SPEAKER_00: This sermon was recorded at Faith Evangelical Free Church in Grand Forks, North Dakota.
SPEAKER_01: I've said before that I love history, just all kinds of aspects about history.
SPEAKER_01: Church history is especially interesting, and church history is filled with displays of selfless character and sacrificial service.
SPEAKER_01: Here are three of them, very briefly.
SPEAKER_01: In 1793, William Carey left England for what was then known as Bengal.
SPEAKER_01: Over the next 30 years, he translated the entire Bible into Bengal and parts of it into twenty-four other dialects.
SPEAKER_01: He also founded Asia's first degree-seeking institution while facing the deaths of his wife and his son, enduring financial struggles, opposition from all corners, and massive cultural barriers.
SPEAKER_01: Mary Slesser.
SPEAKER_01: Mary Slesser was a Scottish Presbyterian missionary who traveled to what is now Nigeria.
SPEAKER_01: There she became widely known as the mother of all.
SPEAKER_01: She lived in remote locations and hostile regions for decades, fighting against harmful native customs and risking her life repeatedly as she spread the gospel with Christ-like humility.
SPEAKER_01: John Rogers printed the second complete Bible in English following William Tyndale.
SPEAKER_01: He refused to comply with Roman Catholic teaching, and so on February 4th of 19, 1555, he was burned alive at the stake for his beliefs.
SPEAKER_01: Church history is your history if you believe in Christ.
SPEAKER_01: Church history is filled with countless examples of selfless character and sacrificial service.
SPEAKER_01: They follow in the footsteps of two individuals that we find in our passage this morning in Philippians chapter 2.
SPEAKER_01: If you'd like to take your Bible or your device and open to that passage.
SPEAKER_01: Two instances of selflessness and sacrifice in ordinary people are found in Philippians chapter 2, and God recognized them for showing the character of his only begotten Son.
SPEAKER_01: Philippians chapter 2, we're going to focus this morning on verses 19 through 30, finishing out this chapter.
SPEAKER_01: I'll read it if you'd like to follow along.
SPEAKER_01: Again, beginning in Philippians chapter 2, verse 19.
SPEAKER_01: The Apostle Paul, writing from prison, says, I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, so that I too may be cheered by news of you.
SPEAKER_01: He's going to send him, because I have no one like him who will be genuinely concerned for your welfare.
SPEAKER_01: For they all seek their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ.
SPEAKER_01: But you know Timothy's proven worth, how as a son with a father he has served with me in the gospel.
SPEAKER_01: I hope, therefore, to send him just as soon as I will see how it will go with me.
SPEAKER_01: And I trust in the Lord that shortly I myself will also come.
SPEAKER_01: I've thought it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, my brother and fellow worker and fellow soldier, and your messenger and minister to my need.
SPEAKER_01: For he has been longing for you all and has been distressed because you heard that he was ill.
SPEAKER_01: Indeed, he was ill, near to death.
SPEAKER_01: But God had mercy on him, and not only on him, but on me also, that lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow.
SPEAKER_01: So I am all the more eager to send him, therefore, that you may rejoice at seeing him again, and that I may be less anxious.
SPEAKER_01: So receive him in the Lord with all joy, and honor such men, for he nearly died for the work of Christ, risking his life to complete what was lacking in your service to me.
SPEAKER_01: Amen.
SPEAKER_01: Epaphroditus, as we learn in chapter four, verse eighteen, was sent from the city of Philippi by the church there with a financial gift of support to the apostle while he was imprisoned in Rome.
SPEAKER_01: And it seems as though he stayed there with Paul for a while.
SPEAKER_01: While there he became quite sick.
SPEAKER_01: Timothy, the young man from Asia Minor, who became Paul's protege, was already with Paul in Rome and had been there with him perhaps the whole time.
SPEAKER_01: These two men stand out for at least two reasons.
SPEAKER_01: They stand out for mirroring in Philippians chapter 2 what we see of Jesus Christ, who considered others more significant than himself and humbled himself to the point of death, even death on a cross.
SPEAKER_01: They mirror Jesus.
SPEAKER_01: Second, they stand out because they are different from other human beings.
