The Joy of Service

Welcome to this week's message from the Church at Chelsea Westover.

Our core values are vibrant worship, intimate fellowship, fulfilling service, and clear biblical truth.

We pray that this message changes your life.

Let's tune in to today's message and see what God has in store for you.

Father, we love you.

Be ye holy in all manner of conversation and behavior.

Because it is written, be ye holy.

Lord, because you tell us you are holy.

Thank you, Lord.

Thank you for being the awesome God that you are.

Lord, I ask you this morning to teach us.

Teach us how to serve you with joy.

The joy of serving.

Father, that's why we are so excited this morning about all the people that you've brought our way that have a heart to serve you.

Lord, to serve you.

There's joy in serving the Lord because the joy of the Lord is our strength.

Nehemiah 8:10.

Nehemiah 8:10

So be with us this morning, Lord, as we look at Paul and Timothy and Epaphroditus, this example of the joy of serving in Jesus' name.

And all God's people said, Amen.

You may be seated.

And turn with me in your Bibles this morning to Philippians chapter 2.

Philippians 2 · chapter mention

This has been a great study.

And today, if you're here and you do not have an outline, raise your hand so we can make sure you have one.

If you do not have an outline, we want to make sure that you are able to follow us as we look into the scriptures and as God teaches us.

I'm excited this morning because, you know, the whole, should I say, foundation of the book of Philippians, the joy book of the Bible is what it's titled, is in order to be a joyful Christian, in order to have the joy of the Lord, okay?

You've got to be like-minded like Christ.

You've got to have the mind of Christ.

And really, even though it's the joy book of the Bible, it's also the foundation that we can learn for each of us how we can have the mind of Christ.

And when we have the mind of Christ, ladies and gentlemen, I can promise you we will have the joy of the Lord.

Because the joy of the Lord is our strength.

And so as we look at this this morning, I want you to ask God to open your eyes to see, your ears to hear, and your heart to receive.

You know, we have a saying around here about this book.

Clear biblical truth is one of our key core values, and that is, what, ladies and gentlemen, we what?

We love it, we learn it, we live it.

Say it again.

We love it, we learn it, we live it.

That is the key.

So let's pick up as Paul is in jail at Philippi.

We've been talking about that.

And in verse 5, he has given us the whole foundation of the joy of the Lord when he says, Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.

And we looked at that.

And then he goes on and he talks about us in verse 12 working out our own salvation.

That's what we talked about last week.

We said, really, the joy of working out our own salvation.

And notice what he said in verse 12.

He didn't say that we work for our salvation.

He says we work out our salvation.

Let me get an amen on that.

There is nothing you can do to work for your salvation.

It's only by the grace of God.

For by grace are we saved through faith, not of ourselves.

It is a gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast.

Amen.

That's Ephesians 2, 8, 9, and then verse 10 says, For we are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

We, hey, you don't work to get saved.

You get saved, then you work.

Amen.

And then you begin, after you get saved, working out your salvation.

We have justification is salvation, and then you and I begin to work out our sanctification, becoming like Christ.

Amen?

Romans 8 29.

So part of that then, Paul goes on, and then he gives us examples.

You know, when we talk about being like Christ, we all say there's no way we can actually be like Christ.

I mean, Christ was the perfect, sinless Lamb of God.

Amen.

I understand that.

We can't.

But one day we will.

When we go to be with him, we'll be like him, and that sin nature will be gone.

Can I get an amen?

We won't be tempted every day to sin.

Hey, we will have that, hey, perfect.

We call it that glorified body, that that likeness of Christ.

1 John 3 2.

That's gonna be exciting.

So, but with that said, while we're here on earth, we're working out that sanctification.

We are working out being like Christ, which means our goal then is if we're gonna be like Christ, we got to think like Christ.

And how do we think like Christ is having the mind of Christ.

So, Paul, though, then he says the bars are set high.

The bar is set real high.

But then he goes on, he said, but you think you can't, no, you can't be like Christ, but you can be striving each and every day to be more like Christ.

And he says, I'm gonna give you some examples.

And so he goes on, and today I want us to look at how we, Paul, he says, I'm gonna give you three examples of people that are being like Christ, working out their salvation while they're living, being like Christ, ministering like Christ and for Christ.

And he deals first of all with himself.

Look at what he says.

And he says, he says, Paul says, we can get a glimpse at really how we are to have this mindset.

And in verse 17, Paul says, Yea, if I be offered upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I joy and I rejoice with you all.

For the same cause also do you joy and rejoice with me.

Oh.

In other words, we see Paul says two things right here.

He says, and the first person we want to look at in your notes is Paul.

We get a glimpse at Paul's servant spirit in two ways.

Number one, he says, hey, first of all, you got to have a selfless attitude.

A, a selfless attitude.

In other words, Paul's own words to Timothy here.

He's talking about the Philippians.

And he focuses on, guess what?

He focuses on others instead of himself.

This is unbelievable.

Paul says the first thing, if you're going to be like-minded like Christ, you've got to have a selfless attitude.

A selfless attitude toward others.

And look at how he shows us that.

First of all, in his own life.

In verse 17, Paul's telling the Philippians that it's their faith that he's rejoicing over.

And he goes on and he uses a term there.

He's talking about that as you go back to the Old Testament, what the priests would do, they would pour out a wine onto the lamb sacrifice or the whatever was being sacrificed.

