Servants Worthy of Honour
Text: Philippians 2:19-30
Core Idea: Timothy, Epaphroditus, and Paul were living examples of what it means to live a life worthy of the gospel. They were men of compassion, consistency, commitment, and cooperation. Then let’s strive to emulate them so that our lives would bring glory to God and joy to others.
INTRODUCTION
Well, after two months of break, we’re finally back in the Book of Philippians – reflecting on what it means to press on with joy in all circumstances. It’s been a while since we looked at this letter – so, I want to give you a quick summary of what we talked about so far. In Chapter 1, Paul began by reminding us of our identity as Christians – namely that we are slaves of Christ. The truth is that we don’t hear much about this in churches today because this concept of slavery often makes people feel uncomfortable – instead, they emphasize success, health, wealth, and the pursuit of happiness to draw more people in. They teach that Christ is here to fulfill all their wishes. But the Bible’s teaching could not be more different. Paul clearly tells us that Jesus is our Master and that we are His slaves – that He’s our Lord and that we are His possession. In other words, true Christianity is not about adding a little bit of Jesus to our lives but surrendering ourselves completely to Him – seeking to please Him above all else. Considering this, Paul called the Christians in Philippi to live a life worthy of the gospel – a life that aims to advance the gospel in all circumstances, a life that finds joy in honoring Christ, and a life that is ready to even suffer for Christ. Now, Paul must have known that this would’ve been impossible to accomplish on their own because he switches gears to talk about the importance of community in Chapter 2. Here, Paul encouraged the Philippian church to pursue unity knowing that their oneness in Christ was crucial to their spiritual journey and the testimony of the gospel. He called them to treat each other with selfless humility – to cultivate self-forgetfulness that produces other-centeredness. Now, the question that we wrestled with was, “How do we cultivate this kind of humility when we’re constantly driven by selfish ambition and vain conceit?” This was Paul’s answer – verse 5, “In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus.” Paul’s way of correcting our characters and behaviors wasn’t to guilt trip us (telling us to try harder) or to give us a to-do list. Instead, he simply took us to Christ – the model, the power, and the motivation for a life of humility. Through Philippians 2:5-11, Paul showed us that Jesus Christ who, being in very nature God did not consider equality with God something to be used to His own advantage – but made Himself nothing by taking the very nature of a slave because He valued us above Himself and because He looked out for our interests more than His own. Then considering that Jesus Christ poured Himself out for us so that we can have everything, how can any of us continue to demand our rights and privileges from others? Now, as much as this is convicting and moving, if Paul ended his illustration here, it would’ve been a very burdensome call to all of us because we’re not by nature humble people. Left to ourselves, no matter how hard we try, we would’ve never chosen the path of humility. Knowing this, Paul pointed us to the cross where Jesus died to pay the penalty for our sins and made it possible for us to actually live the life that we were created to live – to passionately love God and humbly serve others. Then in light of this beautiful gospel truth, Paul called the Philippian church to continually work out their salvation with fear and trembling – knowing that if they do this, they will shine like stars in the sky in the midst of this warped and crooked generation. So, that’s where we left off. Now, I have no doubt that all of us agree with everything that has been said so far. But if we’re honest, we can’t help but feel like the standard is still too high – “Can anyone truly live like this?” I wonder if Paul anticipated these thoughts because he’ll now introduce us to two ordinary Christians who were faithfully living a life worthy of the gospel – namely, Timothy and Epaphroditus. Then with that in mind, please turn your Bibles to Philippians 2:19-30. Let me read this for us.
19 I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, that I also may be cheered when I receive news about you. 20 I have no one else like him, who will show genuine concern for your welfare. 21 For everyone looks out for their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ. 22 But you know that Timothy has proved himself because as a son with his father, he has served with me in the work of the gospel. 23 I hope, therefore, to send him as soon as I see how things go with me. 24 And I am confident in the Lord that I myself will come soon. 25 But I think it is necessary to send back to you Epaphroditus, my brother, co-worker, and fellow soldier, who is also your messenger, whom you sent to take care of my needs. 26 For he longs for all of you and is distressed because you heard he was ill. 27 Indeed he was ill and almost died. But God had mercy on him, and not on him only but also on me, to spare me sorrow upon sorrow. 28 Therefore I am all the more eager to send him so that when you see him again you may be glad and I may have less anxiety. 29 So then, welcome him in the Lord with great joy, and honor people like him, 30 because he almost died for the work of Christ. He risked his life to make up for the help you yourselves could not give me.