SPEAKER_01: Specifically, in the context of the book of Philippians, they are different from the women in chapter 4, Yodia and Syntiche, who can't get along.
SPEAKER_01: They seek to please Christ.
SPEAKER_01: That is, Timothy and Ephroditus do, not themselves.
SPEAKER_01: So in fact, Timothy and Epaphroditus live out verse 15.
SPEAKER_01: The reality that they are children of God who are called to mirror Christ through selfless sacrificial service.
SPEAKER_01: So in this greeting in the middle of the book, the Apostle Paul is telling the church, hey, I'm going to send these two guys to you.
SPEAKER_01: And you know all about them.
SPEAKER_01: This is no surprise what he's going to write.
SPEAKER_01: So we have to ask the question: why is he telling them what they already know?
SPEAKER_01: Why is he telling them what they know to be true about Timothy?
SPEAKER_01: And why does he tell them about what they know to be true about Epaphroditus who left them just fairly recently, apparently?
SPEAKER_01: The apostle composed one section on Timothy and a second section about Epaphroditus.
SPEAKER_01: So let's look at them briefly.
SPEAKER_01: First, Timothy here reflects Christ's selflessness by considering others more significant than himself.
SPEAKER_01: Timothy reflects Christ.
SPEAKER_01: How does he reflect Christ?
SPEAKER_01: By being selfless.
SPEAKER_01: He considers others far more significant than himself.
SPEAKER_01: What do we know about Timothy?
SPEAKER_01: Well, we know that his faith was formed at a very young age through his Jewish mother and grandmother.
SPEAKER_01: They taught him the scriptures.
SPEAKER_01: And at some point, Timothy came to genuine faith in Jesus Christ, and after that he became Paul's apprentice at a fairly young age.
SPEAKER_01: They were so close that they developed a father and son-like relationship.
SPEAKER_01: But it was more than that.
SPEAKER_01: Their ministry together was based not on superiority of Paul, an apostle, to a young man, or on authority.
SPEAKER_01: No, it says they served together.
SPEAKER_01: When it says in verse 22, he has served with me in the gospel, that with me literally means together with me.
SPEAKER_01: He is linked with me.
SPEAKER_01: We are in this together.
SPEAKER_01: Timothy was meaningful to Paul because of their relationship and partnership in gospel ministry.
SPEAKER_01: But there's something that stands out even more than that.
SPEAKER_01: Timothy reflects Christ's selflessness by considering others more significant than himself.
SPEAKER_01: How do we know that?
SPEAKER_01: Well, I see here five characteristics that reflect the Lord's selflessness in verses 19 through 24.
SPEAKER_01: Notice first that Timothy was selfless in his labors.
SPEAKER_01: He was selfless in his work with Paul.
SPEAKER_01: Verse 22 says, You know Timothy's proven worth how as a son with a father he has served with me in the gospel.
SPEAKER_01: Timothy left his family.
SPEAKER_01: He left his mother and his grandmother behind, and he followed Paul.
SPEAKER_01: He was beside him in preaching and in prison.
SPEAKER_01: In fact, the word served here in verse 22 could be translated slaved, as in he has slaved with me in the gospel.
SPEAKER_01: Timothy's side-by-side service with Paul for Christ was a priority for Timothy.
SPEAKER_01: He set aside his own interests to elevate the interests of Christ.
SPEAKER_01: That's why Paul could commend Timothy to the church in Corinth.
SPEAKER_01: He said in 1 Corinthians 16, when Timothy comes, see that you put him at ease, for he is doing the work of the Lord.
SPEAKER_01: An example of his selfless labors, then, was his willingness to go to Philippi, his willingness to go to Corinth and to do whatever Paul needed him to do on his behalf for the churches.
SPEAKER_01: He labored on behalf of others.
SPEAKER_01: So we have to ask the question, don't we?
SPEAKER_01: What does selfless labor for Christ look like for us today?
SPEAKER_01: We could probably make a list a mile long.
SPEAKER_01: Here are some thoughts to get us started.
SPEAKER_01: I think it means showing up when it's inconvenient.
SPEAKER_01: When it's hard, when it's not necessarily the thing we would like to be doing.
SPEAKER_01: It means serving in the nursery when you'd rather be in the service.
