Opening illustration: Do you read other people’s letters? Most of the Bible are letters written to people, nations or a community. None of the letters are written directly to us, and we are just reading other people’s letters and applying that to our lives.
Introduction: I pause to ask a question. Who are your friends? Suppose a man from the moon watched you for two weeks, how would he answer that question? Your friends are important because all of us tend to become like the people we associate with. If you hang around complainers, pretty soon you’ll start to complain. If your friends are selfish, their attitude will rub off on you. However, if your friends are noble, their nobility will make you noble too.
Howard Hendricks says that a Christian man needs three men in his life—a Paul, a Barnabas, and a Timothy. Paul represents your spiritual mentor, Barnabas a close personal friend, and Timothy a disciple who looks to you for leadership. We need mentors, friends, and disciples to be well-rounded Christians.
One last question, if you please. Who are your heroes, the people you look to as role models? Tell me, your heroes and I’ll tell you your values. When a visitor comes to America, he or she soon discovers that this nation reveres George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. Come to Oak Park and you hear people talking about Ernest Hemingway and Frank Lloyd Wright. Heroes teach us history—and they impart values to the next generation.
This text is going to lay down the principles we must follow as a Christian disciple and then eventually shape you into a leader.
What leadership principles should we follow?
1. People before Profits (vs. 19-21)
Over time, Paul came to trust Timothy so completely that he became a kind of stand-in for the apostle, his right-hand man who represented Paul when he himself couldn’t go to a certain city or church. One writer says that Timothy was FAT—Faithful, Available, and Teachable! Paul seems to imply something like that in verse 20 when he says that he has no one “like him.” The Greek word literally means “same-souled.”
Timothy stood out in Paul’s mind as a man who cared more for others than he did for himself. He illustrates the principle Paul laid down a few verses earlier when he spoke of having the mind of Christ and “in humility consider others better than yourselves” (2:3-5).
A people minded leader is focused on the success of the people entrusted to him:
• Leaders serve their people - Learn to identify areas of growth.
• Leaders protect their people - Learn to see on coming danger.
• Leaders provide for their people - Learn to meet the need of the hour.
Profit minded leader is focused on his own selfish gain:
• These serve their 'bank accounts.’
• They protect their 'bank accounts.’
• They provide and grow their 'bank accounts.'
Illustration: On election night 2016, New York, magazine already planned and printed copies to be release the day-after elections. The cover showed a photo of Trump and wrote in large letters was the word LOSER. “Who was the loser that week—Hillary or Trump?” Is that not a revelation of the spirit of this age? After all those months of verbal conflicts, all people wanted to know, who won and who lost? Who cares who is telling the truth? Truth, what’s that?!
When we get to heaven, we aren’t going to be asked if we were winners or losers on the earth. Forget about your won-lost record. The one thing we will want to hear Jesus say is, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”
2. Character before Conformity (vs. 22-24)
Paul said that after many months (and perhaps years) of apprenticeship, Timothy had “proved himself.” The word means to be approved by passing a test. It has the idea of demonstrating under pressure that you have the “right stuff.” How did Timothy prove himself? By sticking with Paul through thick and thin. By volunteering to tackle the hard jobs. By refusing to cut and run under fire. By doing the menial tasks, the “dirty work” so that Paul was freed up to do what he did best.
Note that this kind of “proving” doesn’t happen overnight. Too many people want “instant” spirituality and overnight maturity. God doesn’t work that way. Producing Christian character takes time and effort. Here’s a simple equation: T + D = G. T = Time, D = Discipline and G = Growth. This formula works in every area of life, whether it be weight lifting, piano playing, Scripture memory, or learning to speak Ibo. Nothing worthwhile can be conquered in one evening. You can’t “blitz” your way to spiritual leadership. You’ve got to do what Timothy did—put yourself under a good leader and then pay the price over time.
When will we learn that God is not looking for superstars? We already have too many superstars in the Christian world – people who build their careers on hype and glitz and marketing pizzazz. God wants faithful people who have proven their worth over the long haul. Remember … you can buy talent, but you can’t buy faithfulness.
3. Teamwork before Competition (v. 25)
Epaphroditus was a leader in the church at Philippi, who was sent by the church with a gift for Paul. His name is not mentioned elsewhere in the New Testament. He doesn’t seem to have been a preacher in the usual sense of the word. He fits more into the mold of a deacon—a godly layman willing to serve, willing to go, and willing to risk everything for the cause of Christ.
Paul uses three terms to describe Epaphroditus:
• BROTHER—Members of the same family (We are one)
• FELLOW WORKER—Members of the same team (He is my equal)
• FELLOW SOLDIER—Warriors for the same cause (He is sold out to Christ)
Verse 25 contains one more term that you might miss if you read the text only in English. When Paul calls him “your messenger,” he uses the Greek word for “apostle"—which literally means “one who is sent officially representing someone else.” Usually, the term means an apostle designated by Jesus Christ—as in the “12 apostles” or the “Apostle Paul.” Here Paul uses the same term in a more general sense—that Epaphroditus is an “apostle” sent by the Philippians to aid another apostle in Rome. High praise indeed!
