The Examplary Life Pt. 2

Introduction

Discipleship is really important. The heart of discipleship is the church glorifying God by helping other followers of Jesus to grow in their love for God. And the most important part of discipleship is not biblical knowledge, that’s important, it’s not a really excellent, repeatable structure, that’s helpful...

But if the one being discipled does not have a good example from the one who is discipling these things don’t matter. You can have all the biblical knowledge and a great plan for discipleship—but if the disciple does not see their brother or sister in Christ actually living out their lives in Christ then these other things will hold little weight.

Those we teach will do only what they see us do. I can teach you church that you must have a personal practice of evangelism, but if you cannot see a personal practice of evangelism in my own life—as your teacher—you can rightly surmise that all my words are only bluster and that glorifying God by calling others to know Him is not actually important to me.

Why does this matter for you? Because if you are walking with Jesus, if you have been saved by the gracious love of God in the sacrifice of Jesus for your sins—then you too are called to disciple others. If not formally, certainly by example within the body of Christ.

We are all called to live out this Christian life as an act of spiritual worship to our glorious God. In...

1 Corinthians 10:31-11:1 Paul says, “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God... Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.”

The big question this morning is should someone imitate me? If someone were to imitate the faith that you have, as you practice it—would that be a good thing?

I don’t know the current answer as it is applied to your life? But I know that no matter where you and I are this morning we should want the story of our lives to be that we increasingly became imitators of Christ with others seeing our lives as a good example of what this looks like.

This morning our text is Philippians 2:25-30 and this sermon is part 2 of last weeks sermon called the Examplary Life. In this passage of scripture Paul is holding up Timothy, our focus last week, and Epaphroditus, our focus this week, as examples of what it looks like to follow Jesus.

Let’s read the text together, pray and then we’ll walk through verse by verse in God’s amazing word.

Philippians 2:25-30 “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, for he has been longing for you all and has been distressed because you heard that he was ill. 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. I am the more eager to send him, therefore, that you may rejoice at seeing him again, and that I may be less anxious. So receive him in the Lord with all joy, and honor such men, for he nearly died for the work of Christ, risking his life to complete what was lacking in your service to me.”

[Pray]

I. The Christ-like Example is Necessary (25a)

Philippians 2:25 “I have thought it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus...

Paul thinks that it is necessary that the Philippians receive back Epaphroditus. He came as a delegate on behalf of the church in Philippi—a church that Paul planted on his first missionary journey—Epaphroditus came to Paul as he was under house arrest in Rome to bring to Paul gifts from the church in Phillips to sustain Paul and his ministry.

That he was chosen for this task by the church speaks to his character and their trust in Him.

And we don’t know how long Epaphroditus was with Paul in Rome—at least long enough for Paul to pen this letter to the Philippians—that we are reading now—for Epaphroditus to carry back to them. That they too may hear how Paul is doing and be encouraged—just as we are being encouraged so many years later by this word of God.

Epaphroditus was with Paul as a “fellow worker”. The rest of verse 25 shows us this. Also, in the rest of the passage we see that Epaphroditus became deathly ill and needed to recover.

All of this points to the liklihood that Epaphroditus was with Paul for months—possibly even a year.

Why am I pointing this out? Epaphroditus was a welcome and useful addition to the ministry of Paul in Rome and to the churches. He didn’t just stop in, but became part of the fabric of Paul’s ministry.

Paul was not eager to be rid of Epaphroditus—his absence would be noticed and felt. However, Paul felt that it was necessary to send Epaphroditus back to the Philippians.

And this certainly says something about the Philippians—they needed the influence of this brother of Christ in the life of the church. The apostle Paul deemed it necessary for their good that Epaphroditus be with them. So it speaks to the Philippians’ need...

But it also speaks to the usefulness of Epaphroditus in meeting those needs.

Have you ever experienced the unique frustration of trying to fix something without the right tools? What you really need is needle nose pliers, but all you have is wire clippers? Or you need a Phillips head screwdriver and all you have is a flat head or worse a butter knife?

And you know that if you had the tools that you needed, the tools that were necessary the job would be so much easier.

Paul looked at the life of Epaphroditus—and the need of the Philippians—and said, “Epaphroditus is what you need. He is necessary.”

Friends, this morning—are you necessary for the life of your church?

It’s kind of a trick question. The answer is yes! You are. Don’t sell yourself short and more importantly do not doubt the words of your God.

1 Corinthians 12:7 “To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.”

And I’m very serious about this: do not read this word of God—the God who never lies—and instead believe either the lie of the enemy or your own poor self-esteem—instead of the Holy words of the living God.

God says you are necessary for this body of Christ. And if you are listening online and you are not in a body of Christ for whatever reason—know that the spiritual gifts that God has given you are not being utilized for their intended purpose. You find a local church, either this one, or some other one—because you are necessary for the good of the body.

So the question this morning is not whether or not you are necessary like Epaphroditus, but whether or not you are taking this word of God seriously in your life.

