During the last few weeks our pattern has been to first address current events; then proceed with our study in Philippians. I will continue with that this morning.
I. We are living in monumental times.
It is a new season with new challenges and new opportunities. Charles Dicken’s line in A Tale of Two Cities seems appropriate: “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.” It is a mistake to see only one side of what is happening. On the one hand, we must not deny reality. We must see it for what it is and prepare accordingly. On the other hand, we must not lose sight of the opportunities that are before us. God is always working. God is always calling people out of darkness into light. God is always calling people to Himself. He is not willing that any would perish, but that all would come to repentance (2 Pet. 3:9). In Ephesians 5:16 we are told to make the most of the opportunities that come our way. Of course, we can only do that if we see those opportunities. So, ask God to open your eyes to the opportunities He is giving you in this season. Be sensitive to His leading. That often comes very gently. We can easily miss an opportunity simply because we’re not paying attention—not listening to what God is saying. That’s why Jesus repeats the phrase in Revelation 2 and 3: “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”i
Here is a fuller version of the Dicken’s quote: “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of light, it was the season of darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair.”ii Last Sunday I gave you some statistics about the decline in church attendance in America. Some people are simply drifting away. Research by the Barna Group found that 48% of church attenders did not participate in streamed services during May. Churches are streaming their services; but half the people who attended prior to the pandemic are no longer attending.iii That is an alarming trend. On the other hand, there is an increased interest in biblical revelation among some groups. The dramatic changes that are happening in the world have caused some to ask questions that they never asked before. They want to understand all this upheaval. They are asking what the Bible has to say about it. They are asking what the Bible has to say about end times. While some are falling away, others are inquiring about what it all means.
When Donald Trump was elected president in 2016, I asked the Lord what He was doing in that. He told me that He was giving the church a reprieve—an opportunity to avoid judgment—just like He did to the churches in Revelation 2 and 3.iv I would have expected Him to say He was giving America an opportunity to repent. In a sense, that is implied. But the focus was on what the church would do, not on what the sinners would do. In Revelation 2 and 3 His warning about judgment was not to the world; it was to the churches. If the church were right, the evil spirits that are driving abortion, and immorality, and hate, and violence would not have a chance. The church would run over those spirits like a bulldozer. But when the church is lukewarm and backslidden, she does not operate in that kind of power. God does not entrust His power to people who are living in self-indulgence and apathy. So, I knew the future depends first and foremost on what the church does. All the political results will follow—not lead. The battle is first of all spiritual. The wrestling is with principalities, and powers, and wicked spirits in the spiritual realm (dimension) (Eph. 6:12). Even though I advocate asserting you rights as citizens in this nation, I know that turn around must happen first in the spiritual realm before it is manifested in the natural realm.
Even before 2016 God led me to preach repentance using 2 Chronicles 7:14. For the last five years that has been a regular part of our message. In very simple terms it tells the church what we must do for a turnaround in our nation.v With the pandemic and other problems, it takes on even more urgency. In 2 Chronicles 7:13-14 God says, “When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command locusts to devour the land or send a plague among my people, 14 if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” There are 4 things the church must do: (1) humble ourselves (2) pray (3) seek God’s face and (4) turn from our wicked ways. That’s not hard to understand. It is hard to do. We have to get focused and intentional to do that. It is more than attending a church service for a couple of hours each Sunday.
Some have taken a stand that we don’t need to do this because 2 Chronicles 7:14 was given to Israel in the Old Testament. That is the context, but the principle is enduring. The call and the promise begin with “if my people, who are called by my name.” We are God’s people, and we are called by His name. On the Day of Pentecost Peter quoted the Old Testament prophet Joel and then said, “For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call” (Acts 2:39). The Apostles preached from the Old Testament. They applied Old Testament Scripture to New Testament believers. Yes, the types and shadows of the ceremonial law have been fulfilled in Christ. The New Testament clearly tells us that in Hebrews and other places. But the moral principles still hold. God’s nature has not changed. In 1 Corinthians 10 Paul talked about the way God dealt with His people in the Old Testament. Then he said, “Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come” (1 Cor. 10:11).
