Examples of Joy - John Hall's Ordination

Introduction

A couple of years ago, Megan and I had the honor of hosting a couple in our home. They were remarkably ordinary. Typical empty nesters with kids in college, trying to eat right and take care of themselves. They were so easy to talk with and such wonderful company. And yet, as remarkably ordinary as they were, they were truly extraordinary, too. It’s the reason that I’m not sharing their names. They are officially identified as enemies of the state in China, accused of international espionage. Having moved to China more than a decade ago, they have been threatened to never return to their home or risk being imprisoned. Their crime? Serving as the chief church planting strategists for the International Mission Board in reaching the unreached people groups of the most populated country in the world.

Real people actually live this way. They put down their simple, sensible lives to live radically for God at incredible costs to themselves. They live as though the gospel is the great hope of the whole world and worthy of the entirety of their lives. They don’t possess special skills; they are possessed by a mighty God. This morning, we’re going to see as Paul describes two ordinary men that lived this way, while calling us forward to do the same. In their lives, we’ll see the type of men that God is calling John Hall to be as we prepared to ordain him as an elder in our church and the type of faith that he’s calling each of us to possess.

God’s Word

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Marks of Christian Maturity

The gospel changes your life, and the gospel keeps on changing your life. We might summarize all that Paul has said up until this point as simply as that. The gospel changes despair into joy, pride into humility, rebellion in obedience, and division into unity. And so, if we are to live a life that is worthy of the gospel it can only be through a transformed life, and it can only be through a life that continues ever more, ever slowly to be transformed into the image of Christ. That is, all Christians are a work in progress, but all Christians should progress, all Christians should mature and the transformation of the gospel should continue to take hold in our lives. So, what we have in our passage this morning is Paul returning back to his missionary report to the church at Philippi, and he returns back by telling the church about two fellow Christian soldiers that he’s going to send to them for their encouragement and his own encouragement. And, in the two men Paul mentions in this passage, they will see, and we will see, marks of Christian maturity, the marks of a life that is worthy of the gospel. John, this is the chief qualification for being an elder, that you live a life that is worthy of the gospel, a life that is marked by a solid, increasing Christian maturity. Each of these men apparently served as elders in their churches and set for us a pattern of what it must look like in our lives as we seek to do the same. These are marks that are to be found in the life of every Christian. .

Mature Christians are: (Headline)

Timothy

v. 20-21 “For I have no one like him (Timothy), who will be genuinely concerned for your welfare. For they all seek their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ.” First I want us to see the marks of transformed life, the marks of a gospel-saturated life in Timothy’s life. The first mark of Christian maturity we see is that mature Christians are “Burdened” for others, not “obsessed” with themselves. This is what Paul is driving at in verses 20-21 when he describes Timothy as being unlike all the others. His interests were the interests of Jesus. And, Jesus’ interest is the well-being of his church. He genuinely cared about what was best for them, not what was best for himself. In Paul’s mind, this is what stood out about Timothy. Others that might come would come concerned in some way about how it served their own interests. They were all clawing and scratching, trying to get ahead. But, not Timothy. Timothy would really love them and serve them and place their needs ahead of his own.

To love is to be burdened. It’s to stay awake at night wondering if your college daughter in another town is safe. It’s to carry the pain of your spouse’s surgery more heavily than you carry your own. It’s to think more about your friends heartbreak than you do your own disappointment. As Christ took our burdens upon himself for our good, we are to take the burdens of others upon ourselves for their good. To love is to be burdened, obsessed even, with the welfare of someone else, not with their opinion of you. Very often, we serve others, not because we love them, but so they will love us. It’s the performer, the pharisee in our hearts that wants others to bring us the validation we so badly crave. But, it’s a gross perversion to serve others under a pretense of love when we are truthfully serving to our own ends. APPLICATION: Who in the Kingdom of God are you burdened for? Whose good is on your mind? John, to be a pastor is to be willingly accept the burdens of others ahead of others. It is to commit to self-denial that you might seek the interests of others.

