2002-07 G-4 M-1 (86-76)
LIVING TOGETHER IN SERVICE
Philippians 2:19-30
INTRODUCTION
A. Have you been playing it safe as a Christian? – illustration:
A Georgia farmer, ragged and bare-footed, was standing on the steps of his tumbledown shack. A stranger stopped for a drink of water. "How is your cotton coming along?" he asked. "Ain’t got none," replied the farmer. "Did you plant any?" asked the stranger. "Nope," was the reply, "afraid of bollweevils."
"Well," continued the stranger, "how is your corn?" "Didn’t plant none," came the answer, "’fraid there weren’t going to be no rain."
The visitor persevered: "Well, how are your potatoes?" "Ain’t got none. Scairt of potato bugs."
"Really, what did you plant?" pressed the stranger. "Nothin’," was the calm reply, "I jest played safe."
B. Paul calls for us in this text to be servants who do not play it safe by giving us two examples of men who did serve with risk.
1. He has shown us the kind of servant Jesus was in vss. 5-11 and then showed us in vss. 12-18 how that kind of servant obeys God.
2. It is as if he were asking us to follow a want ad like this in the paper. What would you do if you read this in the paper’s want ads? – Want Ad for Disciples.
WANTED: DISCIPLES. Hours will be 168 per week. Pay is zero. No experience required, but toughness and resiliency helpful. No retirement provided in this life, but unlimited benefits in the next. Working conditions are not the best. There are hassles, discrimination, put-downs, and even persecutions. In this job, it’s mostly give and no take. There are few breaks, no vacations, no sick leave, no material bonuses, few, if any, compliments, and only one promotion which comes at the end of your life.
Applicants must be willing to sacrifice, study long, pray hard, labor unceasingly, and must be willing to be called a "fool" for Christ’s sake. The job is not easy. You will often work alone, but you’ll never be alone. People in this line of work are in a minority. Applicants must be willing to share their testimony in crowds that are both sympathetic and antagonistic, both understanding and prejudiced. Applicants must realize that identification with our organization makes them unpopular with the majority. Applicants must be prepared to live anyplace on earth. All applicants are required to understand before they sign up that they must relinquish all rights, legal or otherwise to all personal property such as cars, houses, real estate, money, recreational vehicles, stocks, IRA accounts, in fact EVERYTHING.
Applicants are urged to consider strongly their decision to come on board since our policy is that there is no getting out once in! Our policy is clear, "No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the Kingdom of God." Though this position is hazardous, there are great rewards and satisfaction to the work. We believe that "in due season we shall reap if we don’t faint."
Those interested may apply at the foot of the cross. There is no legal age limitation and whosoever will may come.
3. As Paul places this challenge before us he recognizes that we might respond by saying it is impossible to follow an example such as Christ or to live up to the standards Paul has listed for us.
4. For this reason, Paul now introduces us to two ordinary Christians, men who were simply trying to live like Christ. He presents them to us as examples of men who lived in the church as servants, to suggest that we can be servants who live up to God’s standards.
KEY STATEMENT
The two men Paul introduces us to in this text demonstrate two qualities of people who live together in service.
LIVING TOGETHER IN SERVICE MEANS...
I. ...LOOKING OUT FOR OTHER’S WELFARE – Vss. 19-24.
A. How we often look out for ourselves instead of others – illustration:
Elizabeth Ashley, the British actress who was born in North Florida, was asked if she lived in America or abroad. She said, "The only time I spend in America is when I am working. I live on a sailboat. I live as far away from civilization and progress as you can get. I’m basically nomadic. I live on airplanes, in the ocean, and in the occasional pit stop, you know. I catch civilization and progress the way other people catch the flu. I’m very much a loner. I require a lot of solitude and a lot of isolation."
B. Timothy looked out for the welfare of others.
1. Paul was planning to send Timothy to Philippi. He gives us his reasons for doing so.
a. He sent him "in the Lord." In fact that was how Paul did everything, and it should be how we do everything.
b. He sent him so the Philippians would receive news about Paul’s condition and be cheered by it. "I also" implies this.
c. Paul would also thus receive good news about the Philippians and himself be cheered when Timothy returned.
