Transcript Slide 1

Presentation 07
The Structure of the Book
Opening and introduction 1:1-2
Paul and the Philippian Church 1:3-26
Exhortation and Examples 1:27-2:30
An Exhortation to Courage 1:27-30
A plea for Unity 2:1-4
The mind of Christ 2:5-11
The outworking of God’s deposit 2:12-18
Two worked examples 2:19-30
Warnings 3:1-4:1
Encouragement Gratitude and Final Greetings 4: 2-23
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Introduction
At school many find
mathematics difficult. All the
formulas swim around in your
mind speaking a language that
you really do not understand.
But things become much clearer
when a worked example is
given. The formula is taken and
applied in a setting that the
pupil can understand. And so
things that seem beyond us
become accessible.
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Similarly, Paul, in v19-30, provides his readers with two worked examples of
selfless service. Perhaps he anticipated that their response to his teaching
would be that these truths were inaccessible, beyond their attainment.
“Paul ,we marvel at Jesus’ humiliation and selfless
service, but we are just ordinary Christians. You are
asking to much of us. You are not being realistic. The
formula of the divine parabola which you have
unpacked makes our heads swim!”
Can you relate to that? What does Paul do? He holds
before them two worked examples; ordinary
Christians, men with whom they were very familiar.
First, Timothy who was present when the church in
Philippi was established and secondly, Epaphroditus,
whose name appeared on the church roll at Philippi.
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TIMOTHY
As we look at Timothy’s life, four things that stand out.
First, he was ‘like-minded’ with Paul - that’s a better
translation of v20 than "I have no one else like him”.
Paul had no one else around who shared his concern for
the church. Paul had repeatedly told the Roman
Christians of his concern and may have asked for
someone to volunteer to go to them.
Did his hearers agree to the value of such a trip? Did
someone propose a motion that “something should be
done”? But nothing was done because no one was ‘like
minded’. They did not share Paul's passion. Sadly, they
too were selfishly self-absorbed v21... But there was
Timothy, who with sacrificial Christlikeness said, “send
me!” It is important for church leaders to have others
who are on their wavelength.
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Christ
Paul
Timothy
Secondly, Timothy had a genuine concern for others . In Christian work it is
easy to overlook the value of the individual; planning can be substituted for
caring. As a work of God grows, personal contact can lose its importance.
There is no substitute for a real interest in people, no matter how busy we are.
A famous preacher saw many people come to faith through his
ministry. He was invited further and further afield. When he
eventually returned to his home church, he was approached by a
young man who seemed to know him.
The preacher did not recognise, who he was talking to and said,
“I’m sorry, I don’t think I know you”.
The young man replied, “I was one of the first people you led to
faith here just over a year ago”.
The preacher went home with a heavy heart. He realised that his
concern for success had outstripped his personal concern for
others.
Timothy never lost that personal concern.
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Timothy’s concern is used by Paul to challenge to the church at Philippi. It is
not that the Philippians did not care but that they did not care enough. Like
the Christians in Rome they were careful about seeking after their own things;
“everyone looks out for his own interests not those of Jesus Christ”. v21 , v4.
Many people in the UK invest in the stock market, they invest in the property
market it can become the consuming passion of their lives!
Paul is looking for a different kind of investment. He is asking, do we care
enough about God’s work to invest in other people’s lives. This happens in many
fellowships. There are those who open their
hearts and homes and give of their
time and energy to others.
Thank God for that. Can some of us
do more? Our care for other people
is a measure our commitment
to God’s service.
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Thirdly, we learn something of Timothy's priorities. He put Christ first. Its
easy to put other things first; personal comfort, pleasure, reputation, plans
for the future, even family ties.
Jim Elliot an American student, was called of God to missionary
service with primitive tribes in South America. It would be
dangerous and demanding work. He knew he could lose his
life. He wrote these words in his diary:
He makes his ministers a flame, am I ignitable? God deliver me
from the dread asbestos of other things, saturate me with the
oil of the Spirit, that I may be a flame. But flame is transient,
often short lived. Can you bear this my soul, short life? In me
dwells the Spirit of the great short-lived whose zeal for God's
house consumed him. Make me thy fuel flame of God.
Elliot died a martyr’s death at the hands of the Auca Indians in
1956. Jim Elliot, like Timothy was determined to put Christ first.
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Finally. Timothy had an ability to work with others. cf. v22 “he has served with
me”. Many Christian workers want to be independent. They say it must be ‘our
work and it must be done our way’. It is a mark of Christian maturity to be able
to work with others of different temperament, personality and background
- to say nothing of the generation gap between Timothy and Paul.
Older people always have something to say about their youth.
“Our youth now loves luxury. They have bad manners,
contempt for authority, disrespect for older people, they are
tyrants. They no longer rise when their elders enter a room.
They contradict their parents, chatter in company, gobble their
food tyrannise their teachers”. Socrates 400BC.
Now despite the great generation gap Paul and Timothy were
able to work fruitfully together. Why? Because they were
‘parabola servants ‘who put Christ’s interests first.
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EPAPHRODITUS
You might be thinking but Timothy was really a full time Christian worker we
expect more from them! Well, Paul's second example is a Christian layman,
Epaphroditus - a man who was known to the Philippians but not to many
other Christians. Notice the language used to describe him.
First, he is described as “a brother” v25. This description would have
sounded remarkable in the ancient world . Society was divided into slaves
and free, Greeks and Romans, Jews and Gentiles, aristocrats and peasants
and wise and foolish. It was a polarised society. And to call a man from
across the great social and political divide your brother was unheard of .