v. 22 “But you know Timothy’s proven worth, how as a son with a father he has served with me in the gospel.” The second mark that I want us to see in the life of Timothy is that mature Christians are “Proven” through testing, not “left” alone. This is Paul’s point about Timothy when he reminds them of Timothy’s ‘proven worth.’ Timothy’s character had been well proven. He had shown that he was faithful, and he had shown that he would walk the hard road of obedience no matter the cost. In fact, right after he speaks of Timothy’s ‘proven’ worth, he explains to them “how as a son with a father he has served with me in the gospel.” Doesn’t that sound just like what he’s just written about Jesus? He humbled himself by becoming obedient (as the Son to the Father) even to the point of death, even death on a cross. Jesus was proven the Son of God by his sacrificial obedience, and Timothy has been proven as a follower of Jesus by walking that same path of painful obedience. There he was by Paul’s side, encouraging him and ministering to him, while Paul was in prison for preaching the gospel. Paul’s under threat of death for preaching the gospel, and Timothy is right there beside him willingly preaching the gospel at the potential cost of his own freedom. And, once his work is complete there, it isn’t off to the beach for a few weeks of rest. It’s onward to Philippi to minister to the church there. The mettle of his character, the resolve of his obedience, the commitment of his life had been tested again and again, and he had proven himself as one who was worthy of the gospel. This is why Paul has such confidence to send him.

People who are saved by faith live by faith. That is, they come to Christ saying that they entrust their whole lives to him and are saved; then, they live as those who have entrusted their whole lives to him. A life of faith isn’t easier. An easier life would require less of God. A life of faith is more difficult so that ever more your confidence in the integrity of God might become more thorough. APPLICATION: Christian maturity prays, “God show me at all costs even more of how wonderful you are”, not “God make my life easier and simpler so that it doesn’t feel like I need you so much.” How do you pray? Is God the center of your prayers, or are you the center? Oh, no true faith will go untested, and no true faith has reason to worry as to whether or not you’ll pass the test. John, this is why Paul told Timothy that an elder ‘must not be a recent convert’. God will call for the testing of his elders that we might set the example for confidence in God.

Epaphroditus

v. 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.” Now, as we continue to identify the marks of a mature Christian, I want us to look at what Paul says about this man named Epaphroditus. We don’t know much about him other than he was an apparent leader, most likely an elder, in the church at Philippi, and they sent him to Paul to take financial support and encouragement to Paul as well as to seek help from Paul. In Paul’s description of Epaphroditus, we see that mature Christians are “Focused” on God’s Kingdom, not “building” their own platform. Notice the words that Paul uses in his description of Epaphroditus. Their all words of cooperation: ‘my brother’, ‘fellow worker’, and ‘fellow soldier.’ Epaphroditus was Philippi’s ‘messenger’, and at the same time the ‘minister to (Paul’s) need.’ He cared about God’s Kingdom at home, and he cared about God’s Kingdom abroad. He cared about his church family, and he cared about God’s worker in Rome.

I find it true among Christians today that we have far too many seeking to build a platform and not nearly enough seeking to build the Kingdom. We want to lead a ministry so that our ministry becomes a higher priority and so that our favorite projects secure the most funding and so that our church becomes the biggest church. We struggle to find passion for ministries in other parts of town or other states or other nations because we just can’t see the benefit from here. Other ministries in the church feel like competitors for the same marketshare rather than co-laborers for the same God. Rather than celebrating our sister churches that are growing and advancing, we find it much more natural to resent them. To dislike a ministry that receives the attention that we want is the height of spiritual childishness. Epaphroditus shows us something far more beautiful!

APPLICATION: Epaphroditus shows us a Christian maturity that reveals how comprehensively Jesus loves the church by how comprehensively he loves the church. The Kingdom-minded Christian cares for the whole body of Christ. He cares as much for the church in Brazil and China and West Anniston and Iron City. The Kingdom-minded Christian cares as much for the widows of the church as he does for the children of the church as he does for the mission partners of the church. Children care only about what concerns them. Mature adults care about the whole family. Brothers and sisters, there is no place for “It doesn’t pertain to me; so, I don’t care” in the church because it all pertains to Christ and his Kingdom. John, there is no person for whom the spirit of cooperation is more necessary than in the life of an elder. We both set the example through our care of the whole church of God and by equipping the saints to do the same.

