Be Faithful Where The Lord Has Called You

Philippians 2:25-30

Introduction

Not every season of life makes sense, yet we can trust in God’s sovereignty and His plans for our lives.

God has you where you are for a reason in this season. We are going to learn from this passage how to be faithful where the Lord has called us.

In our marriage, in our work, with our family, in this Church.

Be faithful where the Lord has called you.

Read The Text

Philippians 2:25-30

Context

Paul is in a Roman prison for faithfully advancing the Gospel. The Philippian Church knows this and sends Epaphroditus (fellow member of the Church) to Paul in his Roman prison (over 800 miles away/around 2 months' travel).

The two main reasons for the Philippian Church sending Epaphroditus are:

To have Epaphroditus encourage Paul while in prison (and update him on the status of the Church)

To give him financial resources to help him out.

This passage of Scripture is a good reminder that we don’t choose the assignments God gives us, but we can choose to be faithful and obedient, even when it doesn’t make sense. Knowing and trusting God will work in us and through us to further His Kingdom.

Road Map

This text will show us 3 traits of a servant of Jesus:

Servants of Jesus are faithful (Verse 25)

Servants of Jesus are sacrificial (Verses 26-27)

Servants of Jesus are steadfast (Verses 28-30)

Point 1: Servants of Jesus are faithful (Verse 25)

Read Verse 25

Explain

Who is Epaphroditus?

His name gives away his upbringing in the culture of Rome at the time. His name means “devoted to or beloved of Aphrodite" (a Greek pagan Goddess of love & fertility that was worshipped throughout Rome).

A good reminder that our upbringing and past do not have to define us

Part of the Philippian Church

Not just a hearer of the Word, but a doer of the Word (James 1:22)

He is Paul’s:

Brother (Brother in Christ)

Fellow worker (Partner in the Gospel- reference to Philippians 1:5)

Fellow soldier (active servant of Jesus/on the front lines for Jesus)

Philippian church messenger

Minister to Paul’s need (need of love, need of encouragement, need of financial support)

Read Philippians 4:18 “I have received full payment, and more. I am well supplied, having received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent, a fragrant offering, a sacrifice acceptable and pleasing to God.”

He also was able to bring the letter Paul wrote to the Philippians (what we are reading right now)

Epaphroditus was faithful to his assignment. Asked to travel over 800 miles to Paul, encourage, bring financial resources, and then travel back to bring word about Paul’s condition, and he did that faithfully.

Argue

We don’t get to choose our assignments from God yet can easily mumble/grumble when certain assignments are out of our comfort zone or put us in a position where we have to fully rely, surrender, and have faith in Jesus. (Think of Jonah)

Read Jonah 1:1–3 “Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it, for their evil has come up before me.” But Jonah rose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. He went down to Joppa and found a ship going to Tarshish. So he paid the fare and went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish, away from the presence of the Lord.”

Faithfulness matters in following Jesus and being an active servant.

Illustrate

Share experience working at Chick-Fil-A senior year of college. From running the cash register, cooking food, wearing the cow mascot on Clemson Blvd in the thick of summer, sweating profusely while waving down potential customers, I was called to be faithful to whatever assignment they gave me.

No different in our walk with Jesus. God equips us for His plans through the assignments we faithfully live out.

Apply

Have faith where the Lord has called you in this season of life

Point 2: Servants of Jesus are sacrificial (Verses 26-27)

Read Verses 26-27

Explain

Explain why he is longing to be with the Philippians

When you do life with other brothers and sisters in Christ, you desire to be with them.

Yet sometimes God’s assignments send us out

Explain he almost died during his journey to Paul

God wasn’t done with Epaphroditus, and he isn’t done with you if you are here/have breath in your lungs

Explain Paul’s sorrow on sorrow

Sorrowful for multiple reasons:

Epaphroditus’ potential death (impact on Paul personally and the Philippian Church)

Paul not being able to relay back to the Philippian Church his current condition/sharing God was at work in Paul’s prison/outside the prison

Argue

Jesus is the number one example of sacrifice

Read Philippians 2:7–8 “but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.”

Always come back to the cross when thinking about the sacrifice of Jesus

We are called as servants of Jesus to live sacrificially. Our life is not about us but about Jesus. Living in such a way that honors Him and points others to Him.

Illustrate

Share stories about being a parent: early mornings/late nights, putting their needs before my wants, keeping your head on a swivel watching them at the park versus keeping up with your favorite sports team on your phone.

Some of the greatest/most humbling lessons I have learned about sacrifice have come from being a dad of 2 girls

Apply

Surrender any areas of your life where you have prioritized yourself over Jesus

Point 3: Servants of Jesus are steadfast (Verses 28-30)

Read Verses 28-30

Explain

Explain why Paul wants the Philippian Church to rejoice at seeing him

Because he completed the assignment God gave him and was faithful to minister to Paul while in prison.

Explain why Paul wants the Philippian Church to receive him in the Lord with all joy and honor “such men”

We are not always quick to give recognition to those who are faithfully serving behind the scenes.

Honor men and women who are faithful to what the Lord has called them to (regardless of the size or magnitude of the assignment)

Explain the significance of his potential death and why he would risk his life to begin with in faithfulness to the Lord

If Epaphroditus had died, Paul doesn’t get an update on the Philippian Church or receive the financial blessing from the Church.

Also, Paul would have lost a dear brother in Christ

Epaphroditus risked his life for this assignment because of his love for Jesus (just like Paul). A life of surrender and servanthood to Jesus comes at a cost, yet it’s worth it.

Argue

Read James 1:2–4 “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”

We are called to endure/be steadfast in the Lord, even when it doesn’t make sense and even when it gets hard

Those times of endurance and steadfastness are not wasted; they will draw you closer to Jesus if you let them

Illustrate

Share story about mountain biking trip to Isaqueena trail in college with friends: hard, long, fell off my bike, wanted to quit.

Life is like that biking trip: Yet when I endured and finished, the reward of what I experienced and got to celebrate with my friends was worth what I went through.

Our reward is in Heaven, and that day will come. Until then, let’s be faithful to what the Lord has given us to do in our season of life. Faithfulness doesn’t happen without surrender.

Lean on Jesus every single day. We can not do life without Him. Let Jesus keep working IN you and THROUGH you to accomplish HIS plans.

Apply

View your season of life through the eyes of Jesus

Application

Be faithful where the Lord has you in this season of life

In your walk with Jesus

In your work

In your family and marriage

With your friends

In this Church

Conclusion

Time in prayer. Repent. Surrender.

Pray over the Church-have them come to altar