SPEAKER_01: Yes, that's intended to put pressure on you.
SPEAKER_01: It means staying late to take down or set up tables or chairs.
SPEAKER_01: Or arriving early to help people cross an icy parking lot or to greet them with a smile.
SPEAKER_01: And any number of other kinds of examples where we say serving Christ on behalf serving others on behalf of Christ is more significant than what I want or I desire.
SPEAKER_01: Selfless labor means your service to Christ and his church takes priority over our personal schedules and our personal comfort.
SPEAKER_01: That's the first thing we see about Timothy's character.
SPEAKER_01: But we also see that Timothy was selfless in his relationships.
SPEAKER_01: Paul says, I have no one like him in verse 20 who will be genuinely concerned for your welfare.
SPEAKER_01: Do we think the apostle lied?
SPEAKER_01: No, of course not.
SPEAKER_01: He's speaking genuinely, truthfully, and he says, There's no one that I have with me who is like Timothy.
SPEAKER_01: Paul knew that Timothy would be genuinely concerned for the welfare of the Christians in Philippi.
SPEAKER_01: So that speaks of a particular kind of concern for others.
SPEAKER_01: It's not fake.
SPEAKER_01: It's not half interested.
SPEAKER_01: It's real.
SPEAKER_01: Insincere concern for others is fake and not Christ-like.
SPEAKER_01: But Timothy's concern is the real thing.
SPEAKER_01: He considered others more significant than himself, and Paul knew that concern for others was genuine.
SPEAKER_01: So how do we demonstrate genuine concern in our relationships within the church?
SPEAKER_01: Let's start simply.
SPEAKER_01: It starts with asking people how they're doing and truly wanting to know the answer.
SPEAKER_01: Whatever it might be.
SPEAKER_01: And maybe not simply knowing who they are and knowing what's concerning them or how they're doing today, but maybe staying up with them and hearing the answer and then checking in later to see what's what's happening in their lives?
SPEAKER_01: How can we pray for them?
SPEAKER_01: How can we encourage them?
SPEAKER_01: Genuine concern, friends, cannot be scheduled or manufactured.
SPEAKER_01: It flows from a heart that truly values others.
SPEAKER_01: So we should ask ourselves: are our relationships in the church characterized by authenticity and care for one another?
SPEAKER_01: Or are they merely polite?
SPEAKER_01: You know, we have to talk to each other because we're in church together, kind of thing.
SPEAKER_01: Do you know what burdens your brothers and sisters are carrying?
SPEAKER_01: Genuine care, friends, also becomes a way in which the Lord draws unbelievers to this strange thing we call church.
SPEAKER_01: The early church was almost invaded by the poor, by the outcast, because the church showed genuine care for them as a way of showing Christ to them.
SPEAKER_01: And through that, they were led to genuine faith in Christ.
SPEAKER_01: Do we live out our selflessness in that way?
SPEAKER_01: There's a third characteristic we see of Timothy, verses 21 and 22, and that is that Timothy was selfless in his loyalties.
SPEAKER_01: He was selfless in his loyalties.
SPEAKER_01: The humble selflessness of Timothy's loyalties is incredible.
SPEAKER_01: I think we can lay out at least four levels of his loyalty.
SPEAKER_01: His greatest loyalty in verse 21 is to Christ.
SPEAKER_01: That is supreme.
SPEAKER_01: That's his greatest loyalty.
SPEAKER_01: His second loyalty is to Paul, like a son to a father.
SPEAKER_01: His third level of loyalty was to others in service of the gospel, verse 20 and verse 23.
SPEAKER_01: And only at the bottom do we find Timothy's concern for himself.
SPEAKER_01: And isn't that exactly what we find laid out for us in chapter 2, verse 4?
SPEAKER_01: Let each of you look not only to his own interests, you're going to look out for your own interest, but also for the interests of others.
SPEAKER_01: Consider them more significant.
SPEAKER_01: How would our assembly, this gathering of saints at Faith Evangelical Free Church, how would our gathering be transformed if we all pursued this arrangement of loyalties that we see in Timothy?
SPEAKER_01: If we consistently lived out putting Christ first and putting ourselves at the bottom and others in between, what would our assembly look like?
