the Philippians would have known him
- We see language of Epaphroditus “longing” for them...he was “distressed” that they heard he
was sick
- So, there’s a kinship here between the two
- Especially as Epaphroditus was so sick he was near death...and the Philippians
didn’t know if he died or not
- In a time without phones, texting, or fb...they didn’t know
- We have the luxury of always knowing these things right away
- Not the case in the year 60 AD
While we don’t know as much about Epaphroditus as we do about Timothy, we do know four other things about
him
1) Brother – fellow follower of Christ, child of God
2) Fellow Worker – co-worker with Paul, they’re both missionary preachers together
3) Fellow Soldier – fighting the same fight with Paul
- As co-workers in the Gospel, they face conflicts, adversaries, persecutions, trials, and possibly
even prison together
- They’re in the same spiritual battle together in making Christ known to a sinful world
4) Messenger and Minister – Epaphroditus was bringing a financial gift to Paul from the Philippians
(4:18)
And, in serving with Paul in all these ways, Epaphroditus nearly died
- “he nearly died for the work of Christ” (v30)
- And, so he’s another example of one living with the mindset of counting others more significant than
himself
- He demonstrates sacrifice for the cause of Christ
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- He was willing to lay down his life so that the glory of Jesus would shine
- He was willing to die so that the Gospel would be spread
- He was willing to give his life and serve so that lost people would come to know Jesus
Epaphroditus, right along with Timothy, lived a life of Gospel-centered, Christ-exalting, godly service...to the
glory and honor of God.
CONCL.
Friends, we need to ask ourselves this morning where we’re sacrificing for the Gospel.
- You need to ask yourself “Where’s it evident in my life that I’m sacrificing for the Gospel?”
- What about my time, money, church, family, marriage, neighborhood, friendships, reaching
out?
- Where are you sacrificing and following the example of Christ who sacrificed everything to
give life?
We look to these two examples this morning and we see the fruit and effect of the Gospel in their lives.
- But, we don’t walk out saying, “What servants!”
- Instead, we walk out saying, “What a Savior!”
- Jesus is the one who willingly sacrificed everything to humble himself and come to
earth and die on the cross in paying our penalty for sin!
- Jesus, through this work, changes our sinful status before God!
- He gives us life!
- And now, by the HS, gives us the ability to live for him!
- To walk in a manner worthy of the Gospel
- To have hearts that delight in and rejoice in Jesus
- To love each other and care for each other and be concerned for each
other
- As sinful people, we’re in need of Jesus
- If you’re not yet following Christ as Lord and Savior, you need him
- Eternal life comes only through him
- If you’re already following Christ as Lord and Savior, you still need him
- We need him and his work in our hearts everyday to die to self
- to walk in a manner worthy of the Gospel
- to live lives that reflect the Gospel...in every area
As people who struggle every day with the remaining in our lives, we come before the throne of God together
confessing our need for Jesus and praising God that we’ve been bought by the blood of Christ and that we’re
now able to live to the glory of God...to live lives that reflect the Gospel
- May God help us to passionately – and sacrificially – reflect the Gospel and proclaim the glory of God
in Christ for the joy of all people
2014-10-19
Pastor Eric Botzet
Arrowsmith Baptist Church
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