But this is what the gospel does as men and women
begin to realise that their oneness in Christ was much more
important than the petty things that divided them.
When we think in this way we find it easier to serve
one another. In my home church in Ayr when we had
our first children’s holiday club we looked for volunteers
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Secondly, Epaphroditus is described as “a fellow-worker”v25. He was the
sort of man who did not mind getting his hands dirty. He didn’t sit around to
be waited upon. He was a server, a worker. cf. the words of the risen Christ to
the church at Ephesus in Rev 2.2, “I know your deeds, your hard work”.
God rejoices in our hard work. Do we work hard practically, intellectually,
socially, evangelistically? People do not flock to the church, they are
waiting to be won individually. That takes time, it takes
involvement, it takes hard work and it involves self denial.
George Whitefield was once encouraged to step
back from the busy schedule of ministry in
which he was engaged. He made this
famous reply,
"I would rather wear myself out than
rust in the service of Christ".
Thirdly, Epaphroditus is called “a fellow soldier” v25. The advance of the
kingdom requires costly spiritual conflict. The Roman Empire had made
considerable advances. Her legions earned the reputation of being an
incredible fighting machine. In the ancient world, armies often dressed alike,
were armed alike but they did not fight side by side. The Romans changed all
that. Their phalanxes were a terror to the ancient world. Their soldiers
marched abreast behind a solid wall of shields. Now, says Paul, that is what it
is like to be engaged in Christian service with Epaphroditus. He was always at
your side and not running off to fight in local skirmishes and trying to make a
name for himself. It was not personal glory but the triumph of Christ's cause
that was important to him. He could be relied upon to be there when needed.
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Fourthly, consider Ephaphroditus’ burden for the work. He had accepted the
challenging task of making the lengthy trip to visit Paul in Rome. Did it mean
taking unpaid leave from his job? He took ill on the journey and almost died.
That fact added to his burden. He was concerned v26 that the church at
Philippi would be upset to hear he was ill.
How different this is from the self-obsessed spirit of much
contemporary Christianity . People ask “Will the gospel
give me health, wealth, joy, peace, purpose, friendships,
good experiences etc”. Indeed there are some who teach,
‘if it hurts, it cannot be truly spiritual’.
Again and again Paul reminds us that spiritual service will
inevitably hurt. Read 2 Cor 11.23-29. Ephaproditus shared
that kind of burden. Paul had described his experience
and that of his companions along the lines of the divine
parabola in Rom 8.17 “we share in his [Christ’s] sufferings
in order that we may also share in his glory”.
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Paul tells us Epaphroditus risked his life to serve Christ. The word ‘risk’ v30
was used in the 1st century to describe a deposit lodged at court by someone
bringing a civil law suit against another. If they lost their case, their money
was forfeited. And so before going to court people were encouraged to count
the cost and ask, ‘Will it be worth it’. It is risky I might lose my money.’
Epaphroditus counted the cost of commitment and concluded, ‘Yes! I know I
am risking my very life but its worth it.’ It is a bigger risk is to refuse to take
any risk at all and to choose comfortable cotton-wool Christianity.
Do you remember the parable Jesus told in Matt 25v14-30? Rather
than risk using what his master had entrusted to him one of the
servants buried it. He thought, he was playing safe but he
took a bigger risk which resulted in a far greater loss.
Is our material/personal security more important that the
expansion of Christ’s kingdom through sacrificial service?
“He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain
what he cannot lose”. JIM ELLIOT
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Conclusion
Do you see what Paul has been doing? In v5-11 he
has described the person and ministry of Christ in
terms of a divine Parabola. This is more than an
example for them to follow but a mould into which
they have to allow their lives to be poured. This
servant king lives within them and they are to
work out what he has worked in v12.
In other words they have been empowered to be
different. So different that as their lives take on
this new shape they will shine like stars. And Paul
their spiritual father will take pleasure in the fact
that their lives are being conformed to that of
Christ.
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Conclusion
He is aware that some might argue that they don’t
think their lives can undergo such a
transformation. After all they are not Jesus. They
are not like the apostles. They are ordinary. All of
this instruction is above and beyond them. And so
Paul holds up two worked examples. He says,
“See what has been outworked in their lives. See
how they are beginning to fit into the parabola.
They too are ordinary. But God can turn the
ordinary into extraordinary. And I am going to send
them back to you so you can see for yourselves
what God has done in them. Oh I’d dearly love to
have them stay with me but right now your need is
greater than mine”.
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Conclusion
God intends us all to be his worked examples. We are to be what Paul
describes in his epistle to the Corinthians as ‘living espistles...known
and read by everybody’ 2 Cor 3.2. What do people see when they read your
life and mine? Do they see selfish self-centredness, people who only talk
and care about ourselves, our health, our wealth, our hopes our dreams, or
do they see people who have begun to invest their lives in the service of
others, people who put others first, people who are prepared to suffer for
Jesus’ sake, people who make others homesick for God? Can I tell you how I
became interested in Christianity? I wasn’t brought up in a Christian home,
I did not read a lot of Christian books or hear a great sermon.
I saw one of God’s worked examples. A woman who shone for
Jesus and who had given her life to his service. As a
child of 9, I said, “I want to be like her” Do you want
people to be able to say that about you? Then allow
your life to be shaped by the instruction Paul gives here.
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