Has the church in America humbled herself, prayed, sought the face of God, and turned from her wicked ways during the last four years? Some have. But I have not seen that on a large scale. God is so merciful that He may relent even if it’s just a remnant who get it right. If there had been ten righteous people in Sodom, God would not have rained down judgment on that wicked city.vi In 2016 there were people who humbled themselves and sought God for mercy. And I believe God showed mercy to us. Franklin Graham led massive prayer meetings at all the state capitals. We in this church certainly prayed with a sense of urgency. God gave us a reprieve—an additional season to get things right with Him.
Where are we today? We are already experiencing the first wave of God’s judgment. The last few months have been difficult in many ways. But God has also mixed that with mercy. He continues to call us to prayer and repentance. I believe additional judgment is coming during the rest of this year. If we continue the way we have in the last four years, it will come! It depends on the response of the church. When I look at the Barna statistics, I’m concerned. Instead of people pressing in more, the general trend is to drop off and stop attending church—let alone press in and pray more than ever. The church as a whole is facing an 11th hour decision. There is always some hope that we could see a turn around. “If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will. . . .” God will always do His part. The question is: what will we do?
The mentality of many Christians is that if those sinners in the world would repent, and stop having abortions, and stop their perverted sex, etc. then God would not judge America. But that’s not where it begins. It begins with God’s people. If God’s people will stop having abortions, and stop their immorality, and get their hearts right, then God will anoint them to carry the gospel to sinners. The sinners will get saved, and their lives will change. The first responsibility falls on the church. Right now, if professed Christians would stop having abortions, the clinics would go out of business. Sixty-five percent of abortions are performed on professing Christians. Two hundred thousand each year are performed on born-again Christians.vii It has to start with the church. It’s very comfortable for Christians to blame a political party or blame the LGBT community or the secularists or the atheists. But judgment begins in the house of God (1 Pet. 4:17). To whom much is given, much is required.viii We know better. Many of those in the world are operating out of extreme ignorance. Jesus is walking in the midst of His church just as He did in Revelation 2 and 3 and telling us what we must do.
What can we do at this point? We can continue to seek God for mercy. We can turn from our wicked ways. We can press in even more during these next few months. The Jewish civil new year begins on September 19th. And that begins a special time known as Ten Days of Awe. Those ten days conclude with the Day of Atonement on September 28th. Ten Days of Awe is also called Ten Days of Repentance. It is a special time of personal reflection and repentance. It is a particularly good time for us to humble ourselves with fasting and prayer—to ask God for mercy. I mention that today so that you can be planning for it. We are not required to observe the Jewish Holidays (Col. 2:16). But I think it’s beneficial to set aside times to focus in this way.ix And what better time to do it than at the feasts that God Himself designated (Acts 18:21). Why would Christians celebrate Halloween, but ignore a day like Yom Kippur? As for me I want to get it as right as I can.
I don’t look at these Jewish holidays as a legalistic requirement. I see them as an opportunity to join with others and do something God calls us to do. Reflection and repentance are biblical principles that we should be observing on an on-going basis. Jesus taught us to pray daily, “Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who have sinned against us.”
We’re in a transitional time in America. This election will tend to set the direction of the nation. And the two possibilities are very different. Even though Jonah prophesied judgment on Nineveh, God postponed it when they humbled themselves and repented. How much more would He do that for His own people. In Jeremiah 18:7-9 God says, “The instant I speak concerning a nation and concerning a kingdom, to pluck up, to pull down, and to destroy it, 8 if that nation against whom I have spoken turns from its evil, I will relent of the disaster that I thought to bring upon it.” That is our encouragement to pray.
II. Our text is in Philippians 2:25-30.
Last week we planned to cover that but ran out of time. Paul is planning to send two men to the Philippians in the near future. He will send Epaphroditus back with this letter, and later he will send Timothy to them with news about his trial. As Paul talks about sending these men, he commends them as genuine ministers of Christ.