SPEAKER_01: I think it would certainly make the unity and the partnership and the gospel that we find at the end of chapter one much easier.
SPEAKER_01: But even more than that, we would display the Christ-likeness necessary to shine as lights in a crooked world, as we saw in verse 15.
SPEAKER_01: This hierarchy of loyalties challenges deeply ingrained individualism in us.
SPEAKER_01: We are almost bred.
SPEAKER_01: We are almost poured into and trained to be selfish and individualistic.
SPEAKER_01: We're taught from childhood to look out for number one.
SPEAKER_01: Pull yourselves up by your bootstraps.
SPEAKER_01: We're taught to prioritize self-care and self-advancement.
SPEAKER_01: But don't you think that Timothy's example turns that upside down?
SPEAKER_01: It says, elevate and prioritize Christ first, and then others, and then yourself.
SPEAKER_01: So what would it look like to restructure our loyalties like that?
SPEAKER_01: Well, it might mean rearranging our schedule to serve somewhere in the community where we can connect with people, tell them about Christ, and invite them to church.
SPEAKER_01: It might mean coming alongside a newer believer and mentoring them even when you're exhausted.
SPEAKER_01: It might mean giving financially beyond your comfort level to support gospel work.
SPEAKER_01: I think it definitely, in the context of Philippians, means refusing to participate in division and gossip.
SPEAKER_01: You see, Timothy was sincere, he was genuine, and he was loyal toward others while he ministered with Paul.
SPEAKER_01: He could have abandoned Paul in prison and said, Yeah, this isn't what I signed up for.
SPEAKER_01: And these characteristics were displayed often enough and consistently enough for the fourth characteristic to be true.
SPEAKER_01: Timothy was proven in ministry.
SPEAKER_01: Notice what the Apostle Paul says in verse 22.
SPEAKER_01: You, the Philippians, know Timothy's proven worth.
SPEAKER_01: His proven worth was known.
SPEAKER_01: To be proven means to be tested.
SPEAKER_01: For example, the Apostle Paul said to the Corinthians in 2 Corinthians chapter 2, he says, This is why I wrote to you, so that I could test you and know whether you are obedient in everything.
SPEAKER_01: Knowing is a result of testing.
SPEAKER_01: To know that you're obedient comes as a result of testing.
SPEAKER_01: Years of ministry and trials had tested Timothy, proving that he was valuable for the Lord's work.
SPEAKER_01: We generally don't know someone's true value and character for ministry and service until they've labored and endured in the work of ministry.
SPEAKER_01: Timothy had labored faithfully, sincerely, and loyally so that all people could see his proven worth for the Lord's work.
SPEAKER_01: So the apostle Paul could then say of Timothy in 2 Timothy chapter 2, you have followed my teaching.
SPEAKER_01: You followed my conduct, you followed my aim in life, you followed my faith, you followed my patience, my love, my steadfastness, my persecution and my sufferings.
SPEAKER_01: Timothy was there through it.
SPEAKER_01: Friends, proven worth doesn't happen overnight.
SPEAKER_01: It's built through faithful service in seasons of obscurity, through seasons when no one's watching, enduring through consistency, even when you feel like quitting.
SPEAKER_01: Some of you are in that season of testing right now.
SPEAKER_01: You're serving faithfully and you feel like you're you're walking in the steps of Christ and you're doing what He wants you to do, but it feels unnoticed and unappreciated.
SPEAKER_01: Maybe you're teaching the Sunday school class for the same Sunday school class, season after season, and there's no one to step in and give you a break.
SPEAKER_01: You're greeting at the doors week in and week out.
SPEAKER_01: Friends, don't despise the process.
SPEAKER_01: God is proving your character through those very experiences.
SPEAKER_01: And it's the testing that reveals what's really in our hearts.
SPEAKER_01: It shows whether we're serving for personal recognition or for Christ.
SPEAKER_01: It demonstrates whether Whether our commitment is conditional, based on appreciation or appraise, or whether it's anchored in obedience.
SPEAKER_01: You see, Timothy's proven worth came through years of faithful service that no one seems to have ever applauded, and through all kinds of difficulties that tested his resolve.
