“How We Grow”

A Sermon Series on Spiritual Disciplines

“The Power of Service in the Lives of Others”

Philippians 2:19-30

 Introduction

For many years Monterey, a California coast town, was a pelican’s paradise. As the fishermen cleaned their fish, they flung the offal to the pelicans. The birds grew fat, lazy, and contented. Eventually, however the offal was utilized, and there were no longer snacks for the pelicans. When the change came the pelicans made no effort to fish for themselves. They waited around and grew gaunt and thin. Many starved to death. They had forgotten how to fish for themselves. The problem was solved by importing new pelicans from the south, birds accustomed to foraging for themselves. They were placed among their starving cousins, and the newcomers immediately started catching fish. Before long, the hungry pelicans followed suit, and the famine was ended.[1]

In the book of Philippians Paul is laying out an argument for a Christian’s conduct, so that his life is “worthy of the gospel of Christ” (1:27). An example of a person’s life can be a very powerful thing. “Paul himself has provided an example to the Philippians of what it means both to stand firm amid persecution for Christ’s sake (1:12-14, 30) and to submit difficult relational problems among believers to the more important issue of the gospel’s advancement (1:15-18a).”[2]

This morning we will look at two examples that help us to understand how we can be a life changing example for others through our service to Christ, and can look to others who are faithful to encourage us in our walk with the Lord.

 Prayer

The Example of Timothy (vv. 19-24)

19 I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, so that I too may be cheered by news of you. 20 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. 22 But you know Timothy’s proven worth, how as a son with a father he has served with me in the gospel. 23 I hope therefore to send him just as soon as I see how it will go with me, 24 and I trust in the Lord that shortly I myself will come also.

(v. 19) “I hope in the Lord Jesus to”[3] – Paul hopes to do something but everything he does, is “in the Lord” or under God’s direction and control. We have seen several times, in Acts 16 and in the opening verses of Philippians, that Paul has a plan, but then has to change his plan as the Lord leads. In today’s passage he plans to send Timothy back to them. He plans to be released from prison, but he doesn’t know for sure.

He planned to plant churches in one area, but God in a vision, told him to go to Macedonia, completely ignoring the areas he planned to go to. Paul had a strategy of going to Jewish synagogues and showing how Jesus fulfilled prophecy, but when he got to Philippi there were not even 10 Jewish men, much less a synagogue; so his plans had to change.

James 4:13-16 “Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”— 14 yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. 15 Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” 16 As it is, you boast in your arrogance.” With Paul we see a principle that we can apply to our lives;

 Plan and be active in the Lord’s work,

but as the Spirit leads, be willing to change your plans.

Paul has people with him that are helping him in the ministry of defending the gospel, and serving together while he is in prison, and he first highlights Timothy. Paul describes Timothy as “no one else is like him,” Timothy is truly concerned about the Philippian church, he was a person who seeks the interest of Jesus Christ, and he has proven himself to be a co-worker in the kingdom.

Earlier in this chapter, Paul is saying that there are people in the Philippian church that are looking after their own self-interests, that they are selfishly causing division in the church, “Timothy will be an antidote to this spiritual toxemia infecting the Philippians. In his concern for them, they will see a man who seeks not his own interests but those of Jesus Christ. In effect, Paul writes, ‘When I send Timothy to you, you will see in his selfless concern for you the very attitude that you should all extend to each other.”[4]

So Paul is going to send Timothy to the Philippian church, but the language allows us to see that he is not going many miles “on a multi-week journey simply to ask, ‘so, how are you?’ Rather Timothy will ascertain the spiritual state of the church vis-à-vis a hostile culture and in terms of their internal unity (1:27-30).”[5] Paul is concerned about the issues the church is facing, and Timothy is just as interested (or concerned). Paul’s love is expressed for the church in that these issues (disunity, splintering, selfish ambition, conceit, etc.) need to be addressed.

Love is being willing to deal with the unpleasant hard stuff. When I say, “deal” I mean talking with a person who is sinning, and in love point them to Scripture – it is not love to accept sin in a person’s life.

(v. 22) “how as a son with a father he has served with me in the gospel,” – “It is not that Timothy serves Paul, as ancient fathers would expect to be served by respectful sons; rather, Timothy serves with Paul in the gospel.”[6] The word for served here, refers to the service of slaves (1:1 “Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus”).

In recruiting people to do the work that needs to be done in the church, I have heard it said many times, “Can you come and do this for me?” Or “I’m going to help out so-and-so do this task of that task.” The danger of this way of saying something is that the person is going to do this to serve the person. We all serve the Lord with each other – side-by-side. If a leader asks you to do something, they are asking you to come along side them to serve the Lord. We have leadership, like Paul was Timothy’s leader, but Timothy and Paul served together, with each other (just on different roles).