And once that wine hit that heat and those coals, it would send up a smell of sweet savorance.

And what Paul was saying was that I pour out my life for you.

I'm coming alongside and pouring myself out for you.

He says, it's not me, it's your faith that's blessed me, and I rejoice in.

When I see you living for Jesus and for God Almighty, I can't help but rejoice.

He says, it's not about me, Paul, even though I founded the church.

He says, it's you.

I am pouring myself out to you.

I'm giving my all to you.

And by the way, it might have been given his all because he didn't know whether or not he was going to be executed at this time or not when he's in jail.

I'm wrong.

He doesn't know.

And we know he does it this time, but two years later he is.

He comes back to Rome and they'll behead him.

So he didn't know his fate.

So he wasn't concerned about himself.

He says, I'm excited about the church at Philippians.

I'm I'm I'm excited about the Philippians and the church at Philippi because it's been 10 years since the church had been started.

I see your faithfulness.

Wow.

Won't it be exciting 10 years from now?

That, hey, they'll look back and they'll start naming names.

Hey, they'll be naming the Eprodis, hey, the Epaphrodises.

They'll be naming the Timothy's.

Hey, the Paul's.

They'll be saying, hey, these people God used in a great way.

They poured themselves out to build that church at Chelsea Westover.

And that's what we're looking for.

Men and women of God called by God to give of themselves selflessly to build God's church.

Can I get an amen?

That's it.

And so he says, hey, he says, I'm not considering my own life.

That's not it.

And then notice the second thing he says.

Paul was focusing more on others than on himself.

But then he says, hey, as he considers Timothy, look at verse 22.

But ye know the proof of him, the proof of Timothy, that as a son with the Father, he has served with me in the gospel.

Now I love this.

Notice what he said.

For ye know the proof of him that as a son with the father, he has served with me in the gospel.

Oh, oh, oh, what an unbelievable statement.

He says, as a son with his father, he served me.

Now notice what he said.

Paul doesn't say that Timothy served him as a father.

Rather, as any son would serve his own father.

That's not what he said.

Timothy served with me.

Paul viewed Timothy not as a subordinate, but as a co-laborer in ministry.

Ladies and gentlemen, there is not a hierarchy in God's ministry.

Now there's positions in God's ministry.

Amen.

God calls people, God calls pastors.

Timothy's a pastor.

Paul's the apostle.

Epaphroditus is the layman of the church.

So we all have our positions and our places, but we are all important to God.

Amen.

So as he considers Timothy, he's saying, hey, Timothy and I, I'm not the boss and Timothy, hey, is uh the slave.

He's saying we work together.

We are co-labours.

Folks, we work together at CCW.

Amen?

We're one family.

And what I really love, though, that's so important here, look at verse 20.

When he's talking about in verse 22, he says, Timothy has proven himself to you, and we'll see that in a minute when I get to Timothy.

But he said in verse 20, Timothy is and not just my son in the faith, but he's like-minded like me.

Look at verse 20, when he says, For I have no man like-minded who will naturally care for your state like me.

In other words, when you read the, watch, this gets me so excited.

When you read the end of the book of Romans, you see Paul says that there were 26 other known leader Christians in Rome at the time that he's writing this.

At the time Timothy and Epaphroditus are there ministering to him while he's in a house jail.

26.

And not one of them or none of them were ministering to Paul or concerned with the church at Philippi when they knew there was some concern there, like Timothy.

In other words, they didn't step to the plate to help Paul, to give to Paul, like the Philippians did and like the church at Philippi did.

No, 26 other leading, hey, possibly pastors or prominent Christians in Rome, not one of them stepped forth but Timothy.

So there was no one like-minded like Timothy.

Timothy was not seeking his own.

He was seeking what Christ wanted.

And he knew that Christ wanted to, at the time Christ was using Paul, the great apostle, to build churches and to, hey, hey, and to write letters to churches and to lead the churches and to teach the churches.

And all he wanted to do was to be a, he wanted to get in on what God was doing.

Amen.

And so we see that right here.

Like-minded.

Now the word like-minded, that's a tremendous word.

Here's what the Greek word means for like-minded.

Wow.

Now that's what we want at CCW.

That's why we have the covenant slash.

So that when you get through with the covenant slash, you know our faith, you know our purpose, you know our mission statement, you know who we are, what we are, and then God can speak to your heart to be a part of this fellowship.

Amen.

That's it.

We're like-minded.

Ladies and gentlemen, when you're like-minded, hey, Satan can't stop us.

Division and all this backbiting and stuff like that in churches, that's what destroys churches.

They're not like-minded.

Hey, and it's not your mind, it's not my mind, it's his mind.

Amen.

Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 2, 5.

It's not what we think, it's what he thinks.

You always hear your pastor say, Well, let's see what the book says.

Let's see what the book says.

Because that's what matters.

So Timothy was not just an adopted spiritual son because Timothy's dad was lost.

He was a, and we'll look at that in a minute.

But hey, he had taken him on.

2 Timothy 1.2.

1 Timothy 1.2 says that he was my son in the faith.

So there's an old saying like father, like son.

Well, that was true with Paul and Timothy in all areas.

Paul knew that Timothy thought and loved and cared for the church just like he did.

It wasn't about Timothy, it was about others.

It wasn't about Paul, it was about others.

And Timothy had that attitude.

