Risking It All: Epaphroditus' Sacrificial Love in Philippians 2:25-30

Good morning, and what a great blessing it is to be worshipers of the only Lord and God Jesus Christ.

My name is Pastor Simon Flynn, and here at Dillingham Moravian Church,

we delight in making disciples for Christ as we learn God's Word together with you.

Turn with me today to Philippians 2, 25-30.

Where Paul wrote, But I regarded it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus,

my brother and fellow worker and fellow soldier, who is also your messenger

and minister to my need, because he was longing for you all and was distressed

because you had heard that he was sick.

For indeed he was sick to the point of death, but God had mercy upon him,

not on him only, but also on me, so that I would not have sorrow upon sorrow,

therefore i have sent him all the more eagerly so that when you see him again

you may rejoice and i may be less concerned,

receive him then in the lord with all joy and hold men like him in high regard

because he came close to death

for the work of christ risking his life to fulfill what was lacking in your service to me,

let's pray oh heavenly father as we go to your word here today teach us,

guide us in understanding what it is that you are communicating to us use us oh precious lord.

Lord we pray that you would give us your understanding your right knowledge,

your spiritual wisdom, so that we can hear from you and know you as our Lord and only God.

We thank you, we praise you, we bless you. In your precious son's name,

Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen.

The background to this passage that we're studying today was that Paul wanted

to send Timothy to the Philippians so that he could be encouraged as to their well-being.

You see, Paul saw the Philippian congregations as his spiritual children.

Paul loved the Philippians like a father or a parent that had not heard from

their children for a long while, and he was worried for them.

We have to remember that the Philippian believers were one of the most persecuted

churches in the known world.

Extremely pro-Romian populace of Philippi believed fanatically in the deity of the Roman emperor.

Since the Philippians believed that Jesus Christ was the only true king and

God, the Philippian Christians were under heavy opposition from the citizens of Philippi.

And therefore, Paul, out of his love, was very concerned.

And he sent Timothy to find out how the church in Philippi was faring.

But Paul also sent Paphroditus. And this is where we come to our Philippians

2 passage today, where God, through Paul, encourages us as Christians with the principle,

that the mature in the Lord is the one who loves deeply.

Now, I may not agree with much of a Catholic theology, but there was a lady

who really got the concept of Christlike love.

And that lady was Mother Teresa. For those of you who are too young to remember

her, Mother Teresa lived from 1910 to 1997 and was a Catholic nun who founded

the Missionaries of Charity in Kolkata, India.

She spent her life serving the poorest of the poor, providing care to the sick,

destitute and dying, most notably the lepers.

She opened hospices, leper colonies, orphanages, and schools worldwide.

She won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979 and was declared a saint by the Catholic Church in 2016.

Again, Mother Teresa had some beliefs that I disagree with.

But what a testimony of sacrificial love for Christ and in Christ for others.

One of the things I loved about Mother Teresa was that not only did she love

the poorest of the poor and the leopards with complete disregard for her own

safety, But as she helped others, she did so with so great.

And emotion and passion. When she saw a person whose body was rotting and decaying,

she would cry for them as she aided them.

When she was with people who were blessed, she was happy for them and rejoiced.

The people she was helping knew that she really loved them.

And I believe that what Paul wrote about Paphroditus and himself in the next

verses captures this beautiful concept.

Paul in Philippians 2, verse 25 to 26 wrote,

Philippians 2:25–26

But I've regarded it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, my brother and my

fellow worker and fellow soldier, who is also your messenger and minister to my need,

because he was longing for you all and was distressed because you had heard that he was sick.

For indeed he was sick to the point of death, but God had mercy on him,

not on him only, but also on me, so that I would not have sorrow upon sorrow.

Therefore I have sent him all the more eagerly, so that when you see him,

you may rejoice, and I may be less concerned.

As a result of the Philippian congregation being so heavily persecuted,

and of course, Paul being in jail himself and away for so long.

Paul sent Timothy to the Philippians and Epaphroditus as well.

I want you to see in verse 25 that Paul wrote that he regarded it necessary

to send Epaphroditus to the Philippian congregation.

Now, I believe this is important because Paul didn't do anything that was haphazard.

Meaning that everything that Paul did was for the purpose of Christ's kingdom.

And as such, Paul was certain that sending Epaphroditus to the Philippian church

would accomplish kingdom work.

I also want you to see that Paul described Epaphroditus in five different ways.

First off, Paul wrote that Epaphroditus was his fellow brother.

Now, Paul was not saying that Epaphroditus was his physical blood brother.

Rather, Paul was describing Epaphroditus as a believer in Christ.

The word for brother in this context meant a believer, a male believer understood

as one's own sibling in God's family, and is sometimes used of any sibling,

regardless of gender in God's family.

Paul also wrote of Epaphroditus as a fellow worker or a person who participates

in the same activity as oneself.