Amen. This is the Word of God for you today.
Let’s look at the three servants we find in this passage and think through how they were living a life worthy of the gospel – identifying the characteristics that we should also emulate.
· TIMOTHY: COMPASSION AND CONSISTENCY
· EPAPHRODITUS: COMMITMENT
· PAUL: COOPERATION
1) TIMOTHY: COMPASSION AND CONSISTENCY
In verse 19, Paul shares that he wants to send Timothy to the Philippian church because it would bring him great joy to hear more about them. Paul obviously would’ve loved to go to Philippi himself – but, if you remember, he was writing this from prison in Rome. So, even though he missed them, even though he wanted to see them in person, the only thing he could’ve done was to send Timothy as a messenger. Now, who was Timothy? From other parts of Scripture, we learn that Paul considered him like his own son (1 Tim. 1:2) – no wonder Paul took him everywhere he went. Timothy was with Paul in Philippi, Thessalonica, Berea, Athens, Corinth, Ephesus, and even Rome as this letter was being written – Paul loved him dearly. But this wasn’t the reason why Paul wanted to send Timothy to the Philippian church. No, it was because, verse 20, there was “no one like him who will show genuine concern for [their] welfare.” The phrase “I have no one like him” in Greek literally says, “I have no one equal in soul.” In other words, Paul was basically saying, “Timothy is just like me. He thinks like me, talks like me, acts like me, ministers like me, and loves like me – which means that he’s the only one who can truly represent me. I want to send Timothy to you (not just anyone) because I am confident that he will show genuine concern for your welfare just as I would have if I was there in person. I trust that he’ll show you the kind of affection that I have for you.” Then here’s the first characteristic we must emulate if we want to live a life worthy of the gospel – compassion. It’s the ability to put others’ interests over our own. Of course, this is not easy to do because as Paul told us in Philippians 2:3, we are people of selfish ambition and vain conceit. If you remember, selfish ambition comes from the heart that is preoccupied with the pursuit of self-fulfillment and self-advancement for the purpose of self-exaltation. People with selfish ambition are always making sure that their needs are met, and things are done their way. So, if someone threatens their comfort, their plans, or their image, they immediately put up their guard and prepare to fight. On the other hand, vain conceit comes from the heart that is starving for glory. Because we want to matter, because we want to be recognized and praised by others, we do everything we can to manufacture that glory through our power, possessions, and positions. We frantically use whatever means we have to prove to others that we’re actually somebody, that we’re significant and useful. But as a result, we become completely blinded to the needs of others – in fact, we don’t have the space and time to be mindful of others because we’re too busy protecting our comfort and security. Then how do we combat this? Through humility. Philippians 2:3-4 says, “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.” I’ve shared this before, but I love how Pastor Tim Keller defines humility – he said, “The essence of gospel-humility is not thinking more of myself or thinking less of myself, it is thinking of myself less.” Some people think of humility as self-deprecation – this idea of undervaluing yourself. “I’m the worst. I don’t ever deserve that.” But that’s not humility because the focus is still on us. We need to think of ourselves less – which means that true humility is self-forgetfulness that produces other-centeredness. It’s to count others as more significant than ourselves. And Paul shares that Timothy was doing exactly that – showing genuine concern for others. In fact, he goes further and tells the Philippians that this is what they should be doing as well – verse 21, “For everyone looks out for their own interests, not those of Jesus.” In other words, if you belong to Jesus, if you have been born again through His precious blood, you shouldn’t be like others who look out for their own interests but show genuine concern for others just like Timothy. Then let me ask you, “Are you cultivating this kind of compassion in your life? Are you learning to lay down everything you have for the interests of others? Are you able to encourage and serve others even at the cost of neglecting your own interests – or are you so absorbed in your own burdens, feelings, and concerns that you’re blinded from seeing the pain and needs of others?” Matthew Harmon wrote, “Being genuinely concerned about others is easy when it causes no personal inconvenience. But the true test is when genuine concern means neglecting one’s own interests for the sake of others.” Friends, I pray that we would all be a people of compassion and humility knowing that we’ll make a massive difference in this church if we live this way.