v. 29 “So receive him in the Lord with all joy, and honor such men” The next mark that I want us to observe in Epaphroditus is that mature Christians are “Willing” to be misunderstood, not “ruled” by the approval of others. Verse 29 gives us the only two commands, or imperatives in this passage. Paul commands the Philippians to ‘receive’ Epaphroditus in joy and to ‘honor’ him and men like him. Sometimes, we have to read between the lines a little bit to understand what Paul means. Most likely, Epaphroditus came to Paul containing a letter from the Philippians requesting that they send to them someone more qualified than Epaphroditus to help lead them through their difficulties. They wanted Paul or Timothy to come, but Paul wasn’t in a position to come or to send Timothy. They wanted an expert, but they had Epaphroditus. And so, Paul wants them to realize how fortunate, how blessed they are to have a man like him. Epaphroditus was essentially told by his church that they wanted somebody more, somebody better to lead them. Imagine how Epaphroditus must’ve felt walking back to them with this letter and the news that he was they were going to have for a while. How easy it would be to resent them for the disappointed looks on their faces. How easy it would be to allow your heart to disengage from those who want to go over your head. How easy it would be to change what he was doing so that he might operate in a way that would gain him approval in their eyes. How easy it would be to throw up his hands and move on to a different place or to withdraw altogether.

But, mature Christians are willing to be misunderstood by the church for the good of the church. Mature pastors are willing to maintain obscure, simple gospel ministry in a church that longs for a ministry kingpin. Mature Christians are willing to live out faithfully in the midst of their church family, even if it causes the less mature to judge their lives as foolish and reckless. Mature deacons are willing to continue serving even when their service never seems to be good enough. Mature elders are willing to make decisions for the good of the church that everyone else may have difficulty accepting. APPLICATION: You cannot live an effective Christian life unless you are willing to be misunderstood. You cannot do all that God calls you to do unless you are willing to do it in spite of others believing you’re wrong. Are you willing? John, this is the nature of leadership, and this is the nature of the office of elder. You must be willing to receive criticism and being misunderstood for the good of the church.

v. 27 “Indeed he was ill, near to death.” The final mark that I want to observe is that mature Christians are “Gritty” soldiers, not cowardly “quitters”. Paul makes it a point to let us know that Epaphroditus has not been well. Most likely, Paul is imprisoned in Rome which is around 1000 miles away from Philippi. So, Epaphroditus had to travel 1000 miles across the sea without the benefit of a combustion engine, and he had to do it in poor health. Now, having recovered, he has to make the long journey back home so that he can minister to his church family. And, we stay home when it rains outside or when it’s too pretty outside. Paul kept evangelizing even though he was locked in a cold prison. Peter kept preaching even though emperor wanted to set him on fire like a torch. Charles Spurgeon preached in spite of disabled wife and severe depression. Bonhoeffer kept teaching with threat of a concentration camp hanging over his head. Jim Elliot went to South America where the natives would meet him with spears. Ora kept smiling and kept praying and kept loving even after she buried her husband and her son. Edwin kept telling about the hope and joy that’s found in Jesus even after cancer held him in a bed.

And, brothers and sisters, it’s a simple as this: Mature Christians don’t quit. Those who endure until the end will be saved. The enemy wants to crush us. He wants to discourage us into backing down. He wants to afflict us into cursing God. He wants to worry us into submission. APPLICATION: Will you quit, or will you press on? Will you back down, or will you step up? Will you follow Jesus through the storms and bumps all the way to the cross, or will you settle for something easier, something cheaper? John, if I can promise you one thing, it’s that the enemy will try to make you quit. But, you can’t quit. Adversity is the world’s greatest seminary. Adversity teaches us to trust God. Adversity makes theology matter for survival. Because, as Paul says in verse 19, we ‘hope in the Lord Jesus.’ He is sovereign over it all. He is sovereign over every discouragement and every affliction and every disappointment. He is sovereign over your best day and over your worst day. He is sovereign over your successes and over your failures. So, hope in Jesus. Hope in Jesus, and you’ll have the grit you need to persevere.

Questions:

What are some characteristics of a mature Christian? What does maturing ‘feel’ like while it’s happening?

Why does love lead you to be burdened? What does it say about us when we try to avoid the ‘burdens’ of others? How does being burdened reflect Christ?

How does God prove our faith to be genuine? How would an easier life make it more challenging to build up your confidence in God? Has there ever been a time in your life when God has used a difficult time to increase your confidence in him?

What are some ways that we tend to build our own platform instead of God’s kingdom? Do you find it difficult to care about all of God’s kingdom? Why or why not?

Why does Christian maturity require you to be willing to be misunderstood? What are some ways that you’ve been misunderstood as you’ve sought to follow Christ?

What does our perseverance and grit say about Jesus? How have you persevered through tough seasons in the past? How does God’s sovereignty give you hope during those seasons?