By Paul describing Timothy as a son, serving with him, “assures the Philippians that Timothy would have the same concern as Paul for their welfare: he will show genuine concern for their welfare.”[7] They share the same heart and concern for the gospel and for the church’s health. Why does Paul emphasize this?

 He has already mentioned earlier, that 1:15 “Some indeed preach Christ from envy and rivalry,” that they “proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely but thinking to afflict me (Paul) in my imprisonment.” Timothy is not like these leaders, he has the same heart as Paul in wanting them to be unified in advancing the gospel (and to solve this, is to root out sin).

The Example of Epaphroditus (vv. 25-30)

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, 26 for he has been longing for you all and has been distressed because you heard that he was ill. 27 Indeed he was ill, near to death. But God had mercy on him, and not only on him but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow. 28 I am the more eager to send him, therefore, that you may rejoice at seeing him again, and that I may be less anxious. 29 So receive him in the Lord with all joy, and honor such men, 30 for he nearly died for the work of Christ, risking his life to complete what was lacking in your service to me.

Paul wanted to wait until he heard the decision from the emperor (either his death or his release from his “chains”) until he sent Timothy back to Philippi. However, he wanted to send Epaphroditus back immediately. As soon as the ink dried on the letter – he would be sending him back.

Paul refers to Epaphroditus as “my brother and fellow worker (yokefellow) and fellow soldier, and your messenger and minister to my need.” In discussing him with the church the emphasis is on their relationship, Paul says that Epaphroditus is my brother, etc. There is a closeness that comes from being a fellow brother, worker, soldier, messenger, and minister in Paul’s ministry of expanding the gospel. As Christians serve together, each seeking to do their best for Jesus, there are relationships that grow and develop.

He had delivered the church’s contribution toward Paul’s expenses while he was in prison, and stayed to help Paul in other ways. In that service he became deathly ill, and the church had heard about it and were concerned. Paul doesn’t want the church to think that Epaphroditus was working against Paul, no he was like a brother he didn’t slack in the work, no he was a fellow worker; he did not cower in sickness, no he was a fellow soldier – he was faithul in delivering what was sent, he was their messenger and ministered to Paul on their behalf.

Epaphroditus was sent by the church to help Paul (he was representing those who could not go and help), however he was returning sooner than expected. Paul wanted the church to know that he was returning in good standing, he did what he was supposed to do – he almost died twice.

There are different ways to interpret Paul explaining what happened while he was with Paul, but I believe that best explanation is that Epaphroditus was sent by the Philippian church to take the money of support to him, to stay and help with the gospel – but instead of helping, he was deathly ill (twice), and Epaphroditus was concerned that the church would be disappointed in his service to Paul. So, Paul is explaining the seriousness of Epaphroditus’ condition.

Why would God allow Epaphroditus to be sent to help Paul, only to have battle two life-threatening rounds of sickness, and then to be sent back sooner than expected?

https://trotters41.com/2013/09/28/sometimes-missionaries-get-sick/

https://www.alifeoverseas.com/how-does-physical-health-impact-a-missionarys-decision-to-leave-the-field/

(v. 27) “But God had mercy on him, and not only on him but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow.” The theme of joy runs throughout the story of the Philippian church. Remember how Paul and Silas were singing hymns and praying after they had been beaten and thrown into prison. Paul expresses the joy that the church has brought to him – but here there is mention of the reality of ministry – Those that allow themselves to feel deeply for others, fellow brothers and sisters in Christ do experience sorrow in the work. So Paul is saying that for him to lose Epaphroditus to death/illness would have been “sorrow upon sorrow.”

It would have been a wave of sorrow (these other preachers that Paul describes as “Some indeed preach Christ from envy and rivalry,” and how they “proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely but thinking to afflict me in my imprisonment) the near death of a dear friend, his imprisonment, what ever that first wave was, to then have it followed by another wave of sorrow would have been overwhelming for Paul.

The challenge of just living life, especially being a Christian and living life is you don’t know where people are in these storms. Have they been hit by a wave of sorrow, that you just didn’t see? Are they recovering from a wave of sorrow that has been life changing for them even from years ago? Are they about to enter a storm where they will be hit wave upon wave? God has called us to stand by eachother, to love one another in these storms.