2. Paul had no one else like Timothy; everyone else looked out for their own interests, but Timothy genuinely looked out for the interests of the Philippians.
a. Everyone else looked out to their own interests. There were quite a few Christians in Rome, but Paul could not get any of them to be willing to go to Philippi for him. They all had their excuses, and we can only surmise as to what they might have been. Thus Paul had no one else like Timothy.
b. "A Man Fell Into a Pit One Day..." We are often the same way.
A Philosopher came along and reasoned with him why there are pits in our world.
A Psychologist came by and researched the procedures by which he landed in the pit, and tried to help him to accept his pit.
A Liberal Preacher came by and volunteered to start a National Pit Elimination Program.
Bob Schuller came by and told him to think positively about his predicament.
Pat Robertson came by and promised to raise fifty million dollars to minister to his needs.
Jerry Falwell came by and promised to enlist thirty million votes to eliminate the pits.
A Mystic told him the god of the pits would comfort him in his pit.
A Fundamentalist came by and told him: "This is the pits."
A Church of Christ Sunday School class sent him a get-well card and a potted plant.
One member of the church came by and said she didn’t know why he was there. She said she always sent her money to Mexico and Africa because they had so many more pits than we have.
Jesus came by and lifted him out of the pit. The method he chose was to inhabit the pit with him. The method he detailed to his followers was to identify and accept the pit-dweller.
c. Timothy, on the other hand, had a genuine interest in the welfare of the Philippians.
(1) Genuine indicates he had a kinship with them. The word contains the idea of a birthright, something possessed by spiritual parentage. There was nothing forced or artificial about Timothy’s concern; it was the real thing.
(2) "Take ... interest in your welfare" means he had anxiety for their welfare, and as the previous word shows, it was genuine anxiety.
3. Timothy had proved himself – vs. 22.
a. Popular nightclub performer illustration:
A popular local nightclub performer visited a minister one day and announced he had been saved and wanted to serve the Lord. "What should I do next?" he asked. "Well I’d suggest you unite with a good church and start growing," the minister replied. "Is your wife a Christian?" "No, she isn’t," the musician replied. "I hope to win her. But, do I have to wait. I mean, I’d like to do something for God right now." "No, you don’t have to wait to witness for the Lord," explained the minister. "Get busy in a church and use your talents for Christ." "But you don’t know who I am!" the man protested. "I’m a big performer – everybody knows us. I want to start my own organization, make records, and appear before big crowds." "If you go too fast," warned the minister, "you may hurt yourself and your testimony. And the place to start winning people is right at home. God will open up places of service for you as he sees you are ready. Meanwhile, study the Bible and give yourself a chance to grow."
The man did not take the minister’s counsel. Instead, he set up a big organization and started out on his own. His "success" lasted less than a year. Not only did he lose his testimony because he was not strong enough to carry the heavy burdens, but his constant traveling alienated him from his wife and family. He drifted into a "fringe group" and disappeared from public ministry, a broken and bankrupt man.
b. Timothy, in contrast, could put the interests of others first, because he had proven himself. The word means "genuine," and refers to one who had gone through the tests of fire to prove himself.
c. As such, he had worked like a slave and as a son, learning from Paul.
d. It is important for us to recognize that Christian service begins by finding a place to work and serving others.
e. Timothy had this happen to him. Apparently Paul converted him to Christ on his first missionary journey, but he left him behind to become a part of the church fellowship in Derbe and Lystra. There Timothy grew spiritually and learned how to serve the Lord. When Paul returned to the area a few years later, he discovered that Timothy was well reported by the brothers, and he took him along on his journeys.
C. Looking out for other’s welfare demands priorities.
1. Timothy would not go to Philippi yet, though, as vss. 23,24 show us. Paul wanted him to carry word about himself, as soon as he knew, and then he too hoped to go. He just wanted to indicate here that Timothy was an example of a servant.
2. Priorities illustration:
It was a 99 degree September day in San Antonio, when a ten month-old baby girl was accidentally locked inside a parked car by her aunt. Frantically the mother and aunt ran around the auto in near hysteria, while a neighbor attempted to unlock the car with a clothes hanger. Soon the infant was turning purple and had foam on her mouth.