So with that said, and then we see, hey, this selfless attitude toward others with Epaphroditus, with Paul, as he considers the Philippians.

Look at verse 19.

But I trust in the Lord Jesus to send Timotheus, Timothy, shortly unto you, that I also may be of good comfort when I know your state.

And then in verse 26, he said, For he long, Epaphroditus, after you all, and was full of heaviness, because that ye had heard that he had been sick.

In other words, he's looking at Epaphroditus.

Epaphroditus had come to be with him, and we'll see that in a minute when we look at Epaphroditus.

But his concern was not about himself.

Epaphroditus was there ministering to Paul.

He had brought a gift and brought supplies from the church at Philippi to help Paul.

They knew he was in trouble.

He needed help in Rome.

But he was more concerned.

And if you notice twice, he says, I'm concerned about the church of Philippi.

Paul could be about to be executed, but his concern was about the church of Philippi, about Epaphroditus and Timothy going back to the church and taking care of the church.

Because he says, I have poured myself out to you.

Wow.

What?

You know what?

If we had that kind of Christianity today in America, America wouldn't be where it is.

And by the way, this is what America was founded on, what I'm preaching this morning.

Everybody, one for all, and all for one.

That's what America was birthed on.

Amen.

It was.

So we see this.

And then the second thing with Paul, not only did he did he had a have a selfless attitude toward others, but he had a submissive attitude toward God.

Look at verse 24.

Verse 19 and 24.

He says, But I trust, underlining, I trust in the Lord Jesus.

And then what does he say in verse 24?

But I trust in the Lord Jesus that I also myself shall come shortly.

Not only was Paul selfless, but he was submissive.

Look at what he says.

Oh, I trust in the Lord to work out all these appointments.

He says, God knows what's going on.

He will work it all out.

He was totally, hey, it was totally natural for Paul to submit his plans to the Lord Jesus Christ.

You know what?

We get excited.

I'm a visionary.

I'm an I'm a type A.

And it God, the whole time from two and a half years ago, when God brought me to the city here and to this area to plant this church, God through other godly counsel and David and our counsel and me bouncing off things with them and praying about things, we've not done anything personally, or we've, in fact, we've gone everything we can do is to make sure that we're saying, look, we want to make sure that it's not what we want, but what God wants.

And we've been still and we've heard from God and we've we've let God work through a lot of things, and he still does.

We just don't, even though we do move pretty quickly, I understand that, but hey, we don't move quickly until we hear from God.

But bless God, when we hear from God, hey, Katie bar the door, let's go.

Let's go.

Attack.

Why?

Because Satan will do everything he can to get you to second guess.

Every time.

Bless God, we're not going to second guess.

We're just going to put the pedal to the metal.

Charge.

Amen.

Charge.

Amen.

Charge.

Listen, the armor of God, there's not one piece on the backside of the soldier.

Not one piece.

You don't retreat, you charge.

Amen.

You charge.

Upon this rock, I'll build my church, Jesus said.

And the gates of hell will not prevail against it.

We will, you'll never worry about your preacher dying retreating.

Bless God, if I'm going to be, if I go down, I'm going to go down charging.

Amen.

Charging.

Yep.

You'll always say, well, hey, he was charging.

Hey, yeah, that's the way I want to go.

I don't want to go back saying, oh, I'm scared.

Oh.

Bless God, charge.

Charge.

Amen?

So we see that.

Submissive attitude, if this be God's will.

I love what he said in Romans 4.20.

There hath not failed one word of God's good promise.

Woo! Not one word.

Hey, he staggered not at the promises of God through unbelief but was strong.

Hey, in faith, giving glory to God and being fully persuaded that there had not what?

There it is.

Had not one promise, hey, failed.

But he was able to perform it.

1 Kings 8.56.

I love this.

He says, uh, in 1 Kings 8.56, hey, all of God's promises of go.

Yes, stand.

There has not failed one word of all of God's good promises.

I love this verse.

I think this is Christy's one of her verses.

Psalms 37, 4 and verse 5.

He says, Delight thyself also in the Lord.

Now watch this.

And he'll give you what?

He'll give you the what?

The desires of your heart.

Wow.

And then look, he said, well, okay, I want those desires.

Then he gives you the next verse, he shows you how to get them.

You got them?

First of all, you got to have a desire.

Amen.

You say, well, how do I get a desire?

You'll be, hey, you be like-minded.

When you have the mind of Christ, he's going to give you that.

I've got a vision.

Yesterday for an hour, I cast a vision to Dr.

Elmer Towns, who was a co-founder of Liberty University, the largest evangelical Christian university where I was dean there for almost 13 years.

And I spent Friday and Saturday.

He was speaking at Chaco Springs this weekend and brought him down here.

And he said, he said, you're 60 years old.

He said your vision hadn't slight, has not diminished one little bit.

I was just casting.

I said, we can go here.

I said, I said, Elmer, do you see it?

He said, Yeah, I see it.

He said, I think Jerry Falwell trained you.

I said, he did.

He did.

Because Jerry saw the mountain where that university is for it was ever built.

I see it, folks.

It's there.

And God's going to fulfill it.

If we stay faithful, like minded, one accord, pressing toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in and through Christ Jesus.

And see, your next two to three, hey, your next one to three or four years around here, if God brings you to this covenant uh of family and you watch what you you're gonna experience some of the most blessings and miracles you've ever seen.