By piling these terms together Paul makes clear that he holds this layman from Philippi in high esteem. Sometimes kids today will say to one another “You da man!” In essence, Paul was saying that Epaphroditus was “the man” and thus worthy of every respect.
Illustration: I find it encouraging that Paul didn’t “pull rank” but instead went out of his way to praise Epaphroditus to his hometown people. It is said that President Ronald Reagan had a slogan prominently displayed on his desk at the White House that read “There is no limit to how far a man can go if he doesn’t care who gets the credit.” The Apostle Paul certainly learned that crucial lesson.
4. Kingdom before Comfort (vs. 26-27)
Traveling from Philippi to Rome wasn’t easy. It meant taking an 800-mile journey by boat across the Mediterranean Sea. When Epaphroditus got to Rome, he fell ill with a serious disease (something more than “Caesar’s Revenge") and nearly died. In those days, something called “Roman Fever” took many lives. If you’ve ever traveled abroad, especially to a third-world country, you know that you have to take extreme medical precautions. Epaphroditus faced all the dangers of travel without the benefits of modern medicine. As a result, the disease he contracted nearly took his life. When the Philippians heard about it, they were worried and sent a message to Rome. That made Epaphroditus distressed—that they were so worried about him.
Think about this for a moment. Epaphroditus left home, made a dangerous journey to an unfamiliar country with a new culture where he was exposed to a deadly disease. Far from family and friends, he nearly died. Why would he put himself in such a position? It doesn’t make sense humanly speaking. I think there is only one explanation. He did it “for Christ and his kingdom.” He did it for Jesus’ sake. No other explanation suffices. Epaphroditus had stepped out into harm’s way, and harm had hit him head on!
That’s precisely the spirit of this text. That’s what the phrase “Kingdom Before Comfort” really means.
Illustration: How would you respond to this ad?
WANTED - Understudy for well-traveled but trouble-prone missionary. Must be able to suffer illness and hardship without complaining; to travel to distant countries and be separated from your loved ones for long periods of time; to teach and be taught; to evangelize, organize, and be flexible when nothing goes right. Must put up with low pay, long hours, high stress levels, and intense opposition. Often attacked, occasionally stoned, beaten weekly, frequently arrested. Interested applicants should contact Apos. Paul.
Any takers? The ad is fictitious, but the position was real. It was filled by a young man named Epaphroditus who put the Kingdom of God before comfort. Few are willing to take such a step.
Do you remember what G. K. Chesterton said? “The Christian ideal has not been tried and found wanting. It has been found difficult and left untried.”
5. Service before Security (vs. 28-30)
The message is simple. Paul is sending Epaphroditus back to Philippi even though he needed him in Rome. He does this because he doesn’t want the church at Philippi to be worried about him. His key message is clear: You’ve got a great man here. Give him the honor he deserves. He risked his life for me—make sure you show him your appreciation.
Illustration: Note that phrase in verse 30—"risking his life.” The Greek verb is paraboleuomai, which means to expose oneself to danger, to risk, or to gamble. It was used of people who spoke up for their friends at the risk of their own safety and security. Sometimes it was used of a fighter who exposed himself to danger in the arena. Several hundred years later—during the time of Emperor Constantine – there arose societies of Christian men and women who called themselves “The Parabolani,” meaning “the riskers” or “the gamblers.” They ministered to the sick, the imprisoned, and the outcasts. They saw to it that martyrs received honorable burial. History tells us that they were considered an odd group, eccentric and somewhat “on the edge.”
What are you willing to risk for Christ? When was the last time you took yourself out of your comfort zone for the sake of the gospel? It is the curse of Western Christianity that we have constructed a Christian culture that effectively keeps us from risking anything for the sake of the gospel. Sometimes I think we don’t take risks because we’re afraid of losing our advantages. However, as Oswald Chambers remarked, “When you fear God you fear nothing else, whereas if you do not fear God you fear everything else.” Perhaps that’s our problem—we fear God too little and everything else too much.
Here is the bottom line of my message. God is looking for a few gamblers. He is searching high and low for some sanctified risk-takers. I wonder if we shouldn’t start a new ministry at The Well: Gamblers for Jesus. Everyone gambles their lives on something. I’m putting my money on Jesus. Where are you putting yours?
Application: Someone related an imaginary story about the day that Jesus returned to Heaven. The angels gathered and asked Jesus to explain what had happened down there on earth.
They asked, “Did they make you King?” Jesus answered, “No.”
“Did they make you prince?” “No.” “Did they worship you?” “Most of them didn’t.”
“Well then, what happened?” “They crucified me.”
“But after you rose from the Dead, everyone worshiped you, right?” “No.”
“So, what is your plan?” “I left my people down there.”
The angels looked skeptical. “But if they fail - What is your other plan?”
Jesus replied, “I have no other plan.”
What a defining moment it is in our lives when we realize that we are “Plan A,” and there is no “Plan B.” God is depending on us—His Church! Believers must embrace God’s assignment to not merely be consumers of His blessings, but to be distributors as well. It’s our cooperation with Him and each other that will help bring the will of God to pass in the earth. Remember that it’s teamwork that makes the dream work! WHICH PLAN ARE YOU ON? WHICH TEAM ARE YOU ON?