I mean, that Paul thought of Epaphroditus not only as a believer in Christ,

but as a fellow worker in the sharing of the gospel.

Thirdly, Paul declared that Epaphroditus was a fellow soldier,

a person who serves in the same army as another, especially all that pertains

to the relationship of trust and friendship that develops between soldiers.

I want you to understand that, for Paul, this was a term of honor in regards

to the Christian life as military service.

This does not mean that Epaphroditus thought he was a literal soldier ready

to fight back against the Jews and the Romans.

No, rather, Epaphroditus, like Paul, understood that they were in a spiritual

war, but won against Satan's forces of darkness.

Paul viewed Epaphroditus as a soldier in that spiritual war for Christ's kingdom

as they spread the gospel together.

Paul also acknowledged that Epaphroditus was the messenger that the Philippians

previously sent to Paul to help and aid him while he was in prison.

Paul also included that Epaphroditus ministered to him in his need.

I believe Paul included the statement to show that Epaphroditus was a very valuable

member of his ministry team and Paul was honored to serve with him.

However, Paul also conveyed to the Philippians a sense of gratitude for them,

sending Epaphroditus to him, since Epaphroditus worked so hard and served Paul

so well to the point of even becoming ill to the point of death.

Paul really valued this godly man and was grateful for him.

Paul continued to write in Philippians 2, verse 26, that he was sending Epaphroditus,

Philippians 2:26

because he was longing for you all and was distressed because you had heard that he was sick.

Some people think that Paul was being apologetic for sending Epaphroditus to

Philippi, but I don't think so.

Paul really loved and was concerned for Epaphroditus. He didn't want Epaphroditus,

to be so concerned any longer that the Philippians were worried about him.

That is why Paul also sent him to Philippi.

Epaphroditus was a godly, mature man in Christ, and as such,

he was lovingly worried about his Philippian brothers and sisters in Christ,

and Philippi, whom he hadn't heard for such a long time from.

There was another reason why Paul sent Epaphroditus. You see,

God had mercy upon him for saving his life from a deadly illness.

Yet Paul wrote that God also had mercy on him, meaning Paul,

because Paul loved Epaphroditus so much that he would have had so much sorrow if.

Epaphroditus had died.

Thus, Paul mercifully sent Epaphroditus to the Philippians so that they would

no longer be concerned about him and rejoice in seeing him alive.

The way that we as Christ believers can apply these verses to our lives is that

the more we grow in Christ and our lives are ordered by Christ's mission,

the more we deeply love each other in Christ.

Sometimes godly love takes the form of grieving deeply when other Christians

die or are being very concerned for them when they're sick or deeply concerned

when other believers are worried over significant and troubling issues.

There has been an underlying push in evangelicalism that seeks to divorce our

emotions from our faith and love.

Yet the Bible is full of emotional language and examples towards God and others.

Paul and Epaphroditus exampled this well.

While emotions are fickle and need to be controlled, emotions are still essential

to demonstrating sacrificial love towards others.

It's one thing to mentally know what the Word of God teaches.

It's another to fully embrace the teachings of God with our hearts as well as with our mind.

And that type of person we call sold out for Christ.

The big challenge in this type of love is that we become vulnerable to being hurt.

We have to let down our guard or the walls that we put up with our brothers

and sisters in Christ so that we can love them emotionally, mentally,

and spiritually closer than blood family.

Paul and John called believers beloved.

Paul commanded believers in Ephesians 5, verse 1 through 2, Therefore, be imitators of God.

Ephesians 5:1–2

And here it is, as beloved children and walk in love, just as Christ also loved

us and gave himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma.

This type of love is so hard because none of us wants to get hurt emotionally or physically.

It leaves us vulnerable to being rejected or even being betrayed.

Yet we cannot love others truly, especially in our local body of Christ,

unless we are all in for them.

This is not the type of love that draws back when there is work to be done or

there's opposition or trial.

But the love of Christ goes straight

into the difficult situation for the sake of those who are in need.

This is the type of love that Paul, Timothy, and Epaphroditus had for each other

and for other Christ believers.

So far, we have learned that Paul sent Epaphroditus to Philippi to check up

on the congregation in that city to see if they're well, see how they're doing in the Lord.

Paul also highlighted the great worth of Epaphroditus to the Philippians.

And this leads us to my second point here, and that is that within the Christian

church, we are to receive sacrificial servants of Christ with joy and hold them in high regard.

A number of months ago, one of our missionaries returned to visit her home supporting

churches here in Dillingham.

And I'm not saying her name in case it gets out to the country she's working in.

Between the two churches, we beefed up our potluck for her. Many more people

were invited to come and see her.

It was great to witness the look of love and gratitude in the faces of the people

who were listening to her.

Recount what the Lord is doing in the country she's serving.

What an honor it was to have her back among us, even for such a short time.

My point with using this illustration is that similar to how we hold our missionaries

in high regard, Paul was entreating the Philippians to treat Epaphroditus with high regard as well.