He commended Timothy for being “like-minded,” having the same attitude of heart or mindset as Paul had. In this chapter Paul has described that mindset and told the Philippians to emulate it. It is a mindset that puts others ahead of oneself. It is a mindset of humble service. It is the mindset Jesus demonstrated in His incarnation. Secondly Paul commended Timothy as one with “proven character.” He has proven to be a man of integrity and reliability. As we processed Paul’s words about Timothy, we learned some characteristics of God-approved ministers.
Now we turn our attention to Epaphroditus. He was probably an elder at Philippi. The fact that they entrusted him with their financial gift for Paul would imply that. Let’s see what Paul says about Epaphroditus in Philippians 2:25-30:
“Yet I considered it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, my brother, fellow worker, and fellow soldier, but your messenger and the one who ministered to my need; 26 since he was longing for you all, and was distressed because you had heard that he was sick. 27 For indeed he was sick almost unto death; but God had mercy on him, and not only on him but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow. 28 Therefore I sent him the more eagerly, that when you see him again you may rejoice, and I may be less sorrowful. 29 Receive him therefore in the Lord with all gladness, and hold such men in esteem; 30 because for the work of Christ he came close to death, not regarding his life, to supply what was lacking in your service toward me.”
Epaphroditus was sent by the Philippian church to bring him a financial gift and to minister to him. At the end of this letter Paul thanks them for the gift. Philippians 4:18: “I am full, having received from Epaphroditus the things sent from you, a sweet-smelling aroma, an acceptable sacrifice, well pleasing to God.” We understand the importance of this gift better when we put it in Paul’s cultural setting. In that culture prisoners were not provided for or cared for by the state like they are in our culture. The prisoner’s necessities, especially food, had to be supplied by friends and relatives.x Paul was under house arrest and the state did not provide for his basic necessities.
Epaphroditus got sick, probably during his journey to Rome. In those days an individual traveling alone with a large sum of money could be a target for highway robbers. For safety against that, there were probably others with Epaphroditus, although he was the leader. When he got sick, one of those companions may have gone back to Philippi and reported on their progress and Epaphroditus’s illness. It is clear in the text that the Philippians knew about his sickness but did not know about his recovery.
Paul says in verse 30 that Epaphroditus almost died. There is insight in this story on how New Testament healing works. I’ll just make a couple of observations.
Although Epaphroditus was serving God, he was not above the laws of nature. When he got sick, he needed to rest and recovery. Instead he pressed on to get the job done. The NIV says he risked his own life to minister to Paul’s need.
Even though Paul operated in the gifts of healings,xi Epaphroditus was not immediately healed from his sickness. Paul could not make the gift work at his own will. These supernatural gifts work as the Holy Spirit wills it. We are told that in 1 Corinthians 12:11. God did answer their prayers, and Epaphroditus was healed. In 2:27 Paul praised God for His mercy in that: “For indeed he was sick almost unto death; but God had mercy on him, and not only on him but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow.” Paul was suffering under the Roman persecution, but for Epaphroditus to die would have added “sorrow upon sorrow” for him. Notice, even though Paul was a man of faith, he still had human feelings. He would have grieved his friend’s death—not as the world grieves, but as a Christian grieves over the temporal loss of the companionship.xii
God heals today supernaturally. But not everyone we pray for gets a supernatural healing. When someone is sick, we should pray for their healing. We should look to the Lord for divine intervention. Ultimately the healing comes from the Lord. Epaphroditus was healed. But in 2 Timothy 4:20 even the great Apostle Paul admitted leaving Trophimus ill at Miletus.
One reason Paul was sending Epaphroditus back to Philippi at this time was so they could rejoice in his healing. He would carry this letter with him. But it would encourage them to see for themselves the healing God had done. Additionally, Epaphroditus was concerned for them, that they would know that he was okay. In verse 26 Paul said, “. . . he was longing for you all, and was distressed because you had heard that he was sick.” Epaphroditus was distressed because they knew he was sick but did not know he had recovered. No doubt, Paul could have used additional help and encouragement from Epaphroditus. But he saw this need as more important than his own need.
