Models of the Christian Life | Philippians 2:19-30

Thanks very much.

Okay, so Philippians chapter two verse 19 to 30,

if you'd like to read along with me.

I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon,

that I also may be cheered when I receive news about you.

I have no one else like him,

who will show genuine concern for your welfare.

For everyone looks out for their own interests,

not those of Jesus Christ.

But you know that Timothy has proved himself,

because as a son with his father,

he has served with me in the work of the gospel.

I hope therefore to send him as soon as I see

how things go with me.

And I am confident in the Lord

that I myself will come soon.

But I think it is necessary to send back to you,

Epaphroditus, my brother, co-worker and fellow soldier,

who is also your messenger,

whom you sent to take care of my needs.

For he longs for all of you and is distressed

because you heard he was ill.

Indeed he was ill and almost died,

but God had mercy on him and not on him only,

but also on me to spare me sorrow upon sorrow.

Therefore I am all the more eager to send him,

so that when you see him again,

you may be glad and I may have less anxiety.

So then welcome him in the Lord with great joy

and honor people like him,

because he almost died for the work of Christ.

He risked his life to make up for the help

you yourselves could not give me.

Thank you, Celeste.

Good morning again, church.

Before we get into the text that we have before us

this morning, these are God's words.

So before we approach this wonderful part of scripture,

let's ask for his help in opening it for us.

Would you pray with me?

Father, we do thank you so much

that we are here this morning,

gathered as your people around the words of eternal life,

breathed out from you and which are profitable for us.

Father, we would ask that you would soften our hearts,

give us ears to hear and show us Christ

and transform us by the gospel.

We ask for this in the mighty name of Jesus, amen.

In an article posted to fashionstoppers.com,

I was surprised to learn that designers

don't really want you to focus on the model

that they're using, but on the clothes

that they have designed for the world to see.

That's right, fashion designers actually want you

to focus on what their clothes would look like

on you rather than have all your attention

on the model wearing them.

To put it plainly, to look at the model,

to have all your attention on them,

well, that's to completely miss the point.

And so as we approach the passage

that we have before us this morning,

we should keep the fashion designer's dream in mind.

And though these models are important for us,

we shouldn't just be thinking and focusing on them,

but on how what has been designed for all God's people

should look on us as we work out our own salvation

in this world.

But first, just a bit of a recap of where we are so far.

The context of this letter is a church in Philippi

that had received a letter from Rome around 60 AD,

about 10 years after the church had been planted,

from the apostle Paul, who happened to be in chains

and under house arrest.

And I mention that because Paul didn't know

what was going to happen to him

as a result of his upcoming trial,

whether he would be pardoned or executed by the state.

However, as we've seen, he had a sneaking suspicion

that he was going to live and be able to see his friends

in Philippi at least one more time.

But for the moment, he was stuck in Rome.

Now, as we've also seen through the weeks,

this letter was written to the Philippians

while they were in the midst of some sort of persecution.

And we know that that was happening

because there was external problems

that were happening in that city.

We only need to have a look at the Book of Acts

to see that Christianity wasn't exactly

the most popular religion with the locals.

However, in saying that, in the decade or so

since the church had been planted, they'd also grown.

And I mention that because in the midst of their growth,

they seem to have had some internal growth pains as well.

Because one of the things that Paul keeps addressing

was the increasing sense of disunity

that had begun to polarize people

from one another in the church.

That's what Tim Aguero started to take us through last week.

There was a danger in the church in regards to division,

which could only be fixed by looking to Christ

and imitating his incredible humility.

That's why at the beginning of chapter two,

Paul had started to encourage the church

on their basis with their union with Christ

to make sure that they weren't doing things

out of selfish ambition or conceit,

but rather that they were to display an attitude

of Christ-like humility towards one another.

That's what we've seen since chapter two.

Having hit on humility, Paul then provided

the ultimate example of humility

in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ,

where he described the awesome work of Jesus,

who is the Lord of all creation,

the Lord of all that there is, the God of holiness,

how he made that great sacrifice,

not only by becoming a man,

but by dying in the place of his people on a Roman cross

to bring about our salvation.

Incredible stuff indeed.