If someone is to imitate your walk with Christ then let it be a walk with Christ that sees the body of Christ—his beautiful bride—the church—as important and worth serving with their gifts.

Your gifts are meant for the good of your brothers and sisters here, around you, do not deprive us from the blessings that God intends for us by your good and necessary service.

So let us be necessary like Epaphroditus. Secondly, as we continue in the rest of verse 25 we see that...

II. The Christ-like Example is Eager (25b)

Let’s look again at verse 25.

Philippians 2:25 “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,”

Paul gives Epaphroditus five titles. He was a brother in Christ to Paul, a fellow worker with Paul, a fellow soldier with Paul, a messenger on behalf of the Philippians, and a minister to the needs of the imprisoned apostle.

Epaphroditus was eager to serve. He was eager to be about the work of God.

This example that we see in our brother Epaphroditus is not the example of someone who is reluctant to serve. He is not the caricture of so many modern day Christians—that are simply consumers in the church—those who want to be served while they serve no one.

Epahphroditus was following in the footsteps of the Lord Jesus, who though being THE KING—served gladly those whom the Father gave him to serve.

What can be said of you and I?

Are we serving eagerly—seeing our service to the church, to each other, to our neighbors as opportunities to draw near to Christ as we imitate the life that he modeled for us?

That’s what being a servant really is. When we get opportunities to serve they are gifts from God to us—that we may apprentice in the footsetps of our Lord Jesus—that we may become more like him and grow in our love for him.

Imagine a church filled with followers of Jesus that had a faith like Epaphroditus...

If you and I endeavor to imitate Epahphroditus as he imitates Christ we will strive to be true family to each other—working alongside one another—side by side attacking the false kingdom of the enemy—by delivering the message of the gospel—and ministering to the needs of all the saints. [Picture of these 5 things beside the titles Paul gives]

If we are to have a faith that others should imitate then we must be eager to be about the work of God. Now as we turn to verse 26 we see that...

III. The Christ-like Example is Considerate (26)

Let’s read verse 26 and unpack it.

Philippians 2:26 “for he has been longing for you all and has been distressed because you heard that he was ill.”

A thread running through all of Epahphroditus’ examples to us, so far, are connected to this truth that your walk with Christ is not just about you and Christ—but is also about His church.

The practical living out of your faith—when it is imitating Christ— considers regularly the other people around you—both the saints and those who are separated from God.

Epaphroditus was “longing” for his brothers and sisters in Philippi. While he was glad to be serving in the ministry with Paul he genuinely—a word we said a lot last week—he genuinely missed the church and longed for their presence.

Not only did Epahphroditus consider his own desire for his brothers and sisters in Christ but he also was considerate of easing their distress as they were concerned forhim.

Friends, in our text this morning—by the example of Epahphroditus and the Philippians— we are seeing the answer to Jesus’ own prayers for his people. Read John 17 with me and marvel at it. Jesus is praying for his disciples—including you and I—including all who will come to Him before the final name is written in the lambs book of life. Jesus prays...

John 17:20-23 ““I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me.”

When God’s people love Him it is evident in how they love each other. And it is not just a noticed peculiarity but is a shining light to the lost world that Jesus really was the sent Son of God that changes the hearts of people. There is a Missional aspect to the way that we love one another.

Friends—maybe you have forgotten—or you grew up in the church and can’t remember—but the world is painfully aware of their brokenness. They are painfully aware of their lack—they were created—every human is created to know their God and in their sin they are separated from their God. And they feel this.

They may not articulate it—they may, in fact, go to great lengths to deny it—but they feel the unnatural separation between themselves and their God. People do not want to be broken—and yet thanks to Adam and our own pursuit of his fallen example—brokeness is the human inheritance.

But when they see the people of Christ truly loving one another—in a way that is elusive to them—in a way that considers each other as more important than self—in this Christ-like way—they see that Jesus is not just a myth, He is not just a historical man who has been unwillingly elevated to deity.

When they see the love of Christ among us they see that Christ truly is the Son of God and he truly does rescue the broken and he truly does repair the damage of sin.

They see hope and by this example God draws the elect to himself to come and be saved by Jesus the Christ who is the great lover of their souls.

Now don’t get me wrong—I’m not saying that all you need is to love each other well without sharing the gospel. There are people that say this, well I don’t share the gospel—I just live as an example.

The example of our love for one another is the light that draws their eyes—but the point is to draw their eyes to Jesus.

When they see in us what only Jesus can do—then they will be eager to know how they too can be changed—and the answer to that question is the good news of Jesus Christ. So we must share the gospel.

And Jesus’ pray for us in John 17 reveals that the gospel message is helped mightily by the example of Christ’ love lived through our lives.

Did you ever imagine the importance of our love for each other? Friends, if we are to be examples of Jesus worth imitating let us truly have the love of Christ for one another as we see here in the example of our text this morning. Let us strive for it, pray for it, and practice it.