In verse 25, Paul makes five commendations about Epaphroditus that are good guidelines for evaluating ministries.
(1) He refers to him as “my brother.” This is absolutely essential. Has he been born again? Is he truly my brother in Christ?xiii There are many people in the pulpit today who have never been born of the Spirit. They typically preach “another gospel.” They often substitute social issues for the preaching of the cross. Social issues should be addressed, but never as a substitute for redemption through the blood of Christ.xiv
(2) Then Paul says he is his “fellow worker.” KJV says “companion in labour.” When I am selecting leaders in a church, I am looking for people who will put their hand to the plow along beside me. Churches get into trouble when they put “big shots” into positions of power. Sometimes they do it for their money; sometimes for their prestige in the community. But New Testament leadership is a working/serving ministry. It’s not just bossing people around. It’s leading by example. We’re looking for co-laborers, not people who sit on their fanny and tell us what we’re doing wrong. When you’re working you experience the challenges of getting the job done and you’re not near as critical of others.
Paul was a doer. At one point he worked as a tent maker and provided for his whole team (Acts 20:33-34). Epaphroditus was a doer almost working himself to death. I’m not impressed with ministers who take several vacations a year, live in big fancy houses, and lavish amenities on themselves in the name of faith. The laborer is worthy of his hire (Luke 10:7). Elders or pastors who rule well, especially those who labor in the word and doctrine should be counted of double honor. The next verse in 1 Timothy 5:18 lets us know that the double honor includes financial provision. But that does not mean I am to live lavishly as a minister. Biblical prosperity is having exactly what you need to fulfill the ministry God has assigned to you. God doesn’t gift us so we can live soft, easy lives. He gifts us so we can do the “work” of the ministry.
(3) Paul also calls Epaphroditus a “fellow soldier.” Are you a soldier in the army of the Lord? Will you stand up and fight for what is right? Will you wrestle with powers, principalities, and spiritual wickedness in high places (in the spiritual realm)? That’s not always fun. The battles are real.
God is looking for people who can keep rank when the going gets rough. In ancient times armies liked up for battle against one another. If a man broke rank and retreated when he was supposed to stand and fight, it was a disgrace. 1 Chronicles 12 numbers soldiers from the various tribes who aligned themselves with David. Then verse 38 says, “All these men of war, who could keep ranks, came to Hebron with a loyal heart, to make David king over all Israel.” Double-minded people break rank when the going gets tough.xv I want to be loyal to my King, even when it’s hard to do. Amen?
(4) Paul characterized Epaphroditus as “your messenger” in his letter to the Philippians. Epaphroditus was trusted with an important assignment. They sent him to bring the gift and minister to Paul. He submitted to that assignment. He was faithful to do what he was sent to do, even risking his own life to do it.xvi
(5) Finally Paul says he is “the one who ministered to my need.” Here is the servanthood that Paul has been calling the Philippians to live in. Remember how Paul referred to himself and Timothy as servants (doulos) slaves of Jesus Christ. He talked about Jesus “taking on the form of a bondservant” in 2:7. This is a concept Paul wants the Christians at Philippi to understand. It is a concept God wants you and me to grasp and live in. In Matthew 20 Jesus talked about the way the Gentiles exercise authority by dominating and lording it over people. Then he said, “Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant. 27 And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave — 28 just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many” (Matt. 20:26-28).xvii
God sends support ministries to help pastors get their assignment done. But when that pastor adopts an entitlement attitude and thinks more about being served than serving, he or she is in trouble. Epaphroditus had a mindset, an attitude of heart, that willingly and gladly served others.
In 1 Thessalonians 2 Paul describes his own ministry, and we see these same characteristics. We do not have time to expound on the passage. But I want to read verses 1-13 from the New Living Translation as a final glimpse of what real ministry looks like.