I've seen God do this twice, and he's gonna do it again.

He's gonna do it again.

I guarantee it.

But you hey, you can't sit on the bench.

You gotta get in the game.

Can I can I get an amen?

You gotta get in the game.

You gotta, sir.

Yes, God needs you.

Not only does God need you, he's gifted you.

You got gifts we need.

Teach we need you.

You got a place on this team that no one else can fill but you.

Amen.

Amen.

Is that not it?

So we see.

First, we had Paul.

Paul was selfless.

He had a selfless attitude toward others, he had a submissive attitude toward God.

Those are the two of the main principles to be like-minded with Christ.

Selflessness to others and submissiveness to God.

Can I get an amen?

Man, that's good.

Man, that's good.

Now let's look at Timothy.

Now he brings Timothy.

Paul met Timothy on the first missionary journey.

He met Timothy in Laconia, outside, which ended up being the church at Philippi.

That's when it was started.

Timothy had a godly mother.

Timothy had a godly grandmother.

Let me say something right here.

Moms, grandmothers, hey, thank you for being godly examples.

And when, hey, the the men are like like uh Timothy's dad, he was a Gentile.

His mother was a Jewish, and he was lost.

The dad was lost.

No, nothing's ever said about him.

But because of Lois and Eunice, the mother and grandmother, Timothy was taught from an early age the things of God.

That's why you get them in Sunday school.

That's why you get them in Iwana.

That's why you have a, we have one of the best and gonna have the best children's ministry.

We want to grow these children up in the things of God.

Train up a child in the way he shall go, and they'll never depart from it.

Proverbs 22, 6.

That's why we do.

And our youth, that's why we are working to train them, catch them young.

You wait when that big multi-purpose there, and we have that day camp in the summer to bring the kids and they'll learn about the word of God.

They'll be doing games and I wanna games, they'll be doing hikes, they'll be, and everything will be, they'll be they'll be crossing the Jordan.

We got a little Jordan out there.

We'll be teaching them all kinds of things.

I can see it.

Amen.

And you moms and dads will just be weeping because what your kids are getting.

That's the way you change, you bring back a nation to God.

You take the kids and you train them up to have a heart for God.

Amen.

And that's what we're gonna do.

Amen.

That's what God's called us to do, the average age of all the people around here: 34 and two and a half kids.

Amen.

We've got an opportunity here to make a huge difference in this community.

But we need you.

We need you.

God needs you.

You say, well, God could do it without me.

He could.

But that wouldn't be any fun.

You would miss it.

God doesn't want to do it that way.

He wants you to be stirred.

Remember, I preached last week about being stirred.

He wants you to be stirred.

And say, God, hey, whatever gift I've got, what little bit I got, it's all yours.

Wear me out.

Amen.

By the way, he did apparatus.

Wore him out.

Amen.

So, Timothy, look at Timothy.

Here's a man, became Paul's sons, but I want you to look at the four evidences that Timothy had the same mindset that Paul did.

Number one, concern for other Christians.

Look at verse 20.

For I have no man like-minded who will naturally, that's a key word, care for your state.

The word naturally there means sincerely.

It's ganesios, is the Greek word there.

It means care for you faithfully, to care for you.

Now, watch this, authentically.

In other words, there's a lot of people that tell you they love you.

But that's all they tell you.

Hey, I love you, and you're in need, and they say, God bless you, I'll pray for you.

Hello.

Hey, hey, ask the Samaritan.

Remember the Good Samaritan passage in Luke 10?

Huh?

Well, I mean, ask the Jew.

The Good Samaritan was the one that took care of you.

But before the Good Samaritan stopped and helped, hey, before he stopped and helped the Jewish guy, which Jews and Samaritans back then hated each other, the priest comes by and sees him over there in trouble, bleeding, crying out.

And you know what the priest does?

I don't want to get involved with that.

Oh, that's a lot of work.

That's gonna cost me.

That's gonna, oh, that's gonna interrupt my schedule.

I'm headed to Jerusalem.

I'm the priest.

I gotta, I gotta offer sacrifices.

Huh?

I don't have time.

You understand, Lord.

I guarantee you, that's what he said.

You understand, Lord.

You've called me to be the priest.

You've called me to do the sacrifice.

I don't have time for him.

Then the Levite, who was assistant to the priest, comes by.

He sees him crying out, bleeding, hollering.

At least he goes over there and looks at him.

Then he says, whoop, oh my.

That means I'm gonna have to get involved.

This is gonna cost.

You know what?

No, I don't think I am either.

I gotta go.

Oh, oh, oh, I forgot.

I gotta help the priest.

You know, he needs my help.

He leaves.

And here comes the Samaritan.

Pulls over to the side.

He says, he needs help.

Picks him up.

Cleans him up.

Best he can.

Puts him on his donkey.

And takes him to the closest end.

Puts him there.

Says, listen, and whatever it takes, whatever it costs, here's some money up front.

But if it costs any more, I'm coming back through here to check.

I'll check on him and I'll take care of his bill.

Help him.

Jesus.

Now that is Christ-likeness.

When you see a need, you meet it.

My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue, but in deed and in truth.

1 John 3.18.

But the problem is, you know, one, most of the time, hey, the reason, let me tell you the reason.

The priest and the Levite, whoo, this is gonna be good.

