Two Worked Examples

Chap 2.19-30

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The Structure of the BookOpening and introduction 1:1-2Paul and the Philippian Church 1:3-26Exhortation and Examples 1:27-2:30

An Exhortation to Courage 1:27-30A plea for Unity 2:1-4The mind of Christ 2:5-11The outworking of God’s deposit 2:12-18Two worked examples 2:19-30

Warnings 3:1-4:1Encouragement Gratitude and Final Greetings 4: 2-23

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Introduction

At school many find mathematics difficult. All the formulas swim around in your mind speaking a language that you really do not understand. But things become much clearer when a worked example is given. The formula is taken and applied in a setting that the pupil can understand. And so things that seem beyond us become accessible.

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“Paul ,we marvel at Jesus’ humiliation and selfless service, but we are just ordinary Christians. You are asking to much of us. You are not being realistic. The formula of the divine parabola which you have unpacked makes our heads swim!”

Can you relate to that? What does Paul do? He holds before them two worked examples; ordinary Christians, men with whom they were very familiar. First, Timothy who was present when the church in Philippi was established and secondly, Epaphroditus, whose name appeared on the church roll at Philippi.

Similarly, Paul, in v19-30, provides his readers with two worked examples of selfless service. Perhaps he anticipated that their response to his teaching would be that these truths were inaccessible, beyond their attainment.

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TIMOTHYAs we look at Timothy’s life, four things that stand out. First, he was ‘like-minded’ with Paul - that’s a better translation of v20 than "I have no one else like him”. Paul had no one else around who shared his concern for the church. Paul had repeatedly told the Roman Christians of his concern and may have asked for someone to volunteer to go to them.

Did his hearers agree to the value of such a trip? Did someone propose a motion that “something should be done”? But nothing was done because no one was ‘like minded’. They did not share Paul's passion. Sadly, they too were selfishly self-absorbed v21... But there was Timothy, who with sacrificial Christlikeness said, “send me!” It is important for church leaders to have others who are on their wavelength.

Christ

Timothy

Paul

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A famous preacher saw many people come to faith through his ministry. He was invited further and further afield. When he eventually returned to his home church, he was approached by a young man who seemed to know him. The preacher did not recognise, who he was talking to and said, “I’m sorry, I don’t think I know you”. The young man replied, “I was one of the first people you led to faith here just over a year ago”. The preacher went home with a heavy heart. He realised that his concern for success had outstripped his personal concern for others. Timothy never lost that personal concern.

Secondly, Timothy had a genuine concern for others . In Christian work it is easy to overlook the value of the individual; planning can be substituted for caring. As a work of God grows, personal contact can lose its importance. There is no substitute for a real interest in people, no matter how busy we are.

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Timothy’s concern is used by Paul to challenge to the church at Philippi. It is not that the Philippians did not care but that they did not care enough. Like the Christians in Rome they were careful about seeking after their own things; “everyone looks out for his own interests not those of Jesus Christ”. v21 , v4.Many people in the UK invest in the stock market, they invest in the property market it can become the consuming passion of their lives!

Paul is looking for a different kind of investment. He is asking, do we care enough about God’s work to invest in other people’s lives. This happens in many fellowships. There are those who open theirhearts and homes and give of their time and energy to others.

Thank God for that. Can some of us do more? Our care for other peopleis a measure our commitment to God’s service.

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Jim Elliot an American student, was called of God to missionary service with primitive tribes in South America. It would be dangerous and demanding work. He knew he could lose his life. He wrote these words in his diary:He makes his ministers a flame, am I ignitable? God deliver me from the dread asbestos of other things, saturate me with the oil of the Spirit, that I may be a flame. But flame is transient, often short lived. Can you bear this my soul, short life? In me dwells the Spirit of the great short-lived whose zeal for God's house consumed him. Make me thy fuel flame of God.

Elliot died a martyr’s death at the hands of the Auca Indians in 1956. Jim Elliot, like Timothy was determined to put Christ first.

Thirdly, we learn something of Timothy's priorities. He put Christ first. Its easy to put other things first; personal comfort, pleasure, reputation, plans for the future, even family ties.

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Older people always have something to say about their youth. “Our youth now loves luxury. They have bad manners, contempt for authority, disrespect for older people, they are tyrants. They no longer rise when their elders enter a room. They contradict their parents, chatter in company, gobble their food tyrannise their teachers”. Socrates 400BC.

Now despite the great generation gap Paul and Timothy were able to work fruitfully together. Why? Because they were ‘parabola servants ‘who put Christ’s interests first.

Finally. Timothy had an ability to work with others. cf. v22 “he has served with me”. Many Christian workers want to be independent. They say it must be ‘our work and it must be done our way’. It is a mark of Christian maturity to be able to work with others of different temperament, personality and background - to say nothing of the generation gap between Timothy and Paul.

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EPAPHRODITUSYou might be thinking but Timothy was really a full time Christian worker we expect more from them! Well, Paul's second example is a Christian layman, Epaphroditus - a man who was known to the Philippians but not to many other Christians. Notice the language used to describe him.

