7.7.47 10.22.2023 Proven Worth Philippians 2.19-30

Start:

Entice: I don’t think I’ve really ever focused on Pastor Appreciation Month in a sermon. Today’s text gives opportunity to do so. It’s not about me. You have once again showered Mrs. Beckman and me with wonderful expressions of love and gratitude, and we are thankful that you value our ministry. However, it’s not just about me. At some point in the hopefully far-off future, I will no longer be your preacher. Even before I go to join the great majority there could be times of illness, convalescence, or needed service elsewhere. I was gone the first of the month and Joe did a great job of filling the pulpit. I am abundantly confident, whether temporarily or when the time comes for it to be permanent that you will accept and love anyone that God places in this pulpit.

Call it the Timothy effect, or the Epaphroditus expectation. Those are the two men Paul mentions in today’s text.

Philippians 2:19–30 ESV

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.

Engage: One of the jobs of a good preacher is to make it possible, when the time comes, for me to slide into obsolescence. The beginning of that process is when old(er) guys like me remind y’all of the abilities of those we are mentoring. If a guy like me doesn’t have an Epaphroditus, a Timothy, Titus, Luke, and etc. you would be right to ask what exactly I think is going to happen in about 30 years. One of the marks of a good leader is selflessness. Another mark of a good leader is thinking honestly about succession. The future is coming whether we prepare or not. Why not prepare?

Expand: So, Paul talks up two of his proteges one of whom came from Philippi to minister to him, whom he now sends back with this very letter of instruction. The other is the famous Timothy who continues to serve with and under Paul as companion, understudy, and successor. Don’t get me wrong. I think I’ve got a quite a bit of time lift. Yet a part of my faithful service is to invest in the ministries of others. That’s why I drop the names of both younger and contemporary colleagues.

Excite: I mentioned last week LCU is closing. I don’t like it when our colleges close. As it continues to happen, it reminds us that the needed skills can be taught and learned, and that training context may change. But the spiritual attributes come from a Spirit-led, transformed heart. We need advisors, colleagues, and mentors that challenge, correct, comfort, and commend us. This is true, not only for those of us who are preachers, but of all the leaders in the Church. Collegial behavior means individuals acting for the improvement of the group. That is what Christian leaders do. We need to be constantly identifying and preparing the next generation.

Explore:

The mark of good leadership is faithfulness.

Expand: Between these two men we find several benchmarks for faithful service.

Body of Sermon: The first benchmark a faithful leader is

1 Responsible. 19-20

Paul mentions two specific examples the made Timothy responsible. It begins with

1.1 Clear communication.

Paul knows that he will get the full accurate story from Timothy and that he will get it straight.

Next, Paul trusts Timothy to act speak and act with

1.2 Genuine concern.

Another benchmark, faithful leaders are.

2 Reliable 21-24

2.1 Selfless.

2.2 Service

of proven value..

2.3 Substitute.

Until Paul can come.

Moving on to Epaphroditus we see that reliable leaders are a valuable

3 Resource. 25

Consider this compact list of descriptive terms Paul uses for Epaphroditus:

3.1 Brother

3.2 Fellow worker

3.3 Fellow soldier.

3.4 Messenger.

3.5 Minister .

We are not the only church going through our season of leadership selection. Many of the resources we expect of Elders and Deacons are the very attributes we look for in Preachers. Leadership is entrusted to a group of brothers, who share the work, defense of the faith, instruction, and labor.

Next we need to be honest about the reality that these resources they are often at

4 Risk 26-30

We are filled with joy at the prospect of resurrection, but the fact is that the human resources of ministry are not renewable.

Desertion.

Disappointment.

Discouragement.

Disease

Death.

These are just a few of the issues we see illustrated by Ephaphroditus.

Some of these risks are

4.1 Mental.

4.1.1 Longing.

4.1.2 Distress.

4.1.3 Sorrow.

4.1.4 Anxiety.

Other of these risks are

4.2 Physical.

4.2.1 Sickness.

4.2.2 Separation.

4.2.3 Sacrifice.

Shut Down

In recommending both Timothy and Epaphroditus Paul gives some clear instruction for how to deal with such faithful servants. This is an appropriate response to all the Elders, Deacons, Teachers, Leaders, and Pastors among us.

Receive them.

Respond to them.

Rejoice with them.

I don’t often “speak to the camera” but today I will make an exception. Somewhere out in TV land there is a young man who wants to preach and is worried about whether he has the skills. I and others can teach you the skills, only the Master can soften your heart. Maybe there is a young professional trying to identify exactly what call God has on her and how to respond. Again, skills are teachable--if your heart is malleable. Maybe you have been in ministry were wounded and now are skittish about getting back in. Are you telling me that you are in worse shape than Epaphroditus on his death bed?

Maybe that’s an unfair question. Or maybe some of us need other recalibrate our tolerance for risk.

My point is this. The next generation of preachers, teachers, elders, deacons, and other leaders must be nurtured by the current generation. This process is so important that Paul discusses it in some detail in this text, which is God’s Word for us today.