SPEAKER_01: This is why Paul could say, I have no one like him.
SPEAKER_01: All of that character and all of that labor leads to a final characteristic we see in Timothy, in verse 23.
SPEAKER_01: He is trustworthy.
SPEAKER_01: He's trustworthy.
SPEAKER_01: Paul sent Timothy on several trips to different churches.
SPEAKER_01: He left him behind in Ephesus to pastor the church there.
SPEAKER_01: Paul sent Timothy all over as his emissary, hoping that he himself here would get out of prison and be able to visit too.
SPEAKER_01: So consider what these few sentences about Timothy accomplish.
SPEAKER_01: Are they just here to say, hey, Timothy's coming?
SPEAKER_01: Expect him.
SPEAKER_01: I don't think so.
SPEAKER_01: I think they're doing something much richer than that.
SPEAKER_01: Timothy's likely the one who carries this letter to Philippi.
SPEAKER_01: He's likely the one who reads it to the church when he gets there.
SPEAKER_01: So this is a subtle way for the Apostle Paul to encourage Timothy.
SPEAKER_01: These words also remind the church of Philippi of what they know so that they will be ready to receive Timothy and to receive his leadership.
SPEAKER_01: They demonstrate Timothy's value to Paul and to the Lord's work.
SPEAKER_01: And most importantly, they show us Christ in Timothy.
SPEAKER_01: Timothy lived out the call of chapter 2, verses 1 through 5 to be Christ-like.
SPEAKER_01: And that shows a fifth characteristic that these sentences about Timothy do.
SPEAKER_01: They encourage us that it's possible to be like Jesus.
SPEAKER_01: Do you ever feel like that's a hard thing to do?
SPEAKER_01: Come back and read this when you feel that way.
SPEAKER_01: Timothy shows us that it's possible to follow in the footsteps of Christ.
SPEAKER_01: And so we can ask some questions of ourselves to see how we align with Christ through Timothy.
SPEAKER_01: Do we prioritize serving others over personal gain?
SPEAKER_01: Do we prioritize our own interests or the Lord's?
SPEAKER_01: Have we endured and proven ourselves to be valuable and useful in the Lord's service?
SPEAKER_01: And maybe we should even ask another question.
SPEAKER_01: Look around you.
SPEAKER_01: Can we identify and nurture and encourage the Timothy's among us today?
SPEAKER_01: Who are the young believers showing these characteristics?
SPEAKER_01: Remember, they might not at first stand out.
SPEAKER_01: How can we invest in them?
SPEAKER_01: How can we encourage them and create opportunities for them to grow even more in Christ-likeness?
SPEAKER_01: So much value in just looking at Timothy and seeing Christ.
SPEAKER_01: Now look with me for a few moments at Epaphroditus, verses 25 through 30.
SPEAKER_01: Specifically, a sacrificial life.
SPEAKER_01: And Epaphroditus shows us that in his service to both the church in Philippi and the Apostle Paul.
SPEAKER_01: Now notice here that the contrast.
SPEAKER_01: Timothy is called a son.
SPEAKER_01: High praise.
SPEAKER_01: Valuing relationship and connection and intimacy.
SPEAKER_01: The difference is likely that Timothy was with Paul constantly, serving as his assistant and right-hand helper, while Epaphroditus is serving in Philippi and making the travel to Rome when needed.
SPEAKER_01: But even more than that, Paul says Epaphroditus is a fellow worker and a fellow soldier and a brother that comes alongside him to work.
SPEAKER_01: So my brother, fellow worker, fellow soldier.
SPEAKER_01: Those are all connective elements.
SPEAKER_01: And they are significant because it demonstrates relational connection that grows in intensity.
SPEAKER_01: These men are so close that Paul would have sorrow upon sorrow if Epaphroditus died.
SPEAKER_01: So that's one connection that we see here.
SPEAKER_01: Aphroditus is so connected to Paul and the Lord's work that they could be called brother and fellow worker and fellow soldier.
SPEAKER_01: But there's a second connection here, and that is with the church in Philippi.
SPEAKER_01: Somehow, somehow in verse 26, the church in Philippi heard that Epaphroditus was sick.