When I was younger my family went to Mexico Beach, Florida every summer for vacation where we would spends many hours at the beach. My dad would take a folding chair and book and to cool off would wade into the water. But because I was little I couldn’t go as far as he could – so I would swim out into the deeper water, and I would put my arms around his neck and I was completely safe – even though the giant waves would sweep over us, no matter how big the waves that came, one after the next. Sometimes in life we need someone to hold on to when the big waves come.

Sometime we Christians will say to someone experiencing a wave of sorrow, ‘“You need to claim the peace of God to guard your heart and mind in Christ Jesus. You need to learn to be content even in the time of death.’ But Paul’s admission of sorrow is not a confession of sin. The emotion of sorrow is a God-given, Christ-like emotion, especially in the face of death, ‘the last enemy to be destroyed’” (1 Cor. 15:26).”[8] Often times we need a person just to be there during the storm.

God has given us the church to be there when those waves of life come.

 Paul mentions Timothy and Epaphroditus as fellow servants who are there with him, and have faithfully served beside him to advance the gospel. “In the NT, approximately one hundred people are named as associates with the apostle. If we narrow the list to those mentioned in his letters with some form of ministry designation or a particular role, we have a group of about thirty-six, who are referred to with nine different designations; coworker, servant, brothers, etc.”[9] Paul always had people with him in the ministry, and they were sent from a particular church. Living for Christ and doing the work of the church is a group activity.

When I graduated from highschool I took some money that I was given for graduation and bought scuba lessons. I went through the process of taking the classes, we practiced in the pool and for the final test we went to Panama City, Florida, went out in a boat and went diving off of a jetty. You are told constantly “stay with your dive buddy,” well I was swimming along and turned around and my buddy was gone, and about that time I was swept up in a strong current.

It’s like trying to walk in a hurricane – no matter how hard you swim you are being swept backwards. Head over heals (or flipper) – disoriented and freaking out. Eventually, I just relaxed and let the current carry me, and I made my way to the surface to see if I could see the boat and the other divers. When I got to the surface, I was way away from everyone. But if I had continued to fight the current I would gotten tired, ran out of air, and bad things could have happened.

Paul had to be willing to let go of his strategies, ministry plans, and to be led by the Holy Spirit. Timothy had to be willing to let go of control and go or stay with Paul. Epaphroditus was willing to give his life for the sake of the gospel but Paul wants to send him home (he has to let go of the pride of staying and return) – he was a faithful servant, who probably wanted to stay until the end, but his health would not allow it. All of these examples had to be willing to let go of their plans and to be guided by the Holy Spirit. It is our nature to fight the current, but God has put us in a church family so that we can support and be there for each other.

It is service to Christ in the local church that helps us to grow in our faith and accomplish the mission that God has set before us.

_______________________

[1] http://www.sermonillustrations.com/a-z/e/example.htm

[2] Frank Thielman, The NIV Application Commentary, Philippians (Grand Rapids, Michigan; Zondervan, 1995) 151.

[4] Dennis E. Johnson, Reformed Expository Commentary, Philippians (Phillipsburg, New Jersey; P&R Publishing, 2013) 175.

[5] George H. Guthrie, Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament, Philippians (Grand Rapids, Michigan; Zondervan Publishing, 2023) 205.

[6] Johnson, 178.

[7] G. Walter Hansen, The Pillar New Testament Commentary, The Letter to the Philippians (Grand Rapids, Michigan; William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2009) 194.

[8] Hansen, 206.

[9] Guthrie, 208.

“How We Grow”

A Sermon Series on Spiritual Disciplines

“The Importance of Bible Study”

Miscellaneous Scriptures

Introduction

When my children were younger a neighbor of ours invited my children to a birthday party at Adventure Park in New Market, Maryland.  We rode go-carts, ate birthday cupcakes, and sang happy birthday.  As part of the birthday the parents of the birthday child gave us a swipe card to go and play video games.

Kimberly went with Joshua and Hannah-Grace, and Isaac, and I went with Caleb.  Caleb loves video games but his attention span then won’t let him play for more than minute per game.  So we would swipe his card, he would play for about a minute, and just take off.  So on one of the games he did this with was dance revolution.

Well after swiping the games and then running, I started playing the games instead.  On dance revolution you chose the style of music and the skill level.  Arrows float up the screen and are colored coded so you know where to put your feet.  So I started out on level one (which looks like this), then I went to level two (which looks like this), and then level three – now with level three, you have to throw in one of these.

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K2IammLWeNE (8:27-8:55)

Our spiritual habits will help you grow closer in your walk with the LORD.  Did you know that who we are and who we will become are based on habits and commitments that we have made or will make?

There are many Christians who desire to grow spiritually but they just simply do not know how, or where to begin.  They may even find themselves in a cycle of sin and asking for forgiveness only to return to same sin over and over – How do we break this cycle?