The priest and the Levite didn't, well the Levite looked, but they didn't even stop.

They were too caught up in their own agenda.

It wasn't about the person in need, it was about them.

And Paul says, no, it's not about you, it's about them.

Not I, but Christ.

Galatians 2.20.

Wow.

We're all guilty, aren't we?

Every one of us.

Philippians.

Well, no.

Go to James 2, 15 and 16.

You gotta see this.

Go to James 2.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

If a brother or sister be naked and destitute of daily food, and one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warm and filled, notwithstanding you give them not those things which are needful to the body.

What profit?

What does it profit you?

Wow.

Oh, you we see the concern.

And we say, but we're gonna pray for you.

Why are you gonna pray for them when you got the needs to minister to them?

Yeah, you need to pray for them, but you need to put some feet to your prayers.

Amen.

Do something.

Do something.

You stand before Jesus at the beam of judgment.

Hey, priest.

Remember the Samaritan?

I mean the Jew?

Levi.

The Levi.

Remember the Jew that was hurt in the dick?

Hey Danny, remember that time that I laid on your heart to meet that need for that person and you didn't have time?

You were too busy.

Your schedule was too packed.

You had other things on your mind.

Jesus said, When I was naked, you clothed me not.

When I was hungry, you fed me not.

Lord help us.

Lord help us.

Timothy was concerned for other Christians.

He was concerned for other Christians.

Notice the second thing.

He was consecrated to the Lord Jesus Christ.

Look at verse 21 and verse 22.

For all seek their own, not the things which are Jesus Christ.

But you know who I am.

You know the proof who I am.

That as a son, Paul said with the father, that Timothy, he served with me in the gospel.

Timothy has proven himself.

Paul did not take Timothy on the first time he met Timothy.

When he met Timothy in the first missionary journey and Philippi in Laconium, when he was starting the church, he just met Timothy, okay?

And Timothy, some say that maybe Paul led him to Christ.

1 Corinthians 4, 15 through 17 may indicate that possibly.

But whether he led him to Christ or his grandmother and grandma, his mother and grandmother had already led him to Christ, but he was a new baby Christian.

Paul fell in love with Timothy when he met him, but then he left.

He led him, said, No, you got you can't go with me now.

So either he was lost or he was an immature Christian.

He says, You need to stay here in the church and grow.

In fact, throughout Paul's writings, he says, lay hands not suddenly on a novice.

So he says, now here's what you gotta do.

You gotta grow.

So Paul comes back on his second missionary journey three years later, and he sees this young man.

They all come up and say, That Timothy, he's on fire.

He's helping in the church.

And that's when Paul again adopted him as his own son and said, Come go with me.

Timothy had proven himself.

We have too many people that want to jump in leadership without proving themselves.

Amen.

Amen.

Ladies and gentlemen, you can lead only as far as your roots go down.

You can only grow as far as your roots go down.

Amen.

So the roots have to go.

You've got to, you've heard me say this before.

Faith has to be tested before it can be trusted.

And boy, he was testing Timothy.

Man, he was testing Timothy.

Now Timothy comes and he goes with him.

And talking about ending up being unbelievable.

Notice what he says here.

In verse 21, he says, Paul implies that Timothy is different from the others who seek their own things.

You either live in Philippians 1.21 or you live in Philippians 2.21.

Philippians 1.21 says, for me to live is Christ.

And to die is gain.

Philippians 2, hey, 21 says, for all seek their own and not the things of Christ.

So you either live in Philippians 1.21 or Philippians 2.21.

So which do you live in?

You're either seeking what Christ wants or you're seeking what you want.

That's what we are.

Every one of us.

Can we say o me together?

O me.

But that's where we live.

That's what the book says.

That's what Paul knew.

And he said, those other 26, hey, that he mentioned in the book of Romans at the end of the chapter, he says, they're seeking their own things.

But Epaphroditus and Timothy are seeking Christ's things.

Wow.

What a label.

Then the third thing.

He says, to be content, to be a team player.

Look at verse 23.

Well, 22 and 23.

But you know, he says, look, the proof, it's evident that as a son with the Father, he has served, he has worked, co-labored with me in the gospel.

Then verse 23.

Him, therefore, I hope to send presently so soon as I shall see how it will go with me.

In other words, what he's saying, he says, hey, he has been set apart.

He's unique.

He's sold out.

He has a heartbeat for you.

He does not seek, hey, his own.

He's not easily provoked.

By the way, isn't that 1 Corinthians 13?

The love chapter.

Remember?

The love chapter?

Remember what he said?

Paul said, Hey, hey, love does not seek its own, is not easily provoked.

Wow.

What about Romans 15, 1 and 2?

Listen to what he says.

We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak and not to please ourselves.

Verse 2 says, Let every one of us please his neighbor for his good.

Wow.

Wow.

So Timothy was consecrated to the Lord's will for his life and to others.

Number three, Timothy was content, as I said, I'm sorry, to be a team player.

Verse, hey, hey, a team player.

He was consecrated.

He was concerned for other Christians.

And then he, hey, he was a team player.

Listen, nine different times in the New Testament, we read about Paul and Timothy in one context or another.

Do you realize Timothy helped Paul in some form or fashion write nine of the New Testament books?

Do you know four times there were churches in trouble?

You know who he sent?

Timothy.

Timothy.

That's how much.

You know what?