SPEAKER_01: Imagine that we sent one of our elders to another church in another country, and we heard that they had gotten so sick while they were there that they were about to die, we would be concerned.
SPEAKER_01: But notice how Epaphroditus reacts.
SPEAKER_01: He has been longing for you all and has been distressed because you heard that he was sick.
SPEAKER_01: How easy is it for us to be selfish when we're sick?
SPEAKER_01: I know men get the worst rap on that, right?
SPEAKER_01: Wives, don't say hallelujah.
SPEAKER_01: Even though you might feel it's true.
SPEAKER_01: We get inward focused when we don't feel well.
SPEAKER_01: And here, Epaphroditus is so sick that he might die.
SPEAKER_01: But we don't see anything here about his concern for himself.
SPEAKER_01: Instead, we see his concern for his church at home.
SPEAKER_01: His greater concern is for the people in Philippi, even though he was close to death.
SPEAKER_01: So, like Timothy, he considered others more significant than himself, and he willingly sacrificed himself to serve others.
SPEAKER_01: These two connections, one to Paul and one to Philippi, came together when the believers in Philippi had an opportunity to minister to Paul's need.
SPEAKER_01: And so they sent Epaphroditus to Paul in Rome with their gift.
SPEAKER_01: And somewhere in the middle, Epaphroditus became sick, so sick that he's near death.
SPEAKER_01: Again, is Paul lying?
SPEAKER_01: No.
SPEAKER_01: Is he just feeling like he's near to death?
SPEAKER_01: No, I don't think that would be a faithful representation.
SPEAKER_01: He almost died.
SPEAKER_01: We need to remember that the near context of this section includes the humility and obedience of the Lord Jesus to the point of death.
SPEAKER_01: He considered others more significant than himself, and the end result of that mindset was his death on our behalf.
SPEAKER_01: Christ died for us.
SPEAKER_01: The cost of genuinely considering others more significant than ourselves is high, friends.
SPEAKER_01: Epaphroditus risked his health, his comfort, and even his life to serve Christ and support Paul.
SPEAKER_01: You remember the words of the Lord Jesus in the Gospel of John.
SPEAKER_01: He said, Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.
SPEAKER_01: Now, of course, the Lord was speaking of himself in that passage.
SPEAKER_01: He is the good shepherd who lays down his life for the sheep.
SPEAKER_01: But Epaphroditus walks in Christ's footsteps.
SPEAKER_01: He shows us how we can emulate the Lord by considering others more significant than ourselves.
SPEAKER_01: The apostle John, I think, surely was remembering what Jesus said when he wrote in 1 John chapter 3 this is how we know love.
SPEAKER_01: But Christ laid down his life for us.
SPEAKER_01: Then he gives the implication of that.
SPEAKER_01: And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters.
SPEAKER_01: This is what we've seen as we've walked through Philippians 2.
SPEAKER_01: We've seen the call to consider others more significant than ourselves.
SPEAKER_01: We've seen that lived out and magnificent humility of our Lord Jesus taking on flesh to die for us.
SPEAKER_01: And now we see that lived out in the life of the early church where Epaphroditus willingly gave himself for others in the service of Christ.
SPEAKER_01: But if we let that sink down a little bit deeper into us, we begin to realize that Ephyphroditus' example raises an uncomfortable question for us.
SPEAKER_01: What are we willing to risk for Christ and his people?
SPEAKER_01: Not a question easily answered or quickly answered.
SPEAKER_01: Most of us, at least in the Western world, either actively or passively work to manage our lives and our circumstances to minimize risk and maximize comfort.
SPEAKER_01: But sacrificial service sometimes calls us to step out and be uncomfortable.
SPEAKER_01: Maybe even to enter dangerous situations.
SPEAKER_01: It might mean traveling to a foreign mission field.
SPEAKER_01: It might mean opening your home to someone in crisis, even when it disrupts your routine.
SPEAKER_01: It might mean using your vacation time to serve others rather than relax.
SPEAKER_01: Any number of ways that that could look.
SPEAKER_01: What we need to know is that Epaphroditus didn't plan to nearly die in Rome.
SPEAKER_01: He simply went where it was needed.
SPEAKER_01: He served Christ in whatever way was necessary, and he trusted God with the outcome.
