Be the Church | Philippians 2:19-30
Paul loves serving this church. Philippians 2:17-18 is a great revealing of Paul’s heart for this church.
“But even if I am being poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I rejoice and share my joy with you all. You too, I urge you, rejoice in the same way and share your joy with me.”
--Philippians 2:17-18
Why did God build the Church? Why is God’s plan for the world to operate through His Church?
Community. Accountability. God’s Glory.
- The Church is God’s community, and we are called to love each other.
Community is important to God. God is a social being. He created the world as one God in three person: Father, Son, Holy Spirit. The very nature of God is communal. God does nothing alone; even within Himself.
This letter was written in the year of AD 62. Jesus died and resurrected in the year of AD 30 (or AD 33 for some sources). By this time the church had grown all the way from Jerusalem to major cities in the Roman Empire such as Antioch, Philippi, Ephesus, Corinth, Athens, Pergamum, and other regions such as Asia Minor, Arabia and other parts of Europe. The church is on the move! The gospel of Christ is on the move! James was executed in Jerusalem in AD 62.
“But I hope I the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you shortly, so that I also may be encouraged when I learn of your condition. For I have no one else of kindred spirit who will genuinely be concerned for your welfare. For they all seek after their own interests, not those of Christ Jesus. But you know of his proven worth, that he served with me in the furtherance of the gospel like a child serving his father. Therefore, I hope to send him immediately, as soon as I see how things go with me; and I trust in the Lord that I myself also will be coming shortly.”
--Philippians 2:19-24.
Paul loves this church, and he wants to go and visit this church; to check in on them. Timothy is a disciple of Paul’s in Lystra in Acts 16:1-4. Timothy is a part of strengthening the early church with ordinances, preaching and travelling to help with different needs in the church—Paul and Timothy know each other well and Paul knows Timothy’s heart for the true gospel of Christ.
“I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled…”
--2 Timothy 4:1-3
Paul trusted Timothy and Timothy served both God and Paul in great ways, taking care of God’s church. The major function of a church is strong community, taking care of one another, sharing resources with each other and even spurring other church’s on to continue sharing the true gospel of Jesus Christ in their area. The greatest mission for the church is to take care of itself; to take care of the people in their church.
“…But you know of his proven worth, that he served with me in the furtherance of the gospel like a child serving his father…”
--Philippians 2:22
The church is called to take care of each other; to be generous and share food/ resources and time with one another. This is called “Ordo Amoris” (Latin for: Order of Love).
“Honor widows who are widows; indeed, but if any widow has children or grandchildren, they must first learn to practice piety in regard to their own family and to make some return to their parents; for this is acceptable in the sight of God. Now she who is a widow indeed and who has been left alone, has fixed her hope on God and continues in entreaties and prayers night and day. But she who gives herself to wanton pleasure is dead even while she lives. Prescribe these things as well, so that they may be above reproach. But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.”
--1 Timothy 5:3-7
“For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary. So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith.”
--Galatians 6:8-10
- The Church holds each other accountable to the true gospel ministry and conduct of Jesus Christ.
“So then, those who had received his word were baptized; and that day there were added about three thousand souls. They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.”
--Acts 2:41-42
“For I have no one else of kindred spirit who will genuinely be concerned for your welfare. For they all seek their own interests, not those of Christ Jesus…But I thought it necessary to send you Epaphroditus my brother and fellow worker…I have sent him all the more eagerly so that when you see him again you may rejoice and I may be less concerned about you. Receive him then in the Lord with all joy, and hold men like him in high regard.”
--Philippians 2:20-21, 25,28-30
Why is Paul sending Timothy with Epaphroditus back to Philippi? Because he wants an elder, whom he trusts, to help the church through this conflict, through this situation, through this big disagreement. He’s giving them more accountability to work through this conflict that is potentially hurting the church. God works through strong leaders to build His church. He is working through Paul (who is stuck at home in prison), Timothy and Epaphroditus are going to Philippi to lead this church, to help preserve God’s truth in this church so they may continue to shine their light in Philippi.
“I am writing these things to you, hoping to come to you before long; but in case I am delayed, I write so that you will know how one ought to conduct himself in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and support of the truth. By common confession, great is the mystery of godliness:”
--1 Timothy 3:14-16
The Church is a pillar of God’s truth. In order to preserve God’s truth we must have pillars of men in our church that lead the church forward as Elders. We have pillars of women who serve each other; lead each other and help provide ministry only they can do under the leadership of the elders. God has se the church up in this way in order to provide stability, growth, boldness and strength—we work together, we serve in our roles for the glory of God.
How many Bibles do you have in your house? For most of us, Bibles are easily accessible, and many have several. That we have the Bible in English owes much to William Tyndale, sometimes called the Father of the English Bible. 90% of the King James Version of the Bible and 75% of the Revised Standard Version are from the translation of the Bible into English made by William Tyndale, yet Tyndale himself was burned at the stake for his work on this day, October 6, 1536.—Tyndale held the catholic church accountable for their heresies and poor teachings of the bible and he was killed for it.
“I defy the Pope and all his laws. I will cause a boy who drives a plow to know more of the scriptures than the Pope.”
–William Tyndale
“Theology matters. Your theology dictates the way you live. Your theology dictates the way you interact with God and your fellow man. Your theology dictates all these things.”
--Voddie Baucham
- Be the Church. Obey God’s instruction, worship God and give glory to Him through your obedience to His word and Holy Spirit.
“[Epaphroditus] who is also your messenger and minister to my need; because he was longing for you all and was distressed because you had heard that he was sick. For indeed he was sick to the point of death, but God had mercy on him, and not on him only but also on me, so that I would not have sorrow upon sorrow. Therefore I have sent him all the more eagerly so that when you see him again you may rejoice and I may be less concerned about you.”
--Philippians 2:25-28
If you read the beginning of chapter three, Paul, repeats himself in this phrase that he has come up often in his letter:
“What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed; and in this I rejoice. Yes I will rejoice.” –Philippians 1:18
“…make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose…”—Philippians 2:2
“You too, I urge you, rejoice in the same way and share your joy with me.” –Philippians 2:18
Instead of grumbling, instead of this issue, turn to Christ and rejoice! Rejoice in the work that you are called to do. You are the church! Love each other, serve each other and worship God together—doing all of this gives God glory. The church exists to give God the glory—to worship the True God Man Himself, Jesus Christ. Paul sends Timothy and Epaphroditus because he loves this church, he would go himself but he can’t so God gives him these men to help his church through this issue.
God is so graceful, God is so merciful, God loves His church. God loves His church so much He has given us The Holy Spirit, He has given us Jesus, He has given us men to be pastors/elders and women to be deacons and leaders. Be the church; build community, hold each other accountability, give God the glory.
“Receive him then in the Lord with all joy, and hold men like him in high regard; because he came close to death for the work of Christ, risking his life to complete what was deficient in your service to me.”
--Philippians 2:29-30
Epaphroditus did this by actually bringing the support that the Philippians gave. There was a lack in all the Philippians’ generosity and good intentions until the gift finally made its way to Paul’s need.
We should have the heart that there is something lacking in our service until the job is done. We should not be satisfied with good intentions or a half-done job. We live and do everything in our lives to give God glory and do things excellently.
“His glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience; joyously giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in Light. For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him.”
--Colossians 1:11-16
“Everything that you can see will die and rot. Every title you can earn will be lost. Every glory you receive from men will turn to nothing. Live for that which is eternal. Live for the One that died for you. The gospel does not call us to receive Christ as an addition to our life, but as our life.”
--Paul Washer