by John Davis

A Servant’s Gospel – Community

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 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.

 This is the last of four messages on how the gospel forms us into being servants of Jesus Christ.

Gospel- Cause             The gospel defines the cause for which we live.

Gospel-Character        The gospel forms the character of our lives.

Gospel-Conduct           The gospel empowers the conduct of our lives.

Gospel-Community     The gospel establishes a new community through our lives.

The gospel of God’s grace intends to bring about a transformation in our lives that reflects that grace in relation to others and to the work of the Lord. Gospel-grace offers a freedom from our need to keep the law, freedom from the burden of achieving our own righteousness, and freedom from the condemnation that we deserve because of the idolatry and rebellion of our lives. However, grace can be misunderstood.  Grace can be abused, Grace can be distorted. Grace is not antithetical to spiritual discipline, holiness, obedience, commitment, responsibility, etc. All of the above without the gospel of grace end up in self-effort and forms of legalism and religiosity.Nevertheless, to claim an experience with the gospel of grace without a concomitant (simultaneous) commitment to holiness, obedience, and responsibility should cause you to wonder whether or not you have the real thing.

                             ¹⁰ But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me. (1Co 15:10 ESV)

                               ¹¹ For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, ¹² training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, (Tit 2:11-                                   12 ESV)

This section of Philippians is one of the most personal and tender sections of the Apostle Paul’s writings.  He writes about Timothy and Epaphroditus, two of his coworkers in the gospel, and, in so doing, reveals a lot of his own heart as well as the kind of community that is created as a result of the gospel.

 Who were these men?

 Timothy was a young convert to Christianity possibly on Paul’s first missionary Journey, which took him through Lystra. His mother was Jewish; his father was Greek. From Paul’s later letters to him, we infer that Timothy was a timid personality who needed encouragement to not be ashamed of the gospel. Later he became Pastor of the church as Ephesus and eventually ended up in prison, as did Paul.

 About Epaphroditus, one author says this: The Epaphroditus of this passage would have been completely unknown from the annals of church history was it not for this single reference to him found in this passage. He held no public office. He was not a pastor or a teacher. He planted no churches. He preached no sermons. He wrote no epistles and taught no Bible studies. He was not in the limelight. He was simply – A SERVANT. He was sent by the church of Philippi to look after Paul’s physical needs (http://www.angelfire.com/nt/theology/phil2-25.html).

If we tie these verses to the immediate context we realize that Paul is giving us real life examples, examples of ordinary Christians, who exemplify the character and the conduct of a gospel-servant (Phil 2:1-10) and who demonstrate their commitment to service regardless of the difficulties involved. 

Timothy and Epaphroditus (and Paul) are living examples of what it looks like to “have the mind of Christ” (2:5).

What kind of community comes out of a life powered by the gospel? 

1. A gospel-community cares for others and puts Christ first..

²⁰ For I have no one like him, who will be genuinely concerned for your welfare.  ²¹ They all seek their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ.

 Here we have both a tragic indictment on one hand and wonderful word of commendation on the other hand. We have a statement of what the church of Christ should become ‘concerned for the welfare of others and the interests of Christ’ and a statement of what the church in reality is – “all seek their own” vs. “genuinely concerned for your welfare.”

 Genuinely caring for others in the church is one of the interests of Christ. This is the intent of the gospel to create a community of servants who gather not for self-interest but for the welfare of others and the glory of Christ.

 When anything other than the gospel creates community among believers, it is a fragile community and it is no longer a Christian community. I was telling Gary a story about the first church I planted and pastored in Central Bucks County. It was a church that preached the gospel but often allowed other issues to become the rallying point.  The largest gathering we ever had was a patriotic rally that brought more people than any worship service, Bible study, revival, evangelistic meeting, or prayer service. That’s sad when patriotism trumps the gospel.

 On the leadership Team here at GCP we work hard to keep the gospel central.  It would be easy, humanly speaking to become divided over our own interests.

On the leadership team….

We have democrats and republicans.

We have varying view of Christ’s coming and how events work out in the end

We have differences on pacifism and just war.

We have varying views on baptism.

We may differ on economic theory and the role of government in society.

We may differ on forms of worship and musical styles. 

When we began we had racial diversity, but because of family concerns, our Afro-American brother had to withdraw. Yet, this is still out desire. We believe that in Christian community the gospel trumps all else.  Not that there can’t be healthy discussions in areas of disagreement but that we refuse to make anything other than the gospel the basis of Christian fellowship.

 But if we will be genuinely concerned for your welfare and for the interests of Christ, we will keep the gospel central. The challenge of Christian community is to keep the gospel central not your own interests.

 Do you care more about your own interests than the interests of Jesus Christ?

He did not die to make you a Republican or Democrat.

He did not die to make you a dispensationalist or a covenant theologian.

He did not die so that you can wave the banner of pacifism or just war.

I think you get it.