Now, let me point out one more thing. Verse 22, “But you know that Timothy has proved himself because as a son with his father, he has served with me in the work of the gospel.” The word “proved” in Greek also means “tested.” It’s the same kind of word that was used to describe gold that has been refined by fire – to indicate its purity and authenticity. Then when Paul says that Timothy has proved himself, he means that his character has been tested and refined through discipleship and training. Now, it may be difficult for us to see the beauty of this father-son analogy that Paul uses here but it’s something that we should really think through. In the ancient world, vocationally speaking, most sons ended up doing what their fathers did. So, if your father was a farmer, the chances were very high that you would become a farmer. If your father was a baker, you would most likely become a baker. Why? Because the son would spend countless hours observing his father working – learning and being inspired to work alongside him. In fact, the father would often become his mentor – teaching him the skills and knowledge he would need to carry out the role. Then Paul was basically saying, “I’ve walked with him like a father to a son and helped him to be a servant worthy of honor. It’s true that God really put him to the test by putting him through the fire, but he came out stronger and refined every time. Through the ups and downs of life, he remained faithful to the Lord – which is why I can confidently say that he truly is worthy of emulation.” Then let me ask you, “Has the fire of trials refined you or destroyed you? Are you remaining loyal to God through the ups and downs of life or are you quick to give up whenever troubles come? Have you proven yourself worthy of honor?” I ask this because here’s the second characteristic we must emulate if we want to live a life worthy of the gospel – consistency. Timothy proved himself worthy of honor when he remained consistent and faithful in his walk with God. Then what does it mean to be consistent? How do you know if you’re being faithful? First of all, it means that your private life is consistent with your public image – especially when troubles come. It’s said that if your reputation is decided on how others see you, your character is decided on what you do when nobody is watching. It’s easy to maintain this appearance of godliness in public but it takes greater effort to be godly when no one’s looking. But who you are in private is who you really are – that’s your true character. Then let me ask you, “What do you do, watch, listen to, and reflect on when no one’s watching? How do you treat those who are closest to you (your family) when others aren’t there to keep you accountable? Would someone close to you say that you are truly the same in public and private?” If so, you’re being consistent – you are living a life worthy of the gospel.
But that’s not all – it also means that you are consistent over time. The biggest problem with life is that it happens daily. It keeps on coming day after day. It feels like there’s no end to the chores and responsibilities that we must accomplish. There are a lot of things that we’re called to do but it feels like we don’t have the strength or the motivation to carry them out. Then the real test of character is not in the extraordinary challenges but in the ordinary part of life – to remain faithful in the little things. Fred Craddock explains it this way, “To give my life for Christ appears glorious. We say to ourselves, ‘To pour myself out for others or to pay the ultimate price of martyrdom – I’ll do it. I’m ready, Lord, to go out in a blaze of glory.’ We think giving our all to the Lord is like taking a $1,000 bill and laying it on the table – ‘Here’s my life, Lord. I’m giving it all.’ But the reality for most of us is that God sends us to the bank and has us cash in the $1,000 for quarters. And we’re called to go through life putting out 25 cents here and 50 cents there. Listen to the story of someone who’s going through a trial – and pray for them. Babysit for a single mother. Visit those in the hospital. Encourage your child. Give your time and energy serving at church every Sunday. Usually giving our life to Christ isn’t glorious. It’s done in all those little acts of love, 25 cents at a time. It would be easy to go out in a flash of glory; it’s harder to live the Christian life little by little over the long haul.” Friends, are you truly faithful in the ordinary things? In the day-to-day nitty-gritty, are you learning to be consistent? This is what it means to live a life worthy of the gospel – to be compassionate and consistent.