Timothy didn't, hey, Timothy wasn't upset because Paul, you know, was the noted apostle.

He didn't get upset because of Paul's position.

He was glad to be on the team.

Let me tell you something.

If you're a good ball player, hey, I think about basketball, baseball, any of football.

You know, you always have the starting five or the starting nine or the starting 11.

But I'm going to tell you what, if you don't have another four or five that are as good as the one starting, you're not going to win any championships.

And sometimes you need more than that.

You may need another eight or ten so that you can put in the team you put in as good as the one that came out.

Alabama's been doing that for years.

Auburn, all of them.

Was that politically correct?

Close enough?

Okay.

That's good.

That's good.

I'm no dummy.

I may be a form boy, but I'm no dummy.

All right.

But really, listen, listen.

You ought to be sitting on, if you're not in the well, hey, used to, I hated sitting on the bench, Granny.

I hated it.

But when I was on the bench, I was sitting there.

I'm ready.

Coach would be there.

I'm ready.

I'm ready.

I'm ready.

All right, love it.

Yes, sir.

I couldn't wait to get in the game.

And when I got in the game, I was going to give you everything I had for every second I was in there.

Amen.

Amen.

That's what it is.

Hey, don't sit on the sidelines.

Now, guess what?

It's fun to sit on the sidelines, isn't it?

You enjoy the crowd.

You enjoy the excitement.

You enjoy watching the play.

We've got 170, 180 people every Sunday come.

And a lot of you sitting on the sidelines and you're enjoying it, man.

You say, whoa, that preacher's crazy.

He's getting excited.

He's having a spell.

Give me a kick.

I mean, man, yeah, that's great.

That's great.

That's yeah, that's great.

And it's exciting.

But you don't get the enjoyment and the blessings till you get in the game.

Get in the game.

Amen.

It's one thing for you to watch me knock that guard's block off when I'm playing a linebacker.

Yeah, way to hit him, preacher.

But you should have had the feeling that you get when you hit him.

There's no comparison.

I'm involved.

I'm in the game.

I'm serving.

I'm playing.

I'm self-sacrificially giving everything I've got.

Amen.

You've heard it on the championship games.

Every coach says it.

What do they say?

Leave it on the fill.

Leave it on the court.

Well, Jesus is saying, I left it on Calvary.

For you.

You can leave it on the fill in Chelsea Westover for me.

Amen.

Amen.

He was content to be a team player.

He wasn't one always trying to cause problems.

He was saying, I'm with you.

He wasn't one talking about Paul.

He was working with Paul.

See, everybody was lamblasting Paul at this time.

Those other 26 in Rome, a lot of them were saying, oh, Paul's up finished.

It's over.

He's gone.

No, he was just beginning.

You know why?

Because he understood mentorship.

He uh hey, he had Timothy.

He had Luke.

He had Mark.

He had Barnabas.

He had Epaphroditus.

He had churches.

No, he wasn't through.

He had just begun.

And then number four, he was committed to the gospel.

Verses 20 through 22.

He was committed to the gospel.

Verse 22 at the end.

He has served with me in the gospel.

Serving the Lord is manifested in serving other people.

Amen.

It really is.

Sharing the gospel.

You know why we help people so ultimately when we share the gospel?

That's what matters.

The gospel.

The death, the burial, and the resurrection.

Jesus said in Matthew 23, 11, He that is greatest among you shall be your servant.

Paul said, by love serve one another.

He was a humble man, Timothy, who manifested his commitment to Christ by ministering to others.

We show our Christ-likeness by ministering to others.

Can I get an amen?

And that's the gospel.

And then the last example Epaphroditus.

Now, you got the apostle, you got the preacher, and you say, Well, but I'm not called to be a preacher.

Okay, I understand that.

And it is a calling.

That's the thing that God's allowed me and Sylvester to be called to be pastors.

Preachers.

I didn't ask for it, I can promise you that.

In fact, I ran from it for two and a half years.

Mama used to lay there, granny, in in the bed, and she was paralyzed from her shoulders down.

And she used to look at me and she said, Danny boy, God's called you to preach.

Danny boy, God's called you to preach.

How you say, don't say that, mama.

I don't want to preach.

No, not me.

I want to coach.

I am a coach.

That's exactly right, Jerry.

Exactly.

Exactly.

I'm coaching now, and I love every minute of it.

Amen.

But it's a calling.

But now, see, so we can not.

You know how Christ eliminates every excuse we can think of.

Yeah, but I can't be like Christ.

No, I can't be like Paul.

No.

I'm not a preacher.

No.

But what about Epaphroditus?

He was a layman in the church.

He was a layman at the church at Philippi.

So let's look at Epaphroditus.

His name means charming.

I thought to myself, boy, that's what I want to think about our church.

That we're charming.

That we're loving.

We're caring.

You just see the difference on our church members.

You see the radiancy of Christ on our church members.

Commit thy ways unto the Lord.

Trust also in him, and he shall bring it to pass.

Psalms 37 5.

That we said, those who look to him are radiant.

Psalms 37 4.

Remember that?

Coming back?

Commit thy ways.

When you have the mind of Christ, a selfless attitude toward others, a submissive attitude toward God, there will be a radiancy in your life.

You know what?

It's called the joy of the Lord.

Amen.

And so we see Epaphroditus.

Hey, notice what Paul said about him in verse 25.