But then in light of that awesome and wonderful saving work,

Paul then tells the church,

now I want you to work out your salvation

with fear and trembling.

And if there was any doubt as to what that involved,

Paul then tells us in chapter two, verse 14,

do everything without grumbling and complaining.

In other words, he's saying don't be like little kids

who chuck tanties whenever they don't get their own way.

That's not how we're to act.

Rather, we must pay attention to the example of Christ

and the Spirit's work in our life

and do what we are called to do,

namely to humbly love and serve one another.

Because it's as we do that,

it's as we look to Christ and walk in his example

of humility that we will shine in this dark world

like stars in the sky.

We see that in chapter two, verse 15.

Incredibly important stuff.

We in the church, as brothers and sisters together,

are to walk in such humility

that the world pays attention and is drawn to it.

Now again, remember the context here.

Paul was in prison and awaiting trial.

So it's not like he could ask the Roman soldiers

for day release and then just get on down

to the church at Philippi and then show them

how to kind of do all of this.

But he could do the next best thing.

And that was to send his friends

who were living examples of people

who he knew embodied all these principles.

Which brings us to the passage

that we have before us this morning.

Paul had two men who lived out a tangible expression

of these essential Christian characteristics.

They modeled them wonderfully.

And so by their lives and deeds,

we have both a great example and a great challenge

to examine our lives in light of their obedience.

So with that said, let's have a look at both Timothy

and Epaphroditus and see why they were chosen by Paul

as examples that modeled these Christ-like qualities

in their Christian walk.

If you have your Bibles with you this morning,

it might be helpful as we're going to be in the text

quite a bit this morning.

We read verses 19 through to 21.

I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon,

that I also may be cheered when I receive news about you.

I have no one else like him who will show genuine concern

for your welfare, for everyone looks out

for their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ.

Okay, so the first thing we're told about Timothy

is that he shows a genuine concern for people.

That's why Paul wanted Timothy to go to this church

because he knew that Timothy genuinely cared

for God's people.

And with that, he would really take care

of his spiritual siblings.

To put it simply, he was others focused.

This is a wonderful thing to say about anyone in ministry

and even anyone in the church

because the temptation can be that people join

and wanna lead churches or various ministries

because they really want to build their own little empires

and fan clubs.

Paul had even experienced this with the preachers in Rome

who were speaking out against him while he was in chains.

It's a horrible thing to think about really.

But that's why we must be so, so careful

because people can be so hurt

because leaders or people who are meant to be brothers

and sisters in the faith, well, they care more

about their reputation or their way of doing things

over and against the welfare of others,

over their siblings in Christ.

You can say there's been a genuine concern, all right,

but it hasn't been for others.

Not so with Timothy, says Paul.

No, I'm sending him to you because he is one

who has a genuine concern with how you're going.

And that there, that sentence, brothers and sisters,

gives us so much insight into the heart

of the Christian life, into the heart of Christian ministry

that Paul has been encouraging us towards in this letter,

week after week after week.

And it's this, we too are to have a genuine concern

for one another over and against our own interests.

And so we might ask, where does that come from?

How do we obtain that kind of outlook?

Where does a genuineness

for other people's welfare come from?

What I suggest to you,

it's actually not completely natural.

No, by nature, we're somewhat self-focused.

Now, admittedly, some people can be more maternal

and friendly than others.

However, the human race by nature, by its very essence,

because of the fall, well, it's self-centered.

I mean, just look at any toddler

who is around other toddlers

and you'll see human nature in full swing.

Walking around, not saying, yours, yours.

No, they're usually saying, mine, mine.

And crying when they don't get their way.

Chucking a tanty when things don't work out the way

that they want them to.

We usually do the same thing in later life.

We just get better at hiding it

and being more socially acceptable with our selfishness.

So with this young man,

Paul sees a deep humility in him

and he knew Timothy was the right guy to send

because he had a deep concern for the good of other people.

So again, how do we obtain that kind of outlook?

Where does a genuine concern

for other people's welfare come from?

What I suggest to you,

Timothy walked in such a manner

because the gospel had taken root in his heart.

