Philippians: Committed to the Ministry of the Gospel

Text: Philippians 2:19-25

Theme: God’s will in church ministry involves the lives of dedicated believers working together for the sake of Christ.

In this section, Paul shifts gears from personal matters to personnel matters, concerning Timothy and Epaphroditus. Paul praises Timothy and Epaphroditus as invaluable members of his ministry team. He gives both of them a well deserved pat on the back. Even this is instructive for us.

I. MINISTRY INVOLVES DIFFICULTIES

“Even if I am to be poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrificial offering of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all.” (Philippians 2:17, ESV)

1. if anyone had the right to complain about the hardship of ministry, Paul did

a. his calling certainly did not come without difficulties

1) the message Ananias delivers to Paul at his conversion is ominous

“For I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.”” (Acts 9:16, ESV)

a) and Paul did suffer for the sake of Christ’s name

2) in his second letter to the Church at Corinth, the apostle Paul reminds the believers what he has suffered in his determination to preach Christ crucified

“Are they servants of Christ? I am a better one—I am talking like a madman—with far greater labors, far more imprisonments, with countless beatings, and often near death. 24 Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one. 25 Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea; 26 on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers; 27 in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. 28 And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches.” (2 Corinthians 11:23–28, ESV)

3) and Paul’s life isn’t over! ... he has another decade of ministry after writing this letter

b. if anyone had the right to complain about the hardship of ministry, Paul did, yet he was an example of what he preached

1) facing possible death while in prison, he viewed it simply as an act of worship, like a sacrifice; a drink offering to God

2) the sacrifice Paul is referring to is the sacrificial offering of your faith

a) this is a reference to the faith of the Philippian believers and may well refer to their financial assistance to, and prayers for Paul while he is in prison

3) the drink offering was typically wine mixed with spices that was poured over the burnt offering and the meal offering and was simply meant to make the sacrifice more aromatic as a fragrant steam wafted upward, thus having a pleasing smell to God

2. Paul is saying, “I want my life to be poured out like a drink offering on your faith gift, and together they will become a sacrifice pleasing to God”

a. Paul knows that the Philippians have sacrificed in supporting him

b. he wanted his life to be a drink offering—just poured out to go up in steam

c. he wanted to be so consumed and so obscured that all that is seen is just Jesus Christ in his life

d. he wanted Christ to receive all the honor and the glory

3. Paul is reminding the Philippians that ministry involves hardship and hindrances

A. INNER FEELINGS OF FEAR MAY HINDER YOUR MINISTRY

1. the apostle has already confronted the Philippian believers about their fearfulness in proclaiming the gospel

“Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel, 28 and not frightened in anything by your opponents. ... “ (Philippians 1:27–28, ESV)

a. fear of rejection or fear of confrontation or fear of inadequacy for the task can hinder the believer in ministry

ILLUS. A pastor of a church was teaching the deacon body on techniques for making church calls. The church’s newest deacon was timid about his responsibilities visiting the sick and needy. The pastor, wanting to encourage him, stressed the power of prayer. "You'll find it helpful, before you make the call, to spend a few moments talking to God about it," he said. The next Sunday the deacons were called on to give a report on their past week’s visit. The timid deacon enthusiastically told his minister, "Oh, thank you for what you said about prayer. I tried it when I went out on my call, and it works."

"I'm glad to hear that," beamed the pastor. "Tell us what happened."

"Well, I prayed the people wouldn't be home, and they weren't."

2. like the disciples we need to cry out to Christ, "Lord, increase our faith" (Lk. 17:5)

a. our Lord's answer to them is the same one he gives to us

1) "If you have the faith of a mustard seed, ye shall move mountains"

3. you don't need to increase you faith to be a faithful minister, you simply need to use the faith you have

... Inner Feelings of Fear May Hinder Your Ministry

B. OPPOSITION FROM THE LOST MAY HINDER YOUR MINISTRY

1. many lost men will be indifferent to a believer’s ministry

a. they just don't want to be bothered with that religious mumbo-jumbo stuff

ILLUS. Remember the incident in Paul's life at he stands before Felix. Paul has faithfully shared his testimony. But how did Felix respond? "Go thy way, come again when it is more convenient."

