The Life of Christ Continues #4 (Studies in Philippians)

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Text: Philippians 2:19-3:1

Good morning to all of you today who are gathered here to think about Jesus and hear a message from the word of God that ultimately is a message of good news. The good news that there is a living God who is at His very heart of hearts a loving God.

It is because of how much that love did that we are here today. The table remembrance is so important for us to observe and instead of it becoming a mere ritual or something we must do out of fear, it is something that encourages us, teaches us and reminds us of the thrill of being loved and the call to love.

How far will love go?
You know this is a question that is important because I am convinced that the most important thing we can ever do in this life is to love. Husbands and wives are called to love each other, neighbours to be filled with the love that equals that of self, parents and children, brothers and sisters in Christ and of course even love for the lost.

I once read a story of the thrilling kind of love that we are able to possess and receive when a husband and wife were enjoying one of those romantic walks that many of us take. Holding hand in hand they ended up walking down the railroad track and suddenly heard the whistle of the train just ahead. Deciding to take the warning they attempted to leave the tracks when something went wrong and the husband turned around and the wife’s foot had become stuck. He worked feverishly to free her foot but he just couldn’t. Eventually with the train not being able to come to a stop the wife’s eyes pleaded with her husband to get off and live. With not many seconds to think, the man held his wife in his arms and faced the train with her.

The apostle Paul wrote to his friends at Philippi about the need for the love of Jesus Christ to be their guide in relating to others as it was his!
The title of this series is the life of Christ continues and this really is what Paul is trying to focus the Philippians minds on:
through you the life and therefore the love of Christ is still present in this world.

One of the favourite phrases of Paul is ‘in the Lord’ and he uses this exact phrase 9 times in this short little letter.
This is important because last week he spoke about how Jesus gave up everything that was his by right to serve us and because of this will be universally acknowledged as Lord! Now, listen to Paul as he says this Jesus, this lord is to be the sphere of your life.
1:14- brethren confident in the Lord
2:19- I hope (trust) in the Lord
2:24- I trust in the Lord
3:1- rejoice in the Lord
4:1- stand firm in the Lord
4:2- agree in the Lord
4:4- rejoice in the Lord
4:10- I rejoiced in the Lord

This Lord who gave up his glory in heaven to be our slave in such a selfless way is our one guiding principle in acting & enduring. This Lord teaches us the joy of true love.

Paul has been writing these Christians and his thrust beginning with chapter 1:27 is for them to live their lives worthy of the Gospel and this involves an unselfish and non-arrogant lifestyle. He uses what is the standard for the church of all ages:
the selflessness of Jesus but he brings before their very eyes two living examples of unselfishness. Something that is interesting with this is Paul begins to pick up steam with one of his firm doctrines:
unselfishness is a cause for true joy.
This is difficult for us to comprehend as we might feel the tendency to put self-first but following the example of Jesus- true joy, true exaltation comes from humility instead of pride.

Hebrews 12:2- looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.
John 15:11- These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.
This was said just before Jesus talks about the greatest love is to lay down one’s life.

2:19-24- Timothy!
Paul’s hope in the Lord is to send Timothy to these Christians. Remember Paul cares for them deeply but he is in prison. Why is he sending Timothy?
To be encouraged by the news of you. I want to be cheered up when he tells me about you. But, why Timothy?
I have no one like him!—about what?
He is ‘genuinely’ concerned for them. Their welfare. What kind of concern does Timothy have?
A rough translation might go something like this: Timothy is anxious for you. It is not the concern of word only—it is concern for them that will dominate him. Timothy truly loves them. 1 John 3:18!
The New King James describes it that he will be sincerely concerned for them. There is a time anxiousness is okay—anxiety over another’s welfare.
In verse 12- Paul’s desire is for them not to need him and we might say anyone—he is sending them Timothy anyways—we see the goal for Christians—maturity, but we also see the heart of the teacher.
Timothy’s job is two-fold:
he is sent to assist the Philippians and to comfort Paul about them.
Why does Paul know Timothy has sincere concern for the Philippians?
Everyone else seeks their own interests (vs.4) but Timothy seeks the interests of Jesus! Timothy is anything but selfish. He will care for you because he is concerned with what Jesus is concerned with. What are the interests of Jesus?
Isn’t this the most important question at times for the church of God?
Again, the New King James says the ‘things’ of Jesus Christ. Of all things—the interests of Jesus would be the salvation of the world’s souls. This is Timothy’s focus—he served with me in the gospel. You know his worth. The Philippians had seen him at least three different times with Paul:
his imprisonment—Acts 16, again in chapter 19 and chapter 20! What kind of dedication did Timothy have?
Even the fact he willingly let Paul circumcise him is proof of his dedication. I will send him once my case is judged, whether innocent or guilty and I trust in the Lord that I will come as well. (Paul is still not exactly sure he will live)

