Are You Useful?
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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.
Main Idea
Your usefulness in God's kingdom is directly linked to your relation to Jesus
You were made to be useful in God’s kingdom. That was your original design. But sin has corrupted it.
God’s Kingdom has the same structure that we’ve been talking about when we talk about JOY.
If God’s Kingdom is what you were designed to champion, then it only makes sense that being useful in God’s Kingdom will produce JOY in you.
Main idea within our main idea
Joy is the key to unlocking your usefulness in God’s Kingdom
JOY
J esus
O thers
Y ourself
We are looking at two young men who exemplify Usefulness.
Timothy and Epaphroditus
Looking at them we have Three questions to help discern your usefulness:
First...
Do I Have Christ’s Interests?
Do I Have Christ’s Interests?
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.
“I have no one like him...”
This tells me that it is extremely hard, even in the church, to find someone like this. Someone with Christ’s interests.
Paul knew a ton of people and was helped by a ton of people. Yet, there was no one else like Timothy.
“who will be genuinely concerned for your welfare. For they all seek their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ.”
This tells us that Jesus Christ’s interests were for the welfare of other people. Philippians 2:3-5
3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. 4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. 5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus,
So, if we know that this is true, then we know that when Christians have Jesus’ interests, they will naturally be more concerned for the welfare of others than they are for themselves.
But, on a negative note, this shows us that the majority of people will be less concerned for others and more concerned for themselves.
This manifests in so many ways.
Symptoms of Self Interest
Serving is a burden and not a delight.
The shortcomings of others and sins of others are what you obsess over. Not the joy of serving someone for Jesus
Your focus is on what you consider loss rather than what Christ considers gain.
Your #1 concern is your ease of serving or recognition of service
Your not content with background service or the service that doesn’t meet your standards
You feel constantly inconvenienced by people
These are not what where present in Timothy.
Instead, we see this.
22 But you know Timothy’s proven worth, how as a son with a father he has served with me in the gospel.
Timothy was supremely concerned for the welfare of others and we know this because he worked hand in hand, like a son, with Paul to spread the gospel everywhere.
Looking to the welfare of others includes physical needs and making sure they are alive and well.
But the most important need we should look to remedy is a person’s desperate need to know Jesus and God’s grace!
Signs of Christ’s Interests
Willingness to serve someone when it could cost you everything.
Willingness to be overshadowed so that Jesus might get the spotlight!
Rejoicing when you pay the cost in order to see what Jesus calls gain!
More concern for your personal holiness than for your personal recognition.
Willingness to be inconvenienced for the sake of someone’s wellbeing and Christ’s glory
Second...
Do I Have Christ’s Desires?
Do I Have Christ’s Desires?
I think having Christ’s Interests might be impossible if you don’t first have Christ’s desires.
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,
Servant to my need
Epaphroditus desired to meet a need that Paul had. Paul’s need was directly connected to his and Timothy’s gospel ministry.
Philippians 2:26a (ESV)
26 for he has been longing for you all...
Longing for you all
Epaphroditus desired to be reunited with his church family.
Philippians 2:26b (ESV)
… and has been distressed because you heard that he was ill.
Distressed
Epaphroditus desired to put his church family at ease because he knew they were worried about his welfare.
30 for he nearly died for the work of Christ, risking his life to complete what was lacking in your service to me.
Risking life for Christ’s work
Epaphroditus desired more that the work of Christ be completed than he desired to live a long and easy life.
What are your desires?
Do you desire for your needs to be met?
Epaphroditus desired for Paul’s to be met for the gospel’s sake.
Do you desire to be left alone or to hang out with your cooler friends?
Epaphroditus desired to be with his church family.
Do you desire to accumulate stuff and just be super happy in the world?
Epaphroditus desired the work of Christ to be complete instead of getting what he could out of the world.
Third...
Should I Be Honored?
Should I Be Honored?
So receive him in the Lord with all joy, and honor such men,
People who have Christ’s interests and His desires should be recognized and honored.
Why?
Because, growth and development of Christ’s interests and His desires is sanctification.
Sanctification: God patiently making you more holy like Jesus
It is a sad reality that our culture, even in the church, focuses on giftings more than holiness. We put people in places of honor who are gifted but have not, either, had time or surrendered to God’s sanctifying process.
This means:
They should be encouraged to serve in leadership.
They should be given more and more responsibilities.
It shouldn’t be a surprise to those who know them well when we honor them.
Character must match the position of honor.
Three Questions...
Do you have Christ’s interests?
Do you have Christ’s desires?
Should you be honored?
There will be times where useful Christians fall into sinful and harmful patterns.
Grace
The only way for your full potential to be realized and seen by others is for Jesus to become the source and center of everything you do.
Even the best performers, praised by the world, have not realized their greatest potential because Jesus has no place in their world.
Student Leadership Team Announcement
Right now. I’d like you to answer these questions. Write down your answer. You are going to be given time to reflect.