This is what he said here. Philippians 2, verse 29 to 30.

Philippians 2:29–30

Receive him, that's Epaphroditus, then in the Lord with all joy and hold men

like him in high regard because he came close to death for the work of Christ,

risking his life to fulfill what was lacking in your service to me.

I want to draw your attention to two words that Paul used that demonstrates

how Christians are to view Christ believers who truly love sacrificially.

The first word I want to show you is the word to receive, meaning towards a

person, to willingly permit access to one's company.

Secondly, Paul used the word high regard, which meant precious, of high worth or cost.

I share these words with you to explain that Paul was urging the Philippian

Christ believers to permit Epaphroditus access into the life of their fellowship

community and to do so with joy.

And the reason that Paul gives the Philippians that they should receive Epaphroditus,

is that men like him are precious.

They're of such high worth or value.

And one of the key reasons how Epaphroditus demonstrated his high worth was

through his sacrificial love to Paul while Paul was in prison.

Epaphroditus worked so hard to serve and love Paul that he wore his body down

to the point where he got gravely ill and almost died.

You see, Paul in other letters alluded to persuasive and famous preachers that

could draw big crowds based on their speaking ability.

And yet, and this is important, Paul exhorted the Philippians to hold a believer,

like Epaphroditus in high regard because of his sacrificial and loving service.

As Jesus taught in Mark 10, verse 42 to 45, and calling them to himself,

Mark 10:42–45

Jesus said to them, You know that those who are recognized as rulers of the

Gentiles lord it over them.

And their great men exercise authority over them.

But it is not this way among you. But whoever wishes to become great among you

shall be your servant. The word's actually slave.

And whoever wishes to be first among you shall be slave of all.

For even though the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve and to

give his life a ransom for many.

How can we apply Philippians 2, verse 29 to 30 to us today?

Philippians 2:29–30

As Christians, we are called to hold in high regard those who sacrificially love others around us.

So often today, especially in the American church, we hold in high worth the

famous Christians or pastors who have a national or international ministry.

In our culture, multitudes of people run after famous actors,

sports stars, or music stars with a type of hero or fan worship.

Please understand, I am not disregarding that God is using many pastors or Christians

to reach people worldwide.

I am very thankful to the Lord for the ministries of Billy Graham and Franklin Graham and his family.

I'm also very grateful to John MacArthur and Piper and Joni Erickson-Totta and

the Gettys and many, many others.

However, in the church, we are in great danger of taking the same phenomenon

that the world uses, that same world who is still enslaved to the darkness of

sin and Satan, and using in the church of Christ.

As Paul pointed out regarding Epaphroditus, Servant Christians often do not

put themselves in the limelight.

They may be quietly serving behind the scenes, just as Paphroditus served Paul in prison.

And if we're not careful, we may miss those whom God says we really should hold in high regard.

So what then have we learned from God through our scripture passage today?

The first truth that we've been taught is that one of the pieces of evidence

of a Christian who is growing in Christ and ordering his or her life by the

mission of the Lord is that we are deeply,

to love each other in Christ with our words, our actions, and our emotions.

Remember the deep loving emotion

and concern that Paul had for the Philippians and for Epaphroditus.

And Epaphroditus for the church in Philippi.

I want to encourage those Christ followers who are listening,

to this message, not only to invest your money and your time and service to

the congregation you're in, but also invest your heart in building real deep

relationships with those that maybe you haven't got close with before.

God will surprise you with how he will bless you with each other.

Secondly, as Christians, we are called

to hold in high regard those who sacrificially love others around us.

And as the Philippians, we're to hold high Epaphroditus.

I want to encourage church members and attenders to keep an eye out for the

servant leaders in your midst.

They are often not in the limelight, as sometimes we miss them,

but they are sacrificially serving for the good of Christ's church.

Thank them for their service. Love on them in the Lord. Let's pray.

Heavenly Father, we thank you.

We are grateful for you, Father. We're grateful for your love in Jesus Christ

and the example of his sacrificial service on our behalf.

He left heaven and all its glory and power and riches and came down to earth

as a slave, a human slave, with all our infirmities, all of our temptations,

and was tortured and went to the cross, taking upon himself.

Our sins and putting them to death with him, rising from the dead and bringing

us new life in you so that we can have a relationship with you.

Lord, we can never pay that back.

And thankfully in Christ, we don't have to. Help us, O Lord.

Help us, O Lord, to be those true servant leaders and Christians.

May we go out and love our fellow believers. May we love others who are not

believers and sacrificially love them deeply.

Help us, O Lord, to live your way in this dark world, because this world needs

you, and your light can shine through us to them.

In your precious Son's name, Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen.

I will leave you with this benediction from Romans 15, verses 5-6.

Romans 15:5–6

May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony

with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus,

that together you may with one voice glorify the Father and God of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Have a wonderful Sunday. May the Lord bless you.