2) EPAPHRODITUS: COMMITMENT
Who is Epaphroditus? Well, we don’t really know much about him because he’s only mentioned twice in the Bible – in fact, only in the Book of Philippians (2:25; 4:18). We don’t know anything about his background or his family – how long he had been a Christian or what his role was in the church. All we know is that he was sent by the Philippian church to deliver the money that they had collected to support and care for Paul who was imprisoned in Rome. Now, this alone tells us a lot about this man because think about it – why would they send him out with all their offerings if they didn’t trust him? He must have been a godly man – trustworthy in his character. The Philippian church was certain that he would faithfully carry out his mission – and that’s exactly what he did. He traveled close to 1,300 km over rough terrain (which is like walking from Toronto to Prince Edward Island) – but what made this journey difficult wasn’t the distance. It was the fact that he got sick and almost died along the way. Now, what’s astonishing is that he didn’t give up. He didn’t say, “I can’t do this at the cost of my health, at the cost of my life. I tried. I’ve done enough. God will understand. The church will understand. I’m going home.” Instead, he continued and finished the work that had been given to him. He set aside personal comfort and completed his mission. Then here’s the third characteristic we must emulate if we want to live a life worthy of the gospel – commitment. Epaphroditus put the cause of Christ before his comfort – he literally risked his life to be faithful. There are a lot of us who are great starters but poor finishers. We may start something with great excitement and hope but because of the troubles that weigh us down, because of the temptations that cause us to be self-absorbed, because of the distractions that blind us from seeing what’s really important, we give up. We throw in the towel because we think that if it’s too hard, inconvenient, or uncomfortable, it couldn’t be from God. Jen Pollock Michel wrote, “One of the most seductive promises of a technological age is that ours should be an unbothered life. As our lives get easier, we are increasingly formed by the desire for ease and comfort.” In other words, she’s saying that we have come to idolize ease and comfort – and if anything threatens that, we’re quick to distance ourselves from it. The problem is that this kind of insidious thought is now transforming our perspective of discipleship. But, friends, following Jesus was never meant to be easy – in fact, Jesus said in Mark 8:34, “Whoever wants to be My disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross.” Following Jesus is a call to die to ourselves and serve Christ as our King. In other words, the cost of discipleship is incredibly high. Then let me ask you, “Is it ever costly for you to follow Jesus? Have you ever said no to something (especially something that you desired) in order to honor Christ, in order to serve and build up the people of our community? Have you ever risked things to be faithful – an opportunity for promotion, reputation, time, money, convenience, or comfort? Or are you always playing it safe – doing just enough so that the cost is minimal?”
Followers of Jesus give ongoing evidence that their lives are not their own. They are committed to the cause of Christ. That’s exactly what Epaphroditus did – and it’s something that we should do as well. Then my prayer is that God would give all of us the courage we need to faithfully serve the Lord even if the cost is high, that we would joyfully participate instead of passively spectating, that we would learn to risk all things for the cause of Christ, and that our lives would become clear evidence that we belong to Christ.
