Philippians 2:19-30 - Advancing the Gospel
Philippians • Sermon • Submitted • Presented • 33:18
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· 96 viewsToday's sermon is about how Christ advances the Gospel as he works through believers.
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Introduction:
Have you ever had a work colleague that you were extremely thankful for? They always did above and beyond what was asked of them. You never had to pick up their slack. They worked with integrity and worked with intensity. Their heart for others was evident every day that they showed up for work. You knew what they were working on was going to be done excellently. If you were a leader of an organization and had an employee like that, you know how valuable they are to you.
Today we are going to see Paul give commendations to two men who came to the work of the Gospel with that kind of intensity and integrity.
Join me as we read Philippians 2:19-30:
19 I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, so that I too may be cheered by news of you.
20 For I have no one like him, who will be genuinely concerned for your welfare.
21 For they all seek their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ.
22 But you know Timothy’s proven worth, how as a son with a father he has served with me in the gospel.
23 I hope therefore to send him just as soon as I see how it will go with me,
24 and I trust in the Lord that shortly I myself will come also.
25 I have thought it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus my brother and fellow worker and fellow soldier, and your messenger and minister to my need,
26 for he has been longing for you all and has been distressed because you heard that he was ill.
27 Indeed he was ill, near to death. But God had mercy on him, and not only on him but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow.
28 I am the more eager to send him, therefore, that you may rejoice at seeing him again, and that I may be less anxious.
29 So receive him in the Lord with all joy, and honor such men,
30 for he nearly died for the work of Christ, risking his life to complete what was lacking in your service to me.
Prayer
Today we are going to discuss how Christ advances the Gospel through the lives of believers. The first is:
I. Christ Advances the Gospel…Through Genuine Believers (19-24)
I. Christ Advances the Gospel…Through Genuine Believers (19-24)
19 I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, so that I too may be cheered by news of you.
20 For I have no one like him, who will be genuinely concerned for your welfare.
Paul hopes in the Lord Jesus Christ. I don’t want us to gloss over this first phrase here. Paul’s hope comes from one place and one place alone. It isn’t chance or luck that he hopes in. He hopes in Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is our Living Hope (1 Peter 1:3).
We live in a hopeless world, my friends. While I was recently on vacation last week, I asked a couple of guys what I could pray for. I was astounded that both young men gave me the same answer. They both asked for peace. They were hopeless and were struggling to find peace. They didn’t see any light in their lives. I was able to point them to the only hope and peace that we have. The true Living Hope and Prince of Peace - Jesus Christ.
After letting the Philippians know where his plans find their foundation and where his hope rests, he lets them know that he hopes to send Timothy to them. I am sure most of us have heard the name, Timothy, because of the two books in the Bible bearing his name that Paul wrote. Although Timothy’s name is mentioned some 24 times in the New Testament, we are not given much about his personal life other than what we find here. We do find out a little about his family as Paul is on his Second Missionary Journey in Acts 16:1-3a
Acts 16:1–3a (ESV)
1 Paul came also to Derbe and to Lystra. A disciple was there, named Timothy, the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer, but his father was a Greek.
2 He was well spoken of by the brothers at Lystra and Iconium.
3 Paul wanted Timothy to accompany him...
Here we see that his father was a Greek and his mother was Jewish.
This is further expounded in 2 Timothy 1:5
5 I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, dwells in you as well.
Here we see their names. We also see that he is a third generation Christian. His grandmother and mother were strong Christians.
As an aside, I want to encourage mothers to walk the walk even if fathers aren’t necessarily doing it. Yes, statistics are most certainly concerning in regards to absent spiritual fathers. Fathers are very important - especially in regards to young men, and I have a passion to call out men to be the fathers God has designed them to be. But here we see a mother and grandmother who had quite the influence on this young man, Timothy. So much so that Paul adopted him as a spiritual son.