2. some lost men will be hostile to a believer’s ministry

ILLUS. I’m excited about the prospects of a Baptist Student Ministry beginning out at the State Technical College. Pray for God to move in that event. It’s been hard getting a ministry started. Years ago the Linn Ministerial Alliance attempted to get a campus Christian ministry started, but we were repeatedly stymied by the Dean of Students who ran her department like it was her own little kingdom. Nothing happened without her permission. When we approached her, she demanded that any ministry be inter-faith. Not only did we have to lead studies about the Christian faith, but we had to teach about Buddhism, and Islam, and all the rest. She put so many hindrances in our path that we just gave up.

3. when we meet with opposition from the lost we are simply to shake the dust off our shoes and move on to more promising fields

... Opposition from the Lost May Hinder Your Ministry

C. OPPOSITION FROM FELLOW BELIEVERS MAY HINDER YOUR MINISTRY

1. we’re all familiar with the phrase, “We’ve never done it that way before”

a. thankfully, I don’t recall ever hearing that phrase uttered to me while I’ve been here

2. Paul certainly experienced opposition from fellow believers

“Some indeed preach Christ from envy and rivalry, but others from good will. 16 The latter do it out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. 17 The former proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely but thinking to afflict me in my imprisonment.” (Philippians 1:15–17, ESV)

ILLUS. While pastoring at our previous church, I wanted the congregation to be more involved in community ministry. The church was growing, and we were doing good things in ministering to the congregation, but we were doing virtually nothing to minister in the community. At the time our North American Mission Board had developed a project to help churches do that. It was going to take about six months and cost about $500. I had long-time, influential members who were “ag’in it” and opposed it. I had to use all my influence and call in all my favors just to get the church leadership on board. When it came time to vote on it at business meeting, it went down in flames. After the meeting, Lucille one of the most vocal critics of the project, came to me and said, “Pastor, don’t feel bad about this. We love you. All we really want from you is that you preach to us, visit us when we’re in the hospital, and don’t do anything stupid.” In hind-sight I understand that Lucille was trying to encourage me, but what she, and others, were saying is that “We’ve never done it that way before, and we’re not starting now!”

3. sadly, opposition to ministry from within the church is more disheartening than from opposition from the lost

... Opposition from Fellow Believers May Hinder Your Ministry

D. OPPOSITION FROM DEMONIC FORCES MAY HINDER YOUR MINISTRY

1. our Lord Jesus knew what it meant to face the forces of evil in ministry

ILLUS. Near the end of his life on earth, Jesus began to talk more and more about his death and resurrection. At one point Peter rebukes Jesus and says, "No, Lord. You must not talk like this. You must not think that way. We won’t let that happen to you." Jesus recognized that through a devoted disciple, Satan was tossing him a temptation and he turns to Peter and says, "Get behind me Satan."

2. the devil hates Christian ministry and he will oppose Christians who attempt to faithfully minister to other in the name of Jesus

ILLUS. The Little Sisters of the Poor have spent nearly a decade locked in a battle for their religious liberty rights, because forces within our federal government are determined to force a group of Catholic nuns to violate their beliefs. The Little Sisters of the Poor is a religious organization run by an order of Catholic nuns dedicated to serving the sick and elderly. They run over 25 homes for low-income elderly in the United States. In 2011, after Congress passed the Affordable Care Act, federal agencies charged with implementing the law enacted regulations requiring employers who offer health insurance to provide coverage for Food and Drug Administration-approved contraceptives. They ultimately included four that the FDA label says could cause an early abortion and which were opposed by some groups on religious or moral grounds. Those regulations came to be known as the “contraceptive mandate.”

The contraceptive mandate initially included exemptions for churches and an “accommodation” for certain religious organizations, but still required many others with sincere religious objections to provide coverage. That included the Little Sisters of the Poor. They said “No, we won’t cover abortifacients,” and the battle was on. The Supreme Court finally decided in their favor in May of 2020. You’d think that was the end of it. Nope. President Elect Biden has promised that he will force groups like the Little Sisters of the Poor to comply with the contraceptive mandate. There are many who applaud his decision, and a liberal administration will with an all-powerful Washington bureaucracy behind it, undoubtedly, do all they can to enforce their decision upon the Little Sisters of the Poor.