To say that another way,

this young man's entire outlook on life

had changed because he had taken hold of Christ

and Christ's work and example of humility

was being worked out in his life.

I mean, we've briefly looked at this already,

but the example of our savior

that we saw in chapter two verses five through to eight,

well, it blows the mind

if you really step back and look at it.

I mean, think about it for a second.

The Lord of glory,

the creator of all that there is,

took flesh on.

Why?

Well, it was because he genuinely loved

and cared about his people.

That's why Jesus came to die on a Roman cross.

It was because he genuinely loved

and cared about his people.

And so he took flesh on

and came to take the punishment for the sin of his people.

It's because he genuinely loved us

that the Lord did something about it.

So quite simply, the gospel,

that great good news had taken root

in this young man's life.

And he was following in the humility of our Lord Jesus.

And because of this,

because he was humbly following in the footsteps of Christ,

his entire outlook on life,

his aim in life had changed from self to others.

And thus in the process of this gospel transformation,

he had become profitable to the apostle Paul

for service in the church

and a usable instrument in the hands of our Lord.

And church, might I say that this others' focus design

wasn't just for Timothy.

Now, what we see with this example

is the indispensable importance

of what all of us have been called to.

And that is that we have been called

to take hold of Christ

and follow in the example of his humility.

If we are to be profitable servants

in the hands of the Lord,

we too must be self denying and not self focused.

If we are to be a useful instrument,

then we too must follow Christ's example.

That is the design of the Christian life.

And so Paul who was wanting to send Timothy to this church

with its little cracks forming,

makes so much sense in light of everything

that we've seen in Philippians so far.

He didn't think to send them a hammerhead personality,

a CEO or a public relations officer as an example,

but a man who had taken hold of Christ

and who was by grace following in the footsteps

of our savior in humility.

That's who Paul wanted to send to this church.

He wanted to send them a man

who had taken hold of Christ

and a man who was working out his salvation

by humbly following the example of Christ,

which was resulting in a genuine love,

not for self, but for others.

That's first, Paul wanted to send this church a man

who he knew was humbly working out his salvation,

which had resulted in a guy who had become others focused.

However, and this is important to note,

and I'm so glad Mike Darrell hit on this before,

not only did Paul wanna send them a man

who worked out the gospel in his own life,

but he also wanted to send them a man

who would work the gospel into other people's lives as well.

To put it simply, Timothy was gospel focused.

We see this in verses 22 through to 24.

Paul says, but you know that Timothy has proved himself

because as a son with his father,

he has served me in the work of the gospel.

I hope therefore to send him as soon as I see

how things go with me, and I'm confident in the Lord

that I myself will come soon.

That I myself will come soon.

You see, as we've seen through the weeks in this series,

it's incredibly important to our apostle

that every one of us works out the salvation

one for us in the Lord Jesus Christ,

because it's as we do that, as we look to Christ

and walk after the example of his utter humility,

that real wonderful and beautiful works

will start to be manifested in our life.

I mean, we've heard it already this morning,

but just this week, AFES has been exposed

to so many different brothers and sisters in the Lord,

from all denominations who have decided to follow

after Christ and look out for the welfare of others

in a real and genuine way.

They've met people who have given up their time

to look after the broken and the downtrodden,

the hopeless and the homeless,

the single mum and dad and the desperate.

And that is good and wonderful and beautiful,

but without a gospel focus in any of those ministries,

then all anyone is doing is waving a dark world

to hell.

Yes, they may have clothes on their back.

Yes, they may have food in their bellies

and a place to stay, but at the end of the day,

if there has been no work of the gospel among these people,

no good news shared into their situations,

then it will be all for nothing

in the eternal scheme of things.

And it's important that we see that

with our model here this morning.

Paul is sending Timothy because yes,

he is a man who is living out the work

of the gospel in his life.

And Paul wanted him to be an example to the church,

but being a good example and helping where you can,

even in the most loving and practical sense,

even genuinely,

that doesn't actually save anybody at the end of the day.

I mean, yes, the church is to walk in Christ-like humility

and selfless love towards one another,

so much so that we'll be like stars on a dark summer's night

shining so brightly.