19 I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, so that I too may be cheered by news of you.
20 For I have no one like him, who will be genuinely concerned for your welfare.
Getting back to our Scripture, we see that Paul wants to hear how the Philippians are doing. He is confident that the news that he hears about the Philippian church will cheer him. This Greek word for cheer can also mean be glad or encouraged. He is hopeful that they are walking in integrity and walking in the Spirit.
In verse twenty we see Paul give Timothy high honor. He states that he has no one like him - who will be genuinely concerned with the welfare of the Philippian believers. Remember - Paul is imprisoned in Rome at the time and some 800 miles away. He is entrusting his beloved adopted son, Timothy, to go and help serve the Philippian believers. Note the trust he has in Timothy here. He knows that Timothy is a man of integrity. He knows that Timothy isn’t like some of the false teachers out there that are all about their own gains as we see in verse 21:
21 For they all seek their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ.
Here we see that many were false teachers and peddling the Gospel for their own gain and not for the gain of Christ. But not Timothy. He was a different kind of man.
Can someone say that about you? Can they see you as someone that can be sent out knowing that you have the integrity to carry out the job without selfish interests? Can you be trusted? Do you have integrity as we discussed a couple of weeks ago?
Some may read this verse and not focus on the trust that Paul was placing on Timothy and instead focus on the fact that it appears that Paul just blasted everyone else that was serving with him.
I think we can genuinely infer from the context of this passage that Paul is not blasting all other believers here. First we must start with the context of what follows right after this. We will see Paul speak highly of yet another humble servant in Epaphroditus. It wouldn’t make sense that Paul would blast him right before speaking such kind words about him! It seems clear that this is a statement about the general findings he has found in those who claim to be believers but aren’t. He has seen time and time again those who claimed to be leaders in the church and yet were selfish. He has seen false teachers after false teachers look out for own interests instead of the interests of others. And he is highlighting Timothy’s integrity and holiness.
22 But you know Timothy’s proven worth, how as a son with a father he has served with me in the gospel. 23 I hope therefore to send him just as soon as I see how it will go with me, 24 and I trust in the Lord that shortly I myself will come also.
Timothy has a proven worth as we see in verse 22. These two words actually come from one Greek word, dokimē (doe-kee-may), which also means tried character, reliability, and proven character. Paul didn’t just put blind trust in Timothy. Timothy had been tested and was proven reliable. This is the same word that we see translated character listed in Romans 5:3-5
3 Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5 and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.
Note that this character in Romans 5:4 is a character that has been tested and refined through suffering and endurance and perseverance. This is the kind of proven worth Timothy had shown Paul.
22 But you know Timothy’s proven worth, how as a son with a father he has served with me in the gospel. 23 I hope therefore to send him just as soon as I see how it will go with me, 24 and I trust in the Lord that shortly I myself will come also.
Philippians 2:22 ends with showing Timothy’s willingness to be a servant. He served alongside Paul as an adopted spiritual son. He was faithful in his service and made the advancement of the Gospel his number one priority.
Paul ends this section about Timothy with verses 23-24 in which he expresses hope that he will be released soon and be able to join the believers in Philippi. We can see his closeness to Timothy in verse 23 as he wants Timothy to be there when he hears the final verdict of his longstanding imprisonment. Yet in verse 24, he expresses confidence that after he sends Timothy, he will get to follow and see the believers in Philippi as well.
To recap and apply these godly qualities that Timothy possessed to our lives, let’s quickly break down the qualities Paul gives us about Timothy:
We have seen that Timothy was:
Genuine - he had integrity and was concerned about others before himself.
Tested - He had proven worth. He had faced trials and suffering and was shown to have proven character and reliability.
Servant - he served along with Paul in order to advance the Gospel
May we always be genuine and concerned about others before ourselves. May we withstand the tests of sufferings and trials and have a proven worth and proven character in the midst of them. And may we be servants who dedicate our lives on the advancement of the Gospel no matter what the consequences.
We have seen that Christ advance the Gospel through genuine believers, and we also see that...