It had become a life-or-death situation when Fred Arriola, a wrecker driver, arrived on the scene. He grabbed a hammer and smashed the back window of the car to set her free.
Was he heralded a hero? He said, "The lady was mad at me because I broke the window. I just thought, What’s more important – the baby or the window?"
Sometimes, in looking out for other’s welfare, priorities get out of order, and a Fred Arriola reminds us what’s important.
II. ...RISKING OUR LIVES FOR THE GOSPEL – Vss. 25-30.
A. How we often view ourselves:
1. Dr. Harry Ironside used to tell about a group of believers who thought only of "fellowship." They had little concern for reaching the lost or for defending the faith against its enemies. In front of their meeting place they hung a sign: JESUS ONLY. But the wind blew away some of the letters, and the sign read: US ONLY. It was a perfect illustration of unbalanced Christians.
2. That was not Epaphroditus’ attitude.
B. Look at how Epaphroditus was balanced:
1. He was a brother. He was a Gentile, but Paul could call him a brother. As such, he fit what Paul wrote about the Gospel in chapter 1: "the fellowship of the Gospel" – 1:5.
2. He was a fellow worker. It literally means "one who puts out energy with you." As such, he fit another of Paul’s descriptions in chapter 1: "the furtherance of the Gospel" – 1:12.
3. He was a fellow soldier. They had shared dangers together, Epaphroditus had been willing to take risks for the Gospel. In chapter one, Paul talks about "the faith of the Gospel" – 1:27.
4. He was the Philippians’ messenger. "Your" is emphatic. "Messenger" is the word for apostle. He had a special ministry to the Philippians.
5. He was a minister, sent to take care of Paul’s needs.
6. We need to think about the kind of servants we will be in the context of hiring a minister: Reading between the lines you hear on your candidating visit
Pastoral search committees have been known to be excellent spinmasters. In their attempts to land a pastor, they can say some revealing things about the church ... if you know how to read between the lines. Here’s what PSC’s are likely to say, and what they really mean.
What the committee said: "We have a long and distinguished history as a congregation." - What they meant: We haven’t done anything worth a hoot in the last decade.
"We don’t have stereotyped expectations for our pastor’s wife." - She doesn’t have to play piano for junior church. But naturally, she’ll want to head up the women’s group.
"We want a pastor who’s an outstanding preacher, a compassionate counselor, a successful soul-winner, a gifted teacher, a strong motivator, and an efficient administrator." - We have no clue what we want, but we suppose you’ll do.
"What is your philosophy of ministry?" - What tricks do you have to increase worship attendance?
"Our attendance has been declining, but our church has a lot of potential." - You’re our last hope before we close the church doors.
"We want a pastor who can bring energy and life to worship." - We need someone to get the organist to play the hymns faster.
"We plan to repair the parsonage just as soon as we get a new pastor." - We plan to have our new pastor repair the parsonage.
"We think many former members will return if we get the right person as pastor." - If you don’t get them back, it’s your fault.
"The chairman of our search committee has opened his home to you for your candidating weekend." - Try to ignore the boa constrictor and nude pin-ups in his son’s room. You know how teenagers are.
"We’ll be happy to pay you for your moving expenses." - Up to the budgeted $375.
"Don’t worry. We’ll be here to help you get acquainted with our church." - We’ll watch you like a hawk, because we’re scared to death you might do something that will embarrass us.
"You’ll have two weeks of study leave and four weeks of vacation annually." - And whenever you take any time away, someone will say he wishes HE had such an easy schedule.
"How much do you need to live on?" - That’ll be your salary for at least five years.
"As the church grows, your salary will grow, too." - Fat chance!
"You won’t have to fight traffic getting to the office every morning." - The parsonage is attached to the back of the sanctuary, and the baptistry doubles as your bathtub.
"We’re an easy bunch to work with." - We’ll take it easy while you do the work.
Citation: James Dyet, David Goetz, Brian Larson, Mark Galli, Richard Doebler and Jim Berkley in Leadership, Vol. 13, no. 4.