“You yourselves know, dear brothers and sisters, that our visit to you was not a failure. 2 You know how badly we had been treated at Philippi just before we came to you and how much we suffered there. [Paul is referring to what happened to them when the founded the church at Philippi (Acts 16:22-23)]. Yet our God gave us the courage to declare his Good News to you boldly, in spite of great opposition. 3 So you can see we were not preaching with any deceit or impure motives or trickery. 4 For we speak as messengers approved by God to be entrusted with the Good News. Our purpose is to please God, not people. He alone examines the motives of our hearts. 5 Never once did we try to win you with flattery, as you well know. And God is our witness that we were not pretending to be your friends just to get your money! 6 As for human praise, we have never sought it from you or anyone else. 7 As apostles of Christ we certainly had a right to make some demands of you, but instead we were like children among you. Or we were like a mother feeding and caring for her own children. 8 We loved you so much that we shared with you not only God’s Good News but our own lives, too. 9 Don’t you remember, dear brothers and sisters, how hard we worked among you? Night and day we toiled to earn a living so that we would not be a burden to any of you as we preached God’s Good News to you. 10 You yourselves are our witnesses—and so is God—that we were devout and honest and faultless toward all of you believers. 11 And you know that we treated each of you as a father treats his own children. 12 We pleaded with you, encouraged you, and urged you to live your lives in a way that God would consider worthy. For he called you to share in his Kingdom and glory. 13 Therefore, we never stop thanking God that when you received his message from us, you didn’t think of our words as mere human ideas. You accepted what we said as the very word of God—which, of course, it is. And this word continues to work in you who believe.”
Conclusion:
Paul, Jesus, Timothy, and Epaphroditus are presented in this epistle as examples of what biblical ministry looks like. We want to be sure we’re using the biblical guidelines when recognizing leaders. Those who are the real deal should be honored appropriately. In verse 29 Paul tells the Philippians concerning Epaphroditus: “Receive him therefore in the Lord with all gladness, and hold such men in esteem.” NLT says, “. . . be sure to honor people like him.” The leader’s mindset should be one of a humble servant. The congregation’s mindset should be to honor him appropriately. Hebrews 13:17 commands believers, “Obey those who rule over you, and be submissive, for they watch out for your souls, as those who must give account. Let them do so with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you.”
Paul has provided a lot of information about the kind of spiritual leaders we should follow. Use that information to make wise decisions about who you listen to and who you follow. Be discerning. Don’t just follow the crowd. Don’t just follow the excitement. Look for character rather than superficial attraction. May God give you wisdom in those decisions.
ENDNOTES:
i Scripture quotes, unless indicated otherwise, are from the New King James Version.
ii Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities, as quoted in Goodreads. Accessed 7-25-20 at https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/341391-it-was-the-best-of-times-it-was-the-worst.
iii Barna Group, “State of the Church 2020.” Accessed 7/18/20 at https://www.barna.com/research/new-sunday-morning/ and https://www.barna.com/research/new-sunday-morning-part-2/.
iv See Richard Tow, “Election Results from a Biblical Perspective,” sermon preached 11/13/16. Available at www.sermoncentral.com.
v See Richard Tow, “Responding to the Times,” sermon preached 5/3/15 and Richard Tow, “The Solution for America,” sermon preached 9/18/16. Both available at www.sermoncentral.com.
vi Gen. 18:32.
vii George Barna and David Barton, U Turn (Lake Mary, FL: Front Line, 2014) 109.
viii Luke 12:48.
ix Rom. 14:6.
x Gordon Fee, Paul’s Letter to the Philippians, The New International Commentary on the New Testament, N. B. Stonehouse, F. Bruce, G. Fee, and J. Green, eds. (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1995) 276.
xi 1 Cor. 12:9; Acts 14:8-10; 20:7-12; 28:8.
xii 1 Thess. 4:13.
xiii John 3:7; 2 Cor. 5:17.
xiv 1 Pet. 1:18-19; 1 Cor. 1:22-24; 2:2.Gal. 1:6-7.
xv James 1:6-8.
xvi Acts 20:24.
xvii John 13:1-17.