Scripture References: 1 Peter 1:3, Acts 16:1-3a, 2 Timothy 1:5, Romans 5:3-5
II. Christ Advances the Gospel…Through Sacrificial Believers (25-30)
II. Christ Advances the Gospel…Through Sacrificial Believers (25-30)
25 I have thought it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus my brother and fellow worker and fellow soldier, and your messenger and minister to my need,
Now we are introduced to another believer. The Philippian believers would have likely heard about Timothy as he was so close to Paul. However, Epaphroditus was known by them much more intimately. He was one of them.
Paul has gushing words to say about this Philippian believer who left his home and travelled 800 miles to aid Paul. Lets break down each of these commendations that he gives Epaphroditus:
Commendations that he gives Epaphroditus:
These first three are in relation to Paul:
My brother - this is Paul stating that Epaphroditus is a born-again believer. He is the real deal.
My fellow worker - He is a contemporary with Paul. Paul doesn’t see him as inferior. He sees the work of Epaphroditus as of utmost importance.
My fellow soldier - Paul understands the spiritual battle at stake. He refers to his friend as a fellow soldier. This is a military word.
These next three are in relation to the Philippian Church:
Messenger - this is the actually the same Greek word for apostle, apostolos (a-post-a-lose). He is not referring to Epaphroditus as a big ‘A’ Apostle like Paul and the disciples. He is one who was sent out as a messenger. Teaching note: We are all little ‘a’ apostles in this way as we are sent out to spread the message of the Gospel. Big “A” Apostles were limited to the first century and were made up of Paul and the eleven remaining disciples (after Judas Iscariot betrayed Jesus and took his life). We no longer have the actual office of Apostle today.
Minister - This Greek word means a servant or minister. He is one who has served the Philippian Church with his abilities and poured himself out for them.
Sacrificial - We will get into this more as we move forward. But we see that he risked his life for the Gospel and for the church.
How do we relate to Epaphroditus? Are we a true believer? Have we put our faith and trust in Jesus Christ alone for salvation and repented, or turned away, from our sins? This is by far the most important lesson to learn from any Christian’s life. Learning where the source of eternal life comes from is the most important thing we can ever learn. I pray we all have placed our faith in Jesus Christ as our Savior who, as the Perfect Son of God - God made flesh - lived a sinless life, died on the cross for our sins, and raised three days later. He is the only way of salvation (John 14:6). Epaphroditus had unashamedly acknowledged Christ as the Lord of His life.
Are we a fellow worker and soldier? Are we making an impact for the kingdom of God? As true believers, we should want nothing more than to serve our God and His people. Because of the incredible free gift of salvation, we should be willing to allow the Holy Spirit to work through us in any and every way. We do not work for salvation - but God works through those who are saved.
Finally, we should all be ones who are sent out as messengers of the Gospel who minister sacrificially to people. We have an incredible gift as believers. We have the the knowledge of eternal life. We have salvation in Jesus Christ. Matthew 28:19-20
19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
We are not to hide this wonderful knowledge but to share it with others no matter what the risks or circumstances.
26 for he has been longing for you all and has been distressed because you heard that he was ill. 27 Indeed he was ill, near to death. But God had mercy on him, and not only on him but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow.
Moving forward to verses 26-27 we are shown just what kind of sacrifice and suffering that Epaphroditus went through.
Ministry can be tough and ministry can be dangerous. As missionaries, Paul and his companions went from place to place and were exposed to all sorts of diseases and illnesses. His companion and Philippian believer, Epaphroditus, suffered a grave illness after traveling so far to be with the imprisoned Paul. His illness must have been severe as Paul states that he was ill near to death in verse 27. But God had mercy and healed him. Paul was not only thankful for the healing for Epaphroditus’ sake, but he was thankful for his own as well. He loved this man and appreciated the work he had done with him. We should love our fellow workers with this kind of deep love as well.