7. Such a person will minister to others – Rusty Stephens illustrates this kind of ministry:
Rusty Stephens, a Navigators director in Virginia Beach, Virginia, tells this story: "As I feverishly pushed the lawn mower around our yard, I wondered if I’d finish before dinner. Mikey, our 6 year-old, walked up and, without even asking, stepped in front of me and placed his hands on the mower handle. Knowing that he wanted to help me, I quit pushing.
"The mower quickly slowed to a stop. Chuckling inwardly at his struggles, I resisted the urge to say, ’Get out of here, kid. You’re in my way,’ and said instead, ’Here, Son. I’ll help you.’ As I resumed pushing, I bowed my back, leaned forward, and walked spread-legged to avoid colliding with Mikey. The grass cutting continued, but more slowly and less efficiently than before, because Mikey was ’helping’ me.
"Suddenly, tears came to my eyes as it hit me: This is the way my heavenly Father allows me to ’help’ him build his kingdom! I pictured my heavenly Father at work seeking, saving, and transforming the lost, and there I was, with my weak hands ’helping.’ My Father could do the work by himself, but he doesn’t. He chooses to stoop graciously to allow me to co-labor with him. Why? For my sake, because he wants me to have the privilege of ministering with him."
This is the kind of servant Epaphroditus was, and is the kind we should be. This is the way we are to serve others.
C. That was reason enough for Paul to send Epaphroditus to Philippi, but we need to look deeper into his circumstances.
1. He was homesick – vs. 26, a feeling Paul understood – 1:8.
2. He was distressed because they heard he was ill. The word is used of Jesus’ anguish in Gethsemane – Mark 14:33. There may have been some misunderstanding in Philippi about his work.
3. Paul was thus sending him home because of his situation. Epaphroditus became sick and almost died, apparently in carrying out his duty. This may have brought criticism. God had intervened on his behalf, and so spared Paul sorrow above his concern for the Philippians. Paul was thus sending him home to relieve their anxiety and his. He should be welcomed home for he had risked his life for the Gospel.
CONCLUSION
A. God wants us to live together as servants like these two men.
B. It may not cost us our lives as Herbert Lockyer’s attitude indicates – quote.
"At 93 I’m not out yet! Now, I am not an English cricketer, boasting that after making 93 runs, I am still at the wicket, with bat in hand. The Lord has permitted me to live for 93 years. And, by his grace, after running without weariness for such a long period, I am still at the wicket of witness for the Master, batting for his glory, and hope to continue until I am bowled out by death or by his return."
C. Or it may call from us the kind of sacrifice of an Epaphroditus, like that of Dr. Oswald Goulter:
Dr. and Mrs. Goulter were missionaries in China for 41 years. Then one morning outside of Nanking, they heard the sounds of guns. Before they could even get out of bed, the Communist soldiers came and ransacked their house and tore up their mission station. They captured he and his wife and incarcerated them in a makeshift camp just 20 miles outside of Nanking. Dr. Goulter said they put him in a room with a glass that separated him from wife in the next room, where he could see her. The Communist soldiers asked him to deny his faith. But he said for years he and his wife had knelt by their bed and said that whatever happened they would never deny their faith. Dr. Goulter said he was forced to watch, they propped his eyes open so he had to watch, as one after another the soldiers raped his wife, and then cut her tongue out with a razor blade, and then pulled her hair out and began to scalp her. They said, "Now will you change your mind and deny Christ?" and Dr. Goulter said, "No." He could read her lips and even in her pain, her lips were saying, "Don’t deny his name." They stripped her down, put branding irons all over her face and body, and abused her in his sight. Dr. Goulter said he saw her for the last time as they drug her by her remaining hair out the door. They took him to another prison where two years later he escaped. He never knew what happened to his wife. He would stand in his classroom at Phillips University with tears rolling down his face and take his shirt off and show the 1/4 inch indentations in his back where he had been beaten with hot rods. He would kneel in the classroom and say, "Men, men, don’t ever, ever deny the name." That is the kind of servant Timothy and Epaphroditus were and is the kind of service he calls us to.