3) PAUL: COOPERATION
I know that we don’t see Paul directly in this passage, but we see a glimpse of who he is by looking at the way he perceived others like Timothy and Epaphroditus. In talking about Timothy, he said in verse 20, “I have no one else like him.” And in describing Epaphroditus, he said in verse 25, “[He is] my brother, co-worker, and fellow soldier.” All that to say, he had an incredibly high view of others. Now, we understand how amazing this is when we realize that Paul was a spiritual giant. He was an apostle, a respected leader, a powerful preacher, and an effective missionary. He was influential and inspiring, wise and passionate, bold but gentle, confident but humble. He fearlessly preached the gospel wherever he went – even to the palace guards in prison and the Roman rulers in court. He planted many of the churches that we read about in the Bible. If anyone could boast about their work for the Lord, it would be Paul. But that’s not what he did. He didn’t look down on others – to think of himself as more important than others. Instead, he was humble enough to know that he couldn’t do everything on his own – that he needed others to finish the mission that God had given him. Then here’s the last characteristic we must emulate if we want to live a life worthy of the gospel – cooperation. Even though Paul was competent enough to do great things for God on his own, he never did anything by himself – he joyfully invited others to work alongside him. He didn’t see others as competition but rather as co-workers in the Lord. In fact, I love the descriptions that Paul used to describe Epaphroditus (brother, co-worker, and fellow soldier) because they give us a clearer understanding of what Christian life looks like. First, the Christian life is living as a family – in that, we’re now called to be brothers and sisters in Christ. When we become Christians, not only do we have a new relationship with God, but we also get a new relationship with other believers. In other words, we should have a deep sense of affection for one another as a family of God. Second, the Christian life is being in fellowship with others – in that, we should now work together to accomplish the same purpose and mission that God has given us as a community. Though Paul knew that he was more mature and seasoned in his faith, he recognized his limitations which enabled him to honor Epaphroditus and serve together. Sometimes we need to see our shortcomings to cooperate with others. Lastly, the Christian life is a fight – in that, we’re currently engaging in spiritual warfare and that we need each other to stand firm against the devil’s schemes. We must work together, encourage each other, and support one another to remain faithful in this broken world. Then let me ask you, “How do you perceive others in your life – as your brother or sister or as competition? Do you invite and empower others to serve with you or do you do things on your own?” Brothers and sisters, remember that there’s tremendous power in unity. Then I pray that we would learn to honor others and empower them to serve well.
Timothy, Epaphroditus, and Paul are shining examples of what it means to live a life that is worthy of the gospel. Then an important question remains, “How do we live like them when every fiber of our being seeks comfort and safety? Is it even possible for us to live like this or is God asking us to do the impossible?” Listen to what Paul said in Philippians 2:12-13 (just a few verses prior to our passage), “Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed… continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill His good purpose.” If you read it carefully, you’ll notice that Paul doesn’t say, “Since Christ did most of the work for you, continue to work for your salvation so that you can finish the rest.” Nor does he say, “Yes, Christ made it possible for you to be saved, but now it’s up to you to keep it – work hard because if you don’t, you might lose it.” And he certainly doesn’t say, “Since Christ did everything, just let go and let God. You can now relax because He will do all the work for you. You don’t have to do a thing – just enjoy the ride.” No, this is not an exhortation for them to earn salvation through their labor or passively just watch God do everything – instead, he calls them to work out their salvation. To put it differently, he calls them to work hard to live in light of this gracious gift of salvation, to live in light of our new position and identity, to live not as prisoners enslaved to sin but as children of God loved by the heavenly Father by fighting against our urges to seek comfort and safety but to be committed to the cause of Christ. But what’s amazing is that Paul says this is possible because it’s God who enables us to obey. Paul’s logic is not “You shouldn’t work because God is working hard for you,” or “Only if you work, God will work,” but “You should work because God works in you.” In other words, our labor will not be in vain because He will make it possible. Just as it was God who brought us to be born again, He will be the One shaping us to be compassionate, consistent, committed, and cooperative. Then as we aim to live a life that is worthy of the gospel, we must continually look to the One who is relentlessly and intentionally working for our good. And, again, God will accomplish this in and through the church. So, rely on others in this community. Invite others to journey with you, keep you accountable, and encourage you. This is how you can be successful in living a life that is worthy of the gospel.
CONCLUSION
Lighthouse family, Timothy, Epaphroditus, and Paul were living examples of what it means to live a life worthy of the gospel. They were men of compassion, consistency, commitment, and cooperation. Then let’s strive to emulate them so that our lives would bring glory to God and joy to others.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1) Who are the people in your life who model Jesus? In what ways do they model Christlikeness? How did they influence and transform you?
2) Read verse 20. Timothy put others’ interests over his own. Are you cultivating this kind of compassion in your life – showing genuine concern for others? If so, how? If not, what is the biggest hindrance that keeps you from doing this?
3) Read verse 22. Timothy was proven worthy of honor because he remained faithful and consistent in his walk with God. Is your life consistent in public and private? Why is this so hard to do? How can we grow in this area?
4) Read verses 25-30. Epaphroditus put the cause of Christ before his comfort. Have you ever said no to something (something that you desired) in order to honor Christ, in order to serve and build up the people of our community? How can we grow to say no to ease and comfort to serve the Lord faithfully?