As we keep mining God’s Word this morning—let us turn now to verses 27-28 and see...

IV. The Christ-like Example is Valued (27-28)

I included these together because they are both worth mentioning and are similar.

Philippians 2:27-28 “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. I am the more eager to send him, therefore, that you may rejoice at seeing him again, and that I may be less anxious.”

Paul lets us know why the Philippians are distressed about Epaphroditus. He almost died. And during this time an illness that brought you “near to death” was typically an illness that delivered you over to death.

And in these two verses we see that Epaphroditus was greatly valued by those that knew him.

Paul said if Epaphroditus had died, it would have been “sorrow upon sorrow”. And Paul rightly anticipates that when the Philippians see Epaphroditus again that they will “rejoice at seeing him again”.

They valued their brother. But we are not just talking about a lip service that honors out of obligation.

We are not talking about the obligatory words of kindness that we may see at a funeral service—

They valued Epaphroditus because he was valuable. If he had died they would have felt their loss because he was necessary and valuable to them. His personal worship of Christ formed him into the image of Christ—not perfectly—but powerfully nontheless.

Friends, in Jesus you are valuable because the highest price was paid for our freedom. We were slaves to sin and death—and Jesus purchased us with His own blood. You are valuable because the beloved Son of the Father was spent on you.

The Father crushed his own Son—his rightoues Son—His good Son for you and I! The plan of God—in Trinity—from the very beginning was that the matchless worth of Christ would be traded for our debt of sin. The priceless life of Christ would be traded for the garbage of our sin.

It would be like me coming to your house and asking you to kill your child so that my mistakes would be covered and forgiven.

Friends, know this, I would let every person go to Hell for all eternity to save my child. That price is too high—and my child though infinitely valuable to me—pales in comparison to the worth of Jesus.

Even as I labor these illustrations fall short of communicating the true value of Christ. It is only something we will know at the end of days— and this unencumbered, full understanding of all that has been done for us in Christ will fuel the worship of God’s people for an endless eternity. That at least gives us the vapors of a hint at how great a salvation we have experienced in Jesus.

The value of the Christian does not come from how lovely they are intrinsically but from how lovely the love of God has made them.

Let you and I strive to be those who show the value of Christ by the impact of our lives that have been powerfully resurrected in Christ like our brother Epahphroditus.

The last two verses of our text show us that...

V. The Christ-like Example is Worthy of Honor (29-30)

Philippians 2:29-30 “So receive him in the Lord with all joy, and honor such men, for he nearly died for the work of Christ, risking his life to complete what was lacking in your service to me.”

It is a good desire to want to be honored. We should desire that, like Epaphroditus, others would look at our lives and say— “there, this person is worthy of honor”.

This is not a bad desire, but let us notice here as this passage concludes, why Epaphroditus was worthy of honor.

It was because he was necessary, because he was eager to serve, because he was considerate, because he was valued—it was because his life looked like Christ Jesus, that Paul said honor Epaphroditus and those who are like him.

In Luke 14 Jesus tells the parable of the wedding feast. He says don’t work to honor yourself but humble yourself. He ends that parable by saying, “For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.””

Jesus was highly exalted and honored by the Father because he was humble in his service to others. Jesus did not demand honor—even though all honor is actually due him. Even though he is God when he came he did not consider equality with God—what was rightly his to be grasped—

The more like Christ we are the more we are worthy of honor. As our lives look less like the old person of sin that we were rescued from and looks more like Christ— the more honor is appropriate.

The Christ-like life that is worthy of imitation is also the Christ-like life that is worthy of honor.

The honor is due to followers of Jesus like Epaphroditus because the moving picture of their lives do not make much of themselves, but make much of Jesus.

A final question to consider for you and I this morning: Are we worthy of honor? Do we glorify God—not just with our lips, but with our lives?

Conclusion

Do you remember the big question this morning? Should someone imitate my walk with Christ?

Those we teach with the example of our lives will only imitate what they actually see us doing—disciples of Jesus are not made by the transfer of knowledge only, but by the example of a life lived for the glory of God.

So as we close this morning let me give you two hopes and two certainties I have this morning.

I hope that the example of Epaphroditus this morning has been encouraging—that you can see some of these things in your own life as you walk with Christ.

I am also certain that this example has also served as a challenge to us this morning—none of us are yet what we will become finally in Christ—perfect and sinless—so this morning I’m sure that our text has challenged us.

I hope that you will pray for God to move your affections and your desires ever closer to Him. It is when we are most consumed with the glory of God that we look the most like the image of the living God—our Lord Jesus Christ.

And finally friends, I am certain that as you draw near to God you will look more like Him as He draws near to you.

We can overcomplicate this—and we do—but I am certain that if we love God and seek to love Him more and more with the whole of our lives—then God will accomplish His holy work in us and that we too can say imitate me as I imitate Christ.

Let’s pray.