 A committed servant cares genuinely for the supreme glory of Jesus Christ. We are told that Timothy – ‘served in the gospel.” He was selfless and Epaphroditus – “nearly died for the work of Christ”

Let me ask you – do you genuinely care about the supreme glory of Christ?

How is care for the supreme glory of Jesus Christ demonstrated?

By genuinely caring for others – especially for the church?

Do you demonstrate that by your care for others?

Do you serve the gospel in any way that costs you something?

 2. A Gospel-Community remains faithful through the tests of life and ministry. But you know Timothy’s proven worth

Timothy was ‘proven’ – tested and approved The word implies a time of testing and proven character at the end of the testing. We all need tests and challenges to prove the reality of our faith and our commitment to serve Jesus Christ and others.

 Paul took Timothy with him on his second missionary Journey, and it was in the course of that journey that Timothy proved himself. Timothy was with Paul at Philippi when Paul and Silas were imprisoned. He remained faithful. Timothy was with Paul at Thessalonica when the Jews incited riots to drive Paul out of the city. He remained faithful. He faced similar opposition with Paul at Berea. He remained faithful to the gospel. The Philippians knew the faithfulness of Timothy. Unlike, Demas, of whom Paul said, Demas has forsake me, having loved this present world.

 Are you faithful through the tests of life and ministry? Or. Have difficult times, tough relationships, disappointment, discouragement, caused you to step back from the faithfulness you once enjoyed or never enjoyed because of your struggles in life? Maybe you’ve failed God miserably and feel like you’re unworthy or serving him again? On Paul’s first Journey, John Mark quit because of the difficulty. Later Paul writes:

                                       2 Timothy 4:11  ¹¹ Luke alone is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is very useful to me for ministry.

Remain faithful and if you’ve become unfaithful, there is forgiveness and opportunity to serve faithfully again.

3. A Gospel-Community highly values its spiritual family.

Listen to the family terms that Paul uses: He calls Epaphroditus his brother , and says that Timothy served as a son with a father. The tender appeal that Paul makes to the Philippians in Epaphroditus’ behalf indicates his concern that they not feel that in some way Epaphroditus was weak and had failed the mission. Sinclair Ferguson asks, “Did Paul suspect that some Philippians might feel that Epaphroditus was a spiritual failure? Was he fearful that there might be the occasional snide comment: ‘Some people don’t seem to be able to handle the pressures, and last the pace’? Perhaps he feared for Epaphroditus’ good reputation and the future acceptance of his ministry in Philippi.” (Sinclair Ferguson, “Let Study Philippians,” Banner of Truth, Edinburgh, 1997, p.66).

 Paul says, Epaphroditus is my brother who has faithfully delivered the gifts you sent (Phil 4).  Though he became sick and weak, he has been faithful. He tells them how Epaphroditus longs for them and aches for them.

I love the one of the prayers of the Moravians: “Keep us in everlasting fellowship with our brethren of the church triumphant, and let us rest together in thy presence from our labors.”

 One of the things that keep me serving the Lord for 35 years is knowing that I am part of a spiritual family and my faithfulness and unfaithfulness has consequences. Are you part of a spiritual family? Do you carry your share of the load?

 4. A Gospel-Community humbly and faithfully uses its gifts.

Epaphroditus is called a Fellow worker who shares a Common Task Different gifts are used to accomplish the same task. Timothy was more of a preacher-teacher, bible-study leader, pastoral type. Epahproditus was sent by the Philippian church to minister to the physical needs of Paul. Paul is an apostle, a leader of leaders.m Don’t underestimate or under value the importance of even the most menial task in the life of a church. Whether it’s vacuuming the carpet, setting up equipment, cooking and serving a meal, ushering, greeting, caring for children, if done for the glory of Jesus, to assist the church, to advance the gospel, to minister to others, then it’s value is inestimable.

 A famous 19th century organist was playing a concert. It was an old pump organ and required a little boy to be down below, pumping at the bellows while the organist played. When the intermission came, the little boy who had been pumping the organ came up and said to the organist, “We did good, didn’t we?” The organist looked down his nose at the scruffy lad and retorted, “What do you mean, we did good? I was the one who was playing!” After the intermission, the organist sat down and the audience sat down and there was a hush that filled the hall and then the organist hit the keys and nothing happened. In the pregnant silence, a little boy’s voice came up from below, “Are WE ready to begin?” (http://www.angelfire.com/nt/theology/phil2-25.html)

We are a part of the body of Christ. Not everyone has the same gifts. Not everyone plays the keyboard. But your part is no less important. Paul realized that truth as he called Epaphroditus his “fellow-worker.”