SPEAKER_01: Are we willing to do the same?
SPEAKER_01: At first glance, this passage seems like a simple update on mutual friends.
SPEAKER_01: Hey, you heard that Epaphroditus is sick, don't worry, he's okay.
SPEAKER_01: Hey, you remember Timothy?
SPEAKER_01: I'm sending him to you.
SPEAKER_01: But no, it's much more than that.
SPEAKER_01: Because we've already seen that the church in Philippi is tending toward selfishness, towards bickering and competing with one another.
SPEAKER_01: So writing about Timothy in Epaphroditus and then sending them back to the church is Paul's way of saying, friends, you're not imitating Christ like these two are.
SPEAKER_01: Follow their example.
SPEAKER_01: Sending these two men to the church at Philippi was Paul's way of pointing to Jesus, the ultimate selfless servant.
SPEAKER_01: And by preserving this letter for us, we can hear Paul asking us, are you imitating Christ like Timothy and Epaphroditus?
SPEAKER_01: Are you living out Christ's selflessness and sacrificial service for others?
SPEAKER_01: Are you about what merely interests you or what interests Christ?
SPEAKER_01: We shouldn't neglect the two commands at the end of this section.
SPEAKER_01: The imprisoned apostle doesn't ask for the church in Philippi to honor him.
SPEAKER_01: He doesn't say, hey, thanks for the gift.
SPEAKER_01: Please send me more.
SPEAKER_01: He doesn't say, thanks for remembering my imprisonment and sending somebody to encourage me.
SPEAKER_01: No, he commands them to receive and honor people like Timothy and Epaphroditus.
SPEAKER_01: He says, I'm sending him, verse 28, so that you might rejoice at seeing him again, and I may be less anxious.
SPEAKER_01: So receive him in the Lord with all joy and honor such men.
SPEAKER_01: Supporting and honoring people who selflessly and sacrificially serve Christ is a command.
SPEAKER_01: The church has a responsibility to support and honor those who imitate Christ.
SPEAKER_01: Specifically by considering others more significant than themselves.
SPEAKER_01: How do we do that practically?
SPEAKER_01: Well, we might we might honor them by expressing gratitude.
SPEAKER_01: Maybe we could stop and attempt to, more genuinely than we ever have, say thank you to our coffee servers, or to our greeters, or to somebody who brings you a meal or praise for you.
SPEAKER_01: Because they're considering others more significant than themselves in their service.
SPEAKER_01: Maybe we we we defend their reputation when they're criticized.
SPEAKER_01: Hey, you gave him half a cup of coffee and me you only gave a quarter.
SPEAKER_01: Or you gave him a full cup.
SPEAKER_01: How come my we get we get selfish, don't we?
SPEAKER_01: When we're not treated the same way, we we we get irritated and rises up within us.
SPEAKER_01: But maybe we should defend those who are selflessly giving of themselves instead of criticizing.
SPEAKER_01: Maybe we can work to lighten their load when we have opportunity.
SPEAKER_01: Because supporting and honoring those kinds of people encourages them, just like Timothy would have been encouraged by reading this out loud to the church.
SPEAKER_01: And it reminds the rest of the church and us too of what we are to be about.
SPEAKER_01: Selfless, sacrificial service, full of humility that considers others more significant than themselves.
SPEAKER_01: Friends Timothy and Epaphroditus were ordinary people.
SPEAKER_01: They were ordinary people who reflected the extraordinary character of Christ.
SPEAKER_01: They weren't apostles, they didn't write scripture, yet here they are held up as examples for all generations of believers.
SPEAKER_01: That's encouraging because it means Christ-likeness is possible for ordinary people like us.
SPEAKER_01: You don't need special talents or unique abilities, you need a willing heart that's been transformed by the gospel aimed at following and demonstrating the character of Christ.
SPEAKER_01: But there's also an inherent challenge here.
SPEAKER_01: Because looking at Timothy and Epaphroditus reveals our self-centeredness, doesn't it?
SPEAKER_01: How often do we organize our lives around our own comfort instead of the needs of others?
SPEAKER_01: How frequently do we choose to invest in what interests us over what interests Christ?