2:25-30- Epaphroditus!
Since it might be awhile before Timothy can go, Paul decides to send someone else to them immediately. We don’t know too much about this man with a funny name but from what we know he is one of the shining lights of the early church. His name itself means:
lovely or charming.
Paul shows the Philippians it is by his command that Epaphroditus comes back to them and not some selfish voyage of his.
Who is Epaphroditus?
Paul calls him his partner in three different terms each gaining strength:
  1. My brother! This is someone who is my partner in the religion of Christ. We share the same Father and Lord.
  2. My fellow-worker! This is someone who is my partner in the work of Christ. Not only have we both been saved by the Lord we are both working for the Lord.
  3. My fellow-soldier! This is someone who is my partner in endurance in the name of Christ. A soldier is someone that is involved with more than just fulfilling a task (worker) he is someone who is engaged in difficult conflict.
This is what Epaphroditus is.

Next Paul draws attention to his relationship with them:
  1. Your messenger! Perhaps Epaphroditus was the evangelist for this church? He was the bearer of news.
  2. Your minister for my need. The Philippians were obviously engaged in helping Paul out as he was in prison (the call of remembering them with joy) but Epaphroditus was the one who went further—he delivered it. They stayed home.
What is so special about him?
He longed for them—he was distressed because they heard he was sick. Paul’s word for distressed here is the same word used about Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane in Matthew 26:37. Epaphroditus was in deep agony over the Philippians.
Paul’s message:
yes he was sick, to the point he almost died. Why didn’t he die?
God had mercy on him and me.
Paul took the saving of a friend as a personal blessing. I would be over sorrowed. He wanted to depart but he rejoiced in a friend’s recovery. Why does Paul want to ‘eagerly’ send him?
You might rejoice and I might feel less anxious. This will help me in my feelings about you. Paul’s sorrow or worry has to do with them—I am not submitting to being with Jesus because you need me more.
When he returns—receive him in the Lord (his coming back is for you) with joy & honor him. Paul tells these Christians when you meet someone like this—when you have someone like this—hold them in high regard, they are rare!
What is so ‘rare’ about him?
  1. His sickness was due to the work of Christ—his illness was caused by his unselfish labour. You know when we see love in action—we see people take care of their loved ones and it almost causes them great difficulty. At times our ‘advice’ is to take care of yourself and don’t let yourself get sick. I wonder if we have it wrong. If the most important thing is to love another as Jesus would, maybe when we do this we are advising against love.
    Galatians 6:9,10—‘and let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.’ Instead we hold this in honor. This is the life of Jesus before our very eyes.
  2. He actually placed himself in this possibility. Paul describes it as a gamble of his life. It is the same word that was used for those in the early church who hazarded their life by taking care of the diseased. We see this, people gamble with their health to act in genuine love. What is special about him is that his chief concern was those at home who were concerned about him. We see Jesus here: Luke 23:28
  3. He fulfilled what they could not do & it almost cost him his life! Paul is not blaming them, but telling them the reason to regard him as high.
There are a couple of things here:
  1. You are receiving two people who show by their lives how to put others first.
  2. Paul is giving them up. Again, the selflessness of the loving apostle here as he definitely could always use companionship but weighs what is more needful for others.
He ends this section in 3:1 with this:
Rejoice in the Lord! This is my ultimate wish for you. These instructions I am giving you to be selfless in your dealings with others may seem to bring less joy and more sorrow but in the Lord there is joy to be found. To repeat this, over and over again is not difficult for me. Just learn to rejoice in Jesus.
How different then the constant complainer and disputer:
learn to have joy in the Lord.

Joy in the lord will cause a lot less of our focus to be on ourselves and more on the things that Jesus would have.

Questions to Ponder:
  1. God views service & humility as strengths and not weaknesses. What steps in your relationships can you take to show greater humility? How can you expand your service to others?
  2. How can you encourage others in their walk with Christ this week?
  3. Why does love not allow us to be free to do whatever we want and yet causes us greater joy?
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