3. demonic opposition, IMHO, is the explanation for this obsession among liberals to make Christians who oppose their agenda tow-the-line ... or else!

... Opposition from Demonic Forces May Hinder Your Ministry

Ministry Involves Difficulties

II. MINISTRY NEEDS PARTNERS

“I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, so that I too may be cheered by news of you.” (Philippians 2:19, ESV)

“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,” (Philippians 2:25, ESV)

1. when reading the letters of the Apostle Paul it becomes apparent that Paul surrounded himself with a network of fellow believers who ministered right along side of him

a. Paul was not a lone missionary trudging the roads of the Roman empire

b. he depended upon other Christians and congregations to support him in his missionary work

c. one of those congregations was the Church at Philippi

1) in the Book of Acts it is referred to as a leading city in the district of Macedonia, and a Roman colony (Acts 16:12)

2. the Church at Philippi was begin during Paul’s second missionary journey around A.D. 50

a. it becomes one of the strongest and most vibrant churches in what is now eastern Greece, and one that Paul has close connections to

b. it’s now about twelve years later and Paul is writing this letter to the Church at Philippi

3. in the passage before us Paul tells them that he is sending to them Timothy and Epaphroditus

a. he encourages the Church to embrace them and benefit from their presence

b. both these men exemplify Christian service, and will carry out the example of Paul in godly living as an example to the church for as long as they are there

4. let me tell you a little bit about each of these men

A. EPAPHRODITUS, PAUL’S BROTHER IN THE FAITH

1. I’ll begin with Epaphroditus simply because we know less about him

a. his name implies that he is most likely Greek and thus a Gentile

b. that he is a resident of Philippi means he is a Roman citizen like the Apostle Paul

2. Paul describes his character in five ways

a. 1st, Paul describes him as my brother

1) first and foremost this means the Epaphroditus is a Christian, a believer, a follower of the Lord, Jesus Christ

2) but the two men had also become brothers in the sense of having a profound personal affection for each other

a) they had developed an abiding friendship and camaraderie as they served the Lord together

3) the bond of love between Christians is often a bond frequently stronger than one’s familial bonds, or one’s bond of citizenship to a nation

b. 2nd, Paul describes him as my fellow worker

1) Epaphroditus feels called of the Lord to ministry just as Paul was called of the Lord to ministry

2) he was evidently sent by the congregation at Philippi to Paul bringing supplies and perhaps money to see him through his imprisonment

3) the word Paul uses for fellow worker is a word meaning an affectionate partnership and not merely an business-like relationship

c. 3rd, Paul describes him as a fellow soldier

1) in other letters Paul characterizes Christians as soldiers of the Lord

2) a good soldier is one who is loyal to his commanding officer, and willing to suffer hardships

3) Paul is characterizing Epaphroditus as a believer sold-out to Christ and will to deal with the difficulties that might bring

d. 4th, Paul describes him as your messenger

1) Epaphroditus brought Paul a gift from the Philippian church during Paul’s first imprisonment in Rome

2) Paul described the gift as “a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God” (Phil 4:18 NIV), and claimed it was more than sufficient for his needs

e. 5th, Paul describes Epaphroditus as minister to my need

1) finally, Paul refers to his friend as a minister

2) he uses a word used by ancient Greeks of a public official who was so passionately dedicated to his duties that he discharged them at his own expense

3) in the New Testament it is a word used of service to the Lord

a) by serving his church as a messenger, and by serving Paul as a minister to his personal needs, Epaphroditus is serving the Lord

4) Epaphroditus’s ministry is self-giving, tireless, sacrificial, and humble

B. TIMOTHY, PAUL’S SON IN THE FAITH

1. we know so much more about Timothy than we do Epaphroditus

a. he is a long-time companion of the Apostle Paul, a pastor, and the recipient of two pastoral letter from Paul describing how Timothy should conduct pastoral ministry

b. the Apostle says almost everything we need to know about Timothy in Phil. 2:20, “ ... for I have no one like him ... “

c. Paul is kind of blunt here ... he intimates that there are others in his entourage whom he could send, but none of them would look after the interests of the Church at Philippi like Timothy would