He's my brother, he's my fellow worker, and my fellow soldier.

He was with Paul in Rome because the church at Philippi heard that Paul was in trouble in Rome.

He was in house arrest.

And you know what they did?

And they did this more than one time.

They took up an offering.

They took up an offering.

And we know that because he tells us that in Philippians 4.18.

Listen to what it says in Philippians 4.18.

Here's what he says.

He says, But I have all and abound, I am full, having received of Epaphroditus the things which were sent from you, an odor, a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, well pleasing to God.

They had taken up an offering, not just of money, but of things to take to Paul that Paul could use and would minister to Paul while he's in jail.

Now notice something about Epaphroditus.

They chose him.

Why did they choose Epaphroditus?

Here's why they chose Epaphroditus.

He was a man of character.

He was a man that could be trusted.

He was a man that could be proven.

He had already proven himself.

He was a leader, hey, in the church as a layman.

He was an awesome Christian.

He had that selfless attitude toward others and that submissive mind toward God.

He said, I am willing to do.

He was a missionary.

He was set out.

Here's a missionary right here.

Hey, and by the way, watch this.

Not only, oh boy, this is thank you, Lord, this is good.

Not only did he give to the offering and what the needs were, he win himself.

We have a mentality in the Southern Baptist churches that all we do is give to missions, we don't go.

No, get in the game.

Get in the game.

Don't just come to church.

Start serving in church.

Get in the game.

Carolyn and Jesse, since they've gotten saved, I've never.

You just don't know how much you encourage us.

Me and many of you others.

Stephen and some of the just joining.

Jason, everybody just they join and they come in the body and they start serving.

Steve and the drummer, I just and Anne, all I could just, that's been here in the last six months.

You just jumped in and start going to work.

In fact, it's not like, okay, I haven't set up here and begged.

You know, I made up my mind, I'm not begging.

I don't need to beg.

God knows, but I can tell you what, if God stirs your heart, you better get in the game.

You better get in the game.

Amen.

Because I'm going to tell you what, you're going to be rewarded for not sitting.

You're going to be rewarded for playing.

Those in the game.

Amen.

Get in the game.

Get in the game.

But I mean, Sunday, Saturday, what I was going to say about, you know, I said, Susan, we got back and Susan said, well, I'm going to go get the food ready.

Let me say something for all you.

Don't you enjoy our lunch every week?

Amen.

Let's give God a hand.

Amen.

There is a lot of work that goes on before you eat on Sunday right after this service.

A lot of work.

And we need helpers.

And we need helpers.

No, here's.

Get in the game.

Get in the game.

Get in the game.

But but Susan said, you know, my workers, helpers, and we do have a group that's been working, they are awesome.

Susan said, you know, they work hard.

I've been gone.

I'm just going to go do it myself.

I want them to have a break.

I don't want them to.

I'll just work.

I'll take care of it.

Don't worry about it.

My wife's a working machine, I'm telling you.

And I said, okay, okay.

And uh, and I was going to see Dr.

Towns.

But uh she got here.

Guess who was here?

Carolyn Jesse.

Said, hey, we're here.

We're ready.

Let's go.

She said, well, I know, man, we love it.

Let's go, let's go.

You know why?

Hey, they're in the game.

They can't wait for the clock to go boom so they can start playing.

They can't wait to get in the game.

That's a heart for the things of Christ.

I want to get in the game.

Adron's here.

I don't know how faithful he got saved.

I don't think he's missed but a handful since he got saved all year over a year ago.

He's here.

You can count on him.

He's ready to get the breakfast ready.

You eat toast biscuits and all because he's faithful.

He's in the game.

Amen.

Get in the game, folks.

Oh, it's so fun.

It's so fun.

Notice real quickly.

Woo! Man, that's good.

Epaphroditus number one had a cooperative spirit.

Mm-mm.

Look at verse 25.

Yet I suppose it's necessary to send to you, Epaphroditus, my brother and companion in labor.

Hey, fellow soldier, but your messenger and the minister.

He was a worker.

Not only, hey, did he give of his means, he gave of himself.

Wow.

Time, talents, treasures.

All three.

Amen.

Amen.

I was awakened one night.

Thank you, Lord.

I hadn't thought about this example.

We were going to New Jersey to preach at the love of Jesus church.

Remember that, honey?

With those ladies down in the I meant the prostitutes just walking by.

And this lady was a pastor.

And uh she's standing out on the corner.

People just come by.

These ladies and hug her and say, I know, sister so-and-so.

I hadn't been there, but don't give up on me.

Don't give up.

About 150 that night the Lord had laid on my head, awakened me the night before there in the hotel.

And here's what he said.

He said, I want you to preach this message.

What are you gonna say when you stand before Jesus at the beam of judgment seat?

I got up.

Three things he told me.

Three things.

What is Jesus going to ask you when you stand before him at the beam of judgment seat of Christ?

Are you ready?

Question number one.

Miss Ruth?

There you go.

What is he going to ask you when you stand at the beam of judgment seat?

Listen to me.

Question number one.

What did you do with my son?

Did you receive him or did you reject him?

The two thieves on the cross.

Second question he's gonna ask you.

What did you do with all that I gave you?

Your time, your talents, your treasures, your family, everything that I gave you.

How did you use it?

What did you do with it?

Did you give, hey, did you bring them up in your family, the nurture, the admonition of God?