And though our obedience to the Lord

and the outworking of that is to be a sign

of the Lord's love for us,

the outworking of that is to be a sign to others.

And that is good and true.

At the end of the day, brothers and sisters,

our good works, our great example,

our loving deeds, though great,

they don't actually save anybody.

No, it's as Paul has said previously,

he wanted the church to stand firm in the one spirit,

striving together as one for the faith of the gospel.

Gospel means good news,

and the news is good when it's proclaimed.

News is something to be shared.

Paul wanted the church to know that he was sending them

a man who was working out his gospel convictions,

but he also wanted the church to know

that he was sending them a man

who would also work into them gospel convictions.

And this is such a great model that we have here.

Because though our example might help change people,

it's the gospel that transforms people.

So again, church, let us not focus on the model here,

but on the design of the Christian life

that each and every single one of us has been called to.

We're called to share the gospel truth with this world

and each other in the church continually.

We're called to point people to Christ and his life

lived on behalf of his people,

not just through our actions,

but with our conversations as well.

That's what Paul's doing here.

He's telling his friends that he's sending them a man

who is others-focused and gospel-focused,

a man who will serve them in genuine love

through word and deed.

But you might notice something here.

Paul shifts, doesn't he, in verses 25 through to 30.

He shifts to inform his friends of another man

that he's sending to them,

a mate of theirs who has been an incredible help,

but hasn't worked out in the way that they had hoped.

Though again, he is a great model for the Christian life

that we are to pay attention to.

Read with me, Paul says,

"'But I think it's necessary to send back to you

a Paphroditus, my brother, co-worker, and fellow soldier,

who is also your messenger,

whom you sent to take care of my needs.

For he longs for all of you and is distressed

because you have heard he was ill.

Indeed, he was ill and almost died,

but God had mercy on him, and not on him only,

but also on me, to spare me sorrow upon sorrow.

Therefore, I'm all the more eager to send him to you

so that when you see him again,

you may be glad and I may have less anxiety.'

So then, welcome him in the Lord with great joy

and honor people like him,

because he almost died for the work of Christ.

He risked his life to make up

for the help you yourselves couldn't give me."

Now, we don't know a whole lot about a Paphroditus,

but apparently when the Philippians heard

that Paul was arrested and under house arrest

and in chains in Rome,

they thought it best to send help,

and that help came by way of this bloke.

Now, he seemed to have gotten sick somewhere along the line,

so Paul was sending him back,

but I want you to see something here

because I think it's important that we catch it,

and it's this.

Notice what Paul says here in verses 29 through to 30.

He says, welcome him in the Lord with great joy,

and this is important.

Honor him, honor people like him,

as he risked his life to make up

for the things you yourselves could not give me.

Now, admittedly, church,

there's a lot of things we could comment on here this morning,

but I just wanna draw this one thing out for you,

and it's this.

Paul wanted the church to honor people like this

because this man was Christ-focused.

I'll say that again.

Paul wants people in the church to take note

and follow this guy's example

because he was Christ-focused,

because like Christ, he put his life on the line

to serve others.

Now, please don't misunderstand me here this morning.

Paul's not saying that we should all go out

and look for opportunities to put our lives at risk.

That's not what's being said here at all,

but what we do see is that Paul had a man with him

who had seen a need that had to be met,

and so instead of prioritizing his own life,

his own comforts, his own preferences,

he made the dangerous epic trek from his own home

to the apostle Paul who was bound in chains

so that Paul might be helped in his time of need.

That is a Christ-focused person,

one who risked everything so that our apostle could continue.

You see, the challenge is if we're all about

our little empires, our own little agendas,

then our priorities and comforts will always take priority,

and we won't risk anything for God's kingdom and his cause

because our comforts and our concerns

will be our guiding star.

And that's just not what Christians have been called to.

As Paul said in chapter two, verses three to five,

do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit.

Rather in humility, value others above yourselves,

not looking to your own interests,

but each of you to the interests of others

in your relationships with one another

have the same mindset as Christ Jesus.

With the situation that we have before us this morning,

Paul was bound and in chains.

So, Paphroditus left his home

and risked his life to help Paul.