“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.” (Philippians 2:20–21, ESV)

1) selflessness is a hard lesson to learn, but Timothy has evidently learned it, and therefore Paul feels comfortable in sending his young protégé to them

2. as with Epaphroditus, we see a number of Timothy’s characteristics described

a. 1st, he is indispensable to Paul —I have no one like him

1) there is no earthly person whom the Apostle trusts more than Timothy

2) he has proved his Christian character time and again

b. 2nd, Timothy will be genuinely concerned about the welfare of the Church as Philippi

ILLUS. I have had the sad occasion to know fellow pastors who were genuinely concerned about their own ministry and used the local church to advance it so that they might move up the ladder to bigger and better ministries. These men are hirelings and not ministers.

c. 3rd, Timothy’s ministry is of proven worth

1) Paul describes him as a son who has faithfully labored along side and ministered with to him as though Paul were his father

2) we know from Paul’s two pastoral letters to Timothy that his father is out of the picture, and more than likely deceased, and that he was raised by a godly mother and grandmother

a) Paul very much could have served as a father-figure in the young man’s life, and Timothy, in return, become fully devoted to serving and serving along side the Apostle

b) Paul writes that Timothy has served with me in the gospel

3. how many times was Timothy with Paul when Paul suffered for the gospel?

ILLUS. How many times did Timothy see Paul lashed to within an inch of his life, and then bind up his wounds? How many times was Timothy shipwrecked with Paul? Was Timothy convinced that Paul was dead after his stoning? Did Timothy suffer dangers from robbers and Gentiles and false brother along with Paul? Did he experience sleepless nights, hunger and thirst and cold, too?

4. Paul longs to come to Philippi himself, but since he cannot, he will send these to faithful servants of God

C. THE CHURCH NEEDS MEN OF FAITH WHO WILL SERVE THE CHURCH

1. Timothy and Epaphroditus provide a godly example of how Christian service should look

2. the give us an example of Christian discipleship

III. LESSON FROM PHILIPPIANS 2:19-25

A. MINISTRY IS HARD

1. in Paul’s list of hardships in 2 Cor. 11:23-28, there is one hardship that is easy to miss if you’re not watching

a. besides all the physical dangers and abuses, Paul writes, And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches

2. here, I think, is one of the more hard-pressing difficulties of ministry ... our anxiety for our church and sister churches

a. 2020 has been an especially hard year for churches across the nation

ILLLUS. In California, there are many congregations that have not met publically since back in late February. Many churches, like any other business, have had trouble keeping their staff employed and have turned to the Federal Government for its Payroll Protection Plan, (I’m so thankful we have not had to do that). But we remain blessed compared to the Church around the world. In China, there has been a renewed persecution of the Church, and throughout 2020 thousands of Chinese pastors have gone into hiding so as not to be arrested for “picking quarrels and provoking trouble.”

3. ministry comes with many different burdens and one is concern for one’s own church as well as other congregations

B. MINISTRY IS A COOPERATIVE EFFORT

C. MINISTRY IS ABOUT CHRIST, NOT US

1. the curse of the local church today—whether it’s a small rural church or a metropolitan mega-church—is a lack of commitment by the majority of members

a. the same faithful few are the ones who do the work of ministry year in and year out

b. it becomes harder and harder to find those who will make a long-term commitment to teach a Sunday School class or a Discipleship group

ILLUS. Paul is in Rome. He’s under house arrest, but he’s in Rome where there are hundreds, if not thousands, of Christians. Yet, Paul writes “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.” (Phil. 2:20-21). In all of Rome, Paul cannot find another Christian whom he trusts to send to the Philippians. There may have been some who had the necessary talents, but they did not have the necessary time. There may have been some who had the time and the talents, but not the temperament.

c. but in Timothy Paul found someone who was like-minded, spiritually gifted and available

2. in vs. 22 Paul writes that Timothy has served with me in the work of the gospel

a. the verb served means to serve as a bond-slave

b. Timothy has made himself a servant of Christ who was devoted to ministry in Christ’s name, and not his own name

God’s will in church ministry involves the lives of dedicated believers working together for the sake of Christ.