SPEAKER_01: The selflessness and the sacrificial service of God's children reflects Christ, it builds others up, and it strengthens the church.
SPEAKER_01: We see it all throughout church history.
SPEAKER_01: We've seen now in Scripture, in Timothy and Epaphroditus.
SPEAKER_01: We see it in God's servants all throughout time, and the question is, will we now begin to see it in our own lives, in our own fellowship?
SPEAKER_01: Let me leave you quickly with three final challenges.
SPEAKER_01: Number one, first thing that we should do is evaluate our Christian life.
SPEAKER_01: Evaluate our own lives.
SPEAKER_01: Are we driven by selflessness or self-interest?
SPEAKER_01: Is our life sacrificial or merely convenient?
SPEAKER_01: Honestly evaluate your own life this week.
SPEAKER_01: Consider where you spend your time, your energy, your money.
SPEAKER_01: Does it reflect Timothy's ordering of loyalties?
SPEAKER_01: Christ first, others second, and self last?
SPEAKER_01: Evaluate your Christian life.
SPEAKER_01: Second, identify one way that you can grow in Christ-like service this week.
SPEAKER_01: Maybe it's actually praying for that person you committed to pray for.
SPEAKER_01: Instead of getting to Saturday night and realizing, oh, I forgot.
SPEAKER_01: Right?
SPEAKER_01: We've all been there.
SPEAKER_01: Maybe it's actually following through and bringing them to the throne of grace.
SPEAKER_01: Maybe it's volunteering for a ministry you've been avoiding.
SPEAKER_01: Maybe it's actually greeting that person that you've been avoiding.
SPEAKER_01: Maybe it's reconciling with someone.
SPEAKER_01: Maybe it's giving financially in a way that requires faith.
SPEAKER_01: Maybe it's showing genuine concern for someone you generally overlook.
SPEAKER_01: And don't just think about it.
SPEAKER_01: Commit to it and follow through.
SPEAKER_01: Ask the Lord to help you display selflessness and sacrificial service.
SPEAKER_01: Thirdly, look around you.
SPEAKER_01: Look around you for the Timothy's and the Epaphroditus among us.
SPEAKER_01: They're here.
SPEAKER_01: They're here serving quietly, sacrificially, willingly, and laboring faithfully.
SPEAKER_01: Look for them and encourage them.
SPEAKER_01: Thank them for how they've blessed you and this fellowship.
SPEAKER_01: Support them when they're weary.
SPEAKER_01: Maybe consider filling in for them.
SPEAKER_01: Because as we put this now into a little bit more context, back to verse 16 and 15 and 14, we see that there is a crooked world watching us.
SPEAKER_01: They're watching us to see if there's any practical difference in our faith.
SPEAKER_01: They're looking to see, is God at work among you?
SPEAKER_01: And are you working out your own salvation?
SPEAKER_01: When we live out our selfless character and sacrificial service, we shine as lights in a crooked and twisted generation.
SPEAKER_01: And so we work out our salvation.
SPEAKER_01: And in the process, Christ strengthens his church for the work that God has called them to do.
SPEAKER_01: Let's pray together.
SPEAKER_01: Lord Jesus, strengthen us for your work.
SPEAKER_01: Lord, we thank you that you have not left us alone in this endeavor.
SPEAKER_01: The book of Acts tells us that you are working right now, even this moment.
SPEAKER_01: You've promised us in the Gospels that you are in us and with us.
SPEAKER_01: You never leave us, you never forsake us.
SPEAKER_01: You have given us your spirit to come and live within us, to empower us and to work this out in real life.
SPEAKER_01: We are not alone.
SPEAKER_01: Lord, make us aware of your presence, aware of your grace that works out your desires in us.
SPEAKER_01: Cause us to shine brightly this week, Lord.
SPEAKER_01: Cause a crooked and twisted world to see a bright light, see you in us, your selflessness and sacrifice to the praise of your eternal glory.
SPEAKER_01: Amen.
SPEAKER_00: That concludes this sermon from Faith Evangelical Free Church.
SPEAKER_00: Our mission is to declare the Word of God and disciple believers into mature, devoted followers of Jesus.
SPEAKER_00: You can learn more by visiting our website at faithfree.com.