In the 18th century, David Livingston saw Africa

bound in idolatry and voodoo.

So, he left his home, risking his life

to take the gospel to those people.

Hudson Taylor did the same to China.

William Kerry to India, Bonhoeffer to the oppressed Germans.

Point being, there has always been men and women

in the church that have seen others

in bondage and desperation.

And that's instead of prioritizing their creature comforts,

they put their very lives on the line

for the cause of Christ.

And that is something that our apostle says to emulate.

But this is the thing, church.

All these people that I have briefly mentioned this morning,

well, they're only following in the footsteps

and seeking to emulate our greatest example,

and that is the Lord Jesus Christ,

the one who left the comfort of heaven,

his heavenly home, and who came to give us his all,

giving his very life for us so that we might be set free

from our bondage and chains.

And that is indeed good news.

And church, we are called to share that good news

with the world, with all that we are in word and deed.

You see, the gospel that gripped the apostle Paul,

that gripped Timothy, Epaphroditus, and others,

which transformed them into these other focus,

gospel-focused, Christ-focused servants,

was in fact the exact same gospel

that's been held out to us.

And by grace, the very same gospel that has saved us,

as we've noticed before, there's not a Christian on earth

who has a different kind of grace or salvation

than the Christians that we read about in this letter.

We all have the same God,

who has begun in us the exact same work,

who is conforming us all to the very same image

of our Lord Jesus Christ,

which means we are united with Christ like these models.

We share in the very Spirit of God like these models,

which means we have access to the very same throne of grace

that transformed these models into the example

that we have set before us this morning.

Yes, as we began our time this morning,

the models are important, but let's not focus on them,

but on the design of the Christian life

that we are all called to put on and work out into our lives.

And so dear ones, it goes back to Paul's command

of all Christians.

How, not if, how are you working out your salvation?

How, not if, how are you following in the footsteps

an example of Christ like humility in your everyday life?

And so we might ask of ourselves this morning,

am I more focused on myself than others?

Am I more concerned with my comforts

than the cause of Christ?

Would I be willing to risk everything for the gospel

and the kingdom of God?

To leave my home, to serve others

who are in bondage and chains?

These are great questions to think about

because if we are to be profitable servants,

we must be self-denying and others-focused,

gospel-focused and Christ-focused.

And that, brothers and sisters,

takes a considerable effort on our part.

Yet the good news is this.

None of us are doing this in our own strength.

We are doing it, in fact,

in the power and the strength of another.

And that is by the very spirit of Christ

in each and every one of us

because it is Christ who has united us to himself.

It is Christ who is drawing us to himself.

As Paul said at the beginning of this letter,

it is his work that he has begun

that he will see to completion.

And so, dear ones, as you start to reflect

on where you see that area of need,

as you start to think of where the gospel can be taken

and where you fall short,

as you hit the prayer closet in reflection

to the gospel proclaimed this morning,

might these words from our apostle

be a comfort to you this morning?

This is from chapter four.

Paul says, rejoice in the Lord always.

I say again, rejoice.

Let your gentleness be evident to all,

the Lord is near to you.

Don't be anxious about everything,

but in every situation,

by prayer, petition, with thanksgiving,

present your requests to God.

And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding,

will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Finally, brothers and sisters,

whatever's true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable,

if anything is excellent or praiseworthy,

think about these things.

Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me

or seen in me, put it into practice.

Put it into practice,

and the God of peace will be with you all.

Let's pray.

Father, we are so thankful for the gospel.

We are so thankful that you sent the Lord Jesus Christ

to take the punishment on behalf of your people.

That the gospel indeed has transformed us

and by the work of the Spirit,

you are conforming us more and more

to our awesome Savior.

Father, we asked, and we asked this morning

that you would lead us to Christ Jesus.

Lead us to Christ.

That you would transform us.

Father, we asked that you would,

indeed set our hearts on fire.

That you would show us the situations, the context,

the places that we can take the gospel.

And Father, might we not live by fear, but faith.

Faith in you and that the gospel

is indeed the power unto salvation.

We ask that you would transform us

and use us for your glory, for your kingdom and honor.

We ask for this in Jesus' name, amen.