Did you use your job and your resources to help me build my church, the kingdom of God?

And the third question.

Did you come alone?

The only thing you can take to heaven with you are souls.

That's it.

Nothing else.

Can't take your Cadillac.

I can't take my Harley motorcycle.

I won't need up there, I'm gonna fly.

You with me?

What'd you do with my son?

What'd you do with what I gave you?

Did you come alone?

Wow.

Wow.

Well, hepaphroditus, he didn't come alone.

He was there.

Cooperative spirit.

He worked together.

Bear you one another's burdens.

Galatians 6, 2.

Fulfill the law of Christ.

And then secondly, he had an incredible testimony, incredible testimony.

My brother.

Hey, my brother, my companion in labor, my fellowship.

Hey, the fellowship, my soldier.

You know when I saw that?

He was a balanced Christian.

Watch this.

I had never seen this before to this time as I was studying this passage again.

When you go back to Philippians chapter 1, you got to see this because this will make you have a spell.

Philippians 1 · chapter mention

You got to see this.

When he says these three things, first of all, he says, My brother, look at what he says in Philippians 1.5.

Philippians 1.5.

For your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now.

In other words, he was a balanced Christian.

He went around sharing the gospel wherever he went.

Then notice the second thing he says.

Then he says, you're my companion in labor.

That means the featherets of the faith.

Look at what he says in Philippians 1.12.

Now this is good.

He says in verse 12, but I would ye should understand, brethren, that the things which happen unto me have fallen out rather unto the featherets of the gospel.

In other words, whatever happens to me is for the purpose of God giving, hey, not just giving out the gospel, but standing for the gospel.

I am not going to compromise.

Is that not good?

And then notice the third thing he said.

He said, and then he's my fellow soldier, my fellow soldier.

Look at Philippians 1.27.

Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ, that whether I come and see you or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, one mind, striving together for the faith of the gospel.

In other words, ten years from now, people are going to look back and they're going to say, That church at CCW, they were founded on clear biblical truth.

They were founded on vibrant worship.

They were founding on fulfilling service at home and abroad and intimate fellowship, exalting Christ, caring for people, training up, hey, sharing the gospel, discipling people in the gospel, and standing, not compromising for the gospel.

That was the testimony Paul gave of Epaphroditus.

Wow.

Wow.

Unbelievable.

Corporate spirit, credible testimony, and then number three, a commitment to the task.

Verse 27.

He was willing to give his life.

Look at verse 27.

He was sick almost unto death.

Now we don't know exactly what kind of sickness he experienced or how he became ill.

We don't know that.

But here we see that he was sick unto death.

Look at what Paul said in verse 27.

He said, For indeed he was sick near unto death, but God had mercy on him and not on him, but on me also, lest I should have sorrowed my boss.

In other words, he said, Oh, God have mercy on me, because if he had died here helping me, I would have never gotten over it.

Because I care more about you.

I don't want you to lose epaphroditis.

There's another whole message here, but I just inject it.

Paul could have healed him.

Paul had the gift of healing.

He healed, but he didn't.

By the way, he didn't heal Timothy either when Timothy had a stomach problem.

There's a message here for us.

Sometimes God used our sickness for a greater purpose and for the healing.

Man, that's good.

That's good.

But God had mercy on him and he healed him.

And because of his heartbeat for his church, Paul said, I'm gonna send you back.

I got the letter written anyway.

You need to take it back.

Go with Timothy.

Y'all need to go help the church at Philippi.

They've blessed me.

Wow.

Wow, wow, wow.

Corporate spirit, incredible testimony, a commitment to the task.

Well, what examples?

What examples.

Paul was an apostle.

Timothy was a pastor.

Epaphroditus was a committed layman.

And you know what?

They all were saved by grace.

They put their pants on just like any of us do.

Amen.

Amen.

They were saved by grace through faith, not of themselves.

Were they perfect?

Absolutely not.

But what they were, they tried to be more like Jesus today than yesterday.

They were striving to be more like-minded every day.

So let me ask you.

Here's the invitation this morning.

Are you in the game?

Are you in the game?

Folks, this game doesn't last long.

76, 78, in that, I can't remember.

Some of you medical people, I know it's, but I think it's later 70s, mid-70s, about the average age.

It may be almost 80 now because of medicine.

But folks, I'm telling you, the game doesn't last long.

And all that matters is how you played the game.

Did you hear me?

When it's all that song, Bingy.

When it's all said and done.

Every time I hear that song, I weep.

When it's all said and done, it doesn't matter if you knew my name.

It doesn't matter if I had fame.

All that matters is what I've done for Christ.

That's it.

That's all that matters.

Folks, when the game's over, all that matters is what you've done with Christ.

What did you do with my son?

What did you do with what I gave you?

Your time, your talents, your treasures?

And did you come along?

You can be the difference in the game.

You can.

Did you hear me?

You can be the difference in the game.

You can.

And don't say but.

No, there are no but conjunctions.

God needs you in the game.

He'll take care of your position.

He'll take care of your talents.

You just get in the game and say, Lord, use me.

He'll take care of the rest.

Thanks again for tuning into this week's message.

We pray that your life has been changed.

If you would like to find out more about us, visit us on our webpage at thechurch at cw.com.

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Send us an email at office at the church at cw.com.

We hope you have a wonderful day and again, God bless you.