Bible Study is like Dance Revolution, you start slow, and learn the moves, then you can go faster and faster – but many want to start on level 10, and they get lost (like studying Revelation or Leviticus, when they may need to start with the gospel of John).

You begin your time with Jesus by having good habits that will change who you are over time. With any relationship, time spent together is very important.  Back in July of 1997 I married a beautiful young woman named Kimberly Sue Roberts, but what if I told you the only time we ever talked or saw each other was Easter and Christmas, maybe Mother’s Day – how would describe our marriage?

If it has been that long since you have spent time in God’s Word, then your relationship with him is just as bad. And Communication, openly talking with others is just as important as being there. God desires to talk to us, spend time with us.  Some of you may say “I have a habit already – I’m here at church, just about every week.”  That’s great! And it’s part of the steps we encourage with our 4 G’s (Gather– worship service attendance, Grow – be in a small group in community, Give – financially and in service, and Go – take the gospel outside the walls of the church and engage the community), but to grow with the Lord we also need these habits we will look at over the next few weeks.

You may ask, “Why should I want to study my Bible?”  Because we become like the people that we hang out with.  We begin to take on some characteristic of the people that we surround ourselves with.

We are also having this series because we want you to learn some skills so that you can do these things on your own. So let’s say today we are having a fellowship meal after church, and I was in charge of the food – but the only time you ate again was next Sunday when I made mac-n-cheese again?  Would you be healthy?  Spiritual growth is not about coming and being fed, it’s learning to feed yourself, on your own. You learning to cook something other than mac-n-cheese, everyday.

Let’s Pray – Jesus we thank you that you are willing to wait for us. You are the Creator and sustainer of all of creation, and you want to spend time with us.  That was why you died on the cross, not so that we can do stuff for you – but so that we can talk and grow in our relationship. Show us this morning how we can deepen this relationship and grow to become more like you. Amen.

Why Should I Spend Time In His Word?

So That I Can Grow Up

1 Peter 2:2-5 “Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation— 3 if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good. 4 As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, 5 you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.”

You do not have to have a newborn home for very long before you realize what this word crave means.  They will scream, wiggle, flail, they will do all that they can to get milk.  Every three to four hours a timer goes off inside the child and you had best not ignore it.  Does a timer go off in your heart?

This verse says that we should crave God’s Word – but to be honest it is an acquired taste. 3 types of Quiet Times– There’s the caster oil quiet time – yuck, but good for what ails you. Then there’s the shredded wheat quiet time – nourishing but dry.  Then there’s the strawberries and cream quiet time – delicious can’t get enough, time flies, etc… How do you go from caster oil to strawberries-n-cream? You spend time with God everyday.

Psalm 19:9-10 “the fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever; the rules of the LORD are true, and righteous altogether. 10 More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb.”

Notice in the 1 Peter passage it says “so that by it you may grow” not “so that you may know.” We spend time with God and study His word so that we may change.  Spending time with God is not about knowing more about Him, that’s great, but it’s knowing and changing.  Taking what we know and applying it to our lives.

We have the Bible not to satisfy our curiosity, but to help us conform to the image of Christ.  Not to give us loopholes to sin, but to make us like our Savior.  It’s not about facts, but transformation.

The Prince of Granada, the heir to the Spanish crown was sentenced to life in solitary confinement in Madrid’s ancient prison called the Place of the Skull.  The fearful, dirty, and dreary nature of the place earned it the name.  Everyone knew that once you were in, you would never come out alive. The Prince was given one book to read the entire time – the Bible.  With only one book to read, he read it over hundreds and hundreds of times.  This book became his constant companion. After 33 years of imprisonment, he died. When they came in to clean out his cell, they found some notes he had written using nails to mark the soft stone in the prison walls.

The notations were as follows: Psalm 118:8 is the middle verse of the Bible.  Ezra 7:21 contains all the letters of the alphabet except the letter “J.” The ninth verse in the eighth chapter of Esther is the longest verse in the Bible. No name or word of more than six syllables can be found in the entire Bible. For all we know about this prince, he never made any commitment to Christ or had any religious experience, but he became an expert in Bible trivia.   Reading the Bible is not enough, learning is not enough, spiritual growth is about a change in our lives.

The analogy between a human baby and a spiritual baby breaks down when we realize how each baby matures.  A human baby is fed by his parents and growth is natural.  But a baby Christian will only grow as much as he or she  purposefully reads and obeys and applies the Word to his life.  Growth is up to him.

So That I Can Mature

Hebrews 5:11-14 “About this we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing. 12 For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food