Paul is excited to get to send him back to his church family. He appreciates the risks that Epaphroditus made.
Verse 27 shows us the humanity and relational ability of Paul intimately. He states that if Epaphroditus would have had died that he would have had sorrow upon sorrow and even said that the healing was not only for his friend but also because God had mercy on him. Sometimes we see Paul as a rugged, tough, and unfeeling guy as he calls out false teachers and fiercely preaches the Gospel. Yet, we see as he discusses Epaphroditus and Timothy, he has a soft side as well. He loves these two fellow workers and soldiers. He doesn’t just see what they can do for him. He sees them as friends. As the body of Christ, we must see one another in the same way. We must see one another as friends and love one another deeply with the love of Christ. Conditional love is no love at all. We must agape, or sacrificially, love one another. As Jesus said: John 13:35
35 By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
28 I am the more eager to send him, therefore, that you may rejoice at seeing him again, and that I may be less anxious. 29 So receive him in the Lord with all joy, and honor such men, 30 for he nearly died for the work of Christ, risking his life to complete what was lacking in your service to me.
Verse 28 shows us that Paul really struggled as he watched his friend battle this horrific illness. He felt the weight of possibly losing a friend and also the weight of having to tell the Philippian church if Epaphroditus should pass away. He is eager to send him back and as verse 29 says he wants them to rejoice in the amazing healing that has occured. In a beautiful way, Epaphroditus was likely the carrier of this wonderful letter that we are reading and studying today. He was likely the messenger for Paul who carried these written words to the Philippian church.
Paul also commands that they honor such men who have risked their lives for the Gospel and practiced righteousness the way that his beloved friend has.
Sadly, we live in a world that does not honor people very well. People want to destroy others at the first sign that they get. Just watch the news for a moment and you will see it is like watching sharks swimming around a school of fish just waiting on one to devour. This has even moved into church leaders being targeted today. I have heard pastor after pastor attacked by media and social media. Oftentimes these attacks are just because the pastor had the boldness to speak out Biblically on an issue in his sermon.
Last Sunday, I was blessed to hear Pastor Greg Hyler at First Baptist Church North Myrtle Beach preach and he discussed the Biblical call to honor church leaders as he broke down the call of a pastor. See what God’s Word has to say about honoring church leaders:
12 We ask you, brothers, to respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, 13 and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves.
17 Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching.
God is clear in His Word that he esteems the preaching and teaching of His Word and the pastoring of His people. We need to value this as well. It isn’t about me or any other pastor for that matter. We are nothing more than servants of our God in heaven. But we need to honor the preached Word. We need to honor and respect those who labor for the faith. And we need to come alongside them, encourage them, speak well of them, pray for them, and be a support to them. We need to work alongside them as we spread the Gospel and disciple God’s people.
30 for he nearly died for the work of Christ, risking his life to complete what was lacking in your service to me.
Finally, verse 30 lets the Philippians know that Epaphroditus was their hands and feet when they couldn’t be there. He completed what was lacking in their service to him - namely their absence due to their distance from him. He is thankful for his friend who risked his life for the Gospel.
Scripture References: John 14:6, Matthew 28:19-20, John 13:35, 1 Thessalonians 5:12-13, 1 Timothy 5:17
Conclusion:
As we come a close, I pray that we have been encouraged by these two godly leaders of the early church. These are two men that we should emulate and study. As we look at our own lives as we prepare to pray, take a moment to look at the character qualities of each man in your handout and measure your character next to theirs. Are there any areas that you are deficient in? Are there any areas that you could use some growth? As we prepare to pray, ask God to reveal these to you and to work on you through His Holy Spirit to strengthen you in these areas. Pray that God makes you both genuine and sacrificial as you serve Him.
Let us pray.
Prayer
If you would like to learn more about salvation through Jesus Christ or want to obey Jesus by obeying the first commandment of a believer in going through the waters of baptism - please let me know.
Have a blessed week.