First, he is described as “a brother” v25. This description would have sounded remarkable in the ancient world . Society was divided into slaves and free, Greeks and Romans, Jews and Gentiles, aristocrats and peasants and wise and foolish. It was a polarised society. And to call a man from across the great social and political divide your brother was unheard of . But this is what the gospel does as men and women begin to realise that their oneness in Christ was much more important than the petty things that divided them. When we think in this way we find it easier to serve one another. In my home church in Ayr when we had our first children’s holiday club we looked for volunteers

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Secondly, Epaphroditus is described as “a fellow-worker”v25. He was the sort of man who did not mind getting his hands dirty. He didn’t sit around to be waited upon. He was a server, a worker. cf. the words of the risen Christ to the church at Ephesus in Rev 2.2, “I know your deeds, your hard work”.

God rejoices in our hard work. Do we work hard practically, intellectually, socially, evangelistically? People do not flock to the church, they are waiting to be won individually. That takes time, it takes involvement, it takes hard work and it involves self denial.

George Whitefield was once encouraged to step back from the busy schedule of ministry in which he was engaged. He made this famous reply, "I would rather wear myself out than rust in the service of Christ".

Thirdly, Epaphroditus is called “a fellow soldier” v25. The advance of the kingdom requires costly spiritual conflict. The Roman Empire had made considerable advances. Her legions earned the reputation of being an incredible fighting machine. In the ancient world, armies often dressed alike, were armed alike but they did not fight side by side. The Romans changed all that. Their phalanxes were a terror to the ancient world. Their soldiers marched abreast behind a solid wall of shields. Now, says Paul, that is what it is like to be engaged in Christian service with Epaphroditus. He was always at your side and not running off to fight in local skirmishes and trying to make a name for himself. It was not personal glory but the triumph of Christ's cause that was important to him. He could be relied upon to be there when needed.

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How different this is from the self-obsessed spirit of much contemporary Christianity . People ask “Will the gospel give me health, wealth, joy, peace, purpose, friendships, good experiences etc”. Indeed there are some who teach, ‘if it hurts, it cannot be truly spiritual’. Again and again Paul reminds us that spiritual service will inevitably hurt. Read 2 Cor 11.23-29. Ephaproditus shared that kind of burden. Paul had described his experience and that of his companions along the lines of the divine parabola in Rom 8.17 “we share in his [Christ’s] sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory”.

Fourthly, consider Ephaphroditus’ burden for the work. He had accepted the challenging task of making the lengthy trip to visit Paul in Rome. Did it mean taking unpaid leave from his job? He took ill on the journey and almost died. That fact added to his burden. He was concerned v26 that the church at Philippi would be upset to hear he was ill.

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Paul tells us Epaphroditus risked his life to serve Christ. The word ‘risk’ v30 was used in the 1st century to describe a deposit lodged at court by someone bringing a civil law suit against another. If they lost their case, their money was forfeited. And so before going to court people were encouraged to count the cost and ask, ‘Will it be worth it’. It is risky I might lose my money.’

Epaphroditus counted the cost of commitment and concluded, ‘Yes! I know I am risking my very life but its worth it.’ It is a bigger risk is to refuse to take any risk at all and to choose comfortable cotton-wool Christianity.

Do you remember the parable Jesus told in Matt 25v14-30? Rather than risk using what his master had entrusted to him one of the servants buried it. He thought, he was playing safe but he took a bigger risk which resulted in a far greater loss.Is our material/personal security more important that the expansion of Christ’s kingdom through sacrificial service? “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose”. JIM ELLIOT

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Do you see what Paul has been doing? In v5-11 he has described the person and ministry of Christ in terms of a divine Parabola. This is more than an example for them to follow but a mould into which they have to allow their lives to be poured. This servant king lives within them and they are to work out what he has worked in v12.

In other words they have been empowered to be different. So different that as their lives take on this new shape they will shine like stars. And Paul their spiritual father will take pleasure in the fact that their lives are being conformed to that of Christ.

Conclusion

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He is aware that some might argue that they don’t think their lives can undergo such a transformation. After all they are not Jesus. They are not like the apostles. They are ordinary. All of this instruction is above and beyond them. And so Paul holds up two worked examples. He says,

“See what has been outworked in their lives. See how they are beginning to fit into the parabola. They too are ordinary. But God can turn the ordinary into extraordinary. And I am going to send them back to you so you can see for yourselves what God has done in them. Oh I’d dearly love to have them stay with me but right now your need is greater than mine”.

Conclusion

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God intends us all to be his worked examples. We are to be what Paul describes in his epistle to the Corinthians as ‘living espistles...known and read by everybody’ 2 Cor 3.2. What do people see when they read your life and mine? Do they see selfish self-centredness, people who only talk and care about ourselves, our health, our wealth, our hopes our dreams, or do they see people who have begun to invest their lives in the service of others, people who put others first, people who are prepared to suffer for Jesus’ sake, people who make others homesick for God? Can I tell you how I became interested in Christianity? I wasn’t brought up in a Christian home, I did not read a lot of Christian books or hear a great sermon. I saw one of God’s worked examples. A woman who shone for Jesus and who had given her life to his service. As a child of 9, I said, “I want to be like her” Do you want people to be able to say that about you? Then allow your life to be shaped by the instruction Paul gives here.

Conclusion

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