 5. A Gospel-Community develops deep human sympathies.

 One of the effects of the gospel on people is that it makes them more human. We should become more authentic and well-rounded men and women because of the gospel. One of the first things we are told about Epaphroditus is that he was homesick; “he longs for all of you” (v.26). He missed his family and his friends terribly. He felt far from everyone he loved and everything he cared about. The language and the climate and the food was all so different in Rome. He just wanted to be back in Philippi with everyone he loved. He was a man of God and a church leader but he had homesickness. http://www.alfredplacechurch.org.uk/sermons/phil21.htm

 Some people think that in becoming a Christian they lose something of “their humanity. Some fear being ‘born again or  ‘converted’ because it means that they become less human, somewhat artificial, and they lose the human life they’ve worked hard to create. The truth is that coming to Christ makes you more human – you feel more deeply, you cherish and value the things that really matter. As a husband, wife, parent, friend, neighbor, fellow citizen, you develop deeper human sympathies. You love more, care more, give more – to make the world and better place and to be an instrument of God to lead others to an eternal home.

6. A Gospel-Community fearlessly engages in the battle for lost souls. Epaphroditus is Fellow soldier facing a common enemy and engaged in a common conflict.

 The enemy is not people, but rather sin, satan, and death – all of which have been defeated by Christ. But even though the war is won, there are still ongoing battles. The battle ground is the hearts and minds of those who don’t know Christ. The weapons are the word of God and prayer. If we don’t understand our cause we will fight the wrong battles. This is a gospel battle and the outcome is eternal life for some and eternal damnation for others.

 Paul talked about this earlier in Philippians 1:27-28  ²⁷ Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel,  ²⁸ and not frightened in anything by your opponents. This is a clear sign to them of their destruction, but of your salvation, and that from God.

 Indonesia 1999

The teens could tell that the shouts and chanting were getting closer. An older teen looked nervously at his friend: “The Muslims are coming, we’d better hide the kids” he said. Others followed his lead, helping the smaller children to find hiding places in the nearby buildings. Then they hid themselves. It was January and a crowd of mostly Christian children and teenagers had gathered for a Bible camp at the Station Field Complex of Pattimura, a University on the island of Ambon, Indonesia. When the camp was over cars came to take the laughing rejoicing children back to their homes, but there were not enough cars to hold the young people. Mecky Sainyakit and three other Christian men had gone to Wakal village to try to rent additional transportation to take the rest home, but they had not come back. What the kids waiting for the rides home did not know was that on their way to the village, the men were attacked by a Muslim mob. They were pulled them from their car and onto the road. Mecky and one of the other men were stabbed to death and later their bodies were burned by the mob. The two other men escaped with their lives. Before long, the mob reached the University. They found many of the teens and forced them to come out of hiding. Roy Pontoh was forced from his hiding place and made to stand before the mob…

“Renounce your Jesus or we will kill you!” they threatened. Roy was terribly frightened. Though trembling, he answered, “I am a soldier of Christ!” At this, one of the Muslims attackers swung a sword at his stomach. The sword hit the Bible Roy held and ripped into it, knocking it out of his hand. The man’s next swing sliced open Roy’s stomach. His last word was “Jesus”. The mob dragged Roy’s body out and threw it in a ditch. Four days later, his family found it. Even though they are wrecked with grief, Roy’s parents stand proud of their son, who stood strong in his faith to the end.  (http://www.marketplaceconnections.com/airborne/Testimonies/testimony3.htm#Soldier%20for%20Christ}

Conclusion:

For four weeks we have been looking at what this center portion of Philippians teaches us about the gospel. Is this the gospel that you know and love?

 Let me end where I began four weeks ago with explaining the gospel and then ask four final questions?

What is the gospel?

The gospel is the proclamation of good news that the promised Messiah/Deliverer has come and that His name is Jesus. This proclamation of good news is rooted in the OT promise of the Messiah/Deliverer who comes in both suffering and glory to rescue mankind and the cosmos from the effects of Adam’s rebellion and the resultant curse.

What is the heart of the gospel?

Without diminishing other aspects of the good news that the promised Messiah/Deliverer has come, I understand that the heart of the gospel is that Jesus lived the life that we failed to live, died the death that we deserve to die, and rose again to restore the life we forfeited because of our sin.

What does the gospel bring us experientially? The Gospel which brings us the most passionate love, the deepest mercy, the most magnificent grace, the most underserving forgiveness, and the greatest transforming power creates the basis of unity and creates the qualities which become the basis of our cause, our character, our conduct, and our community. 

Four questions:

•  Am I striving to make this gospel the very cause for which I live?
•  Am I experiencing the power of this gospel in the transformation of my character?
•  Is this gospel producing in me a joyful obedience?
•  Is this gospel bringing me into deeper community with those who love the gospel?

John Davis

On September 10, 1970 I came to understand the great love of God for me, a sinner and a rebel. That evening I received God’s forgiveness and a new life through Jesus Christ, who died in my place and rose again to offer forgiveness and new life. I have been senior pastor for over 30 years planting two churches in Buckingham, PA and Queens, NY and serving two other churches in Brooklyn, NY and Roslyn, PA. I am currently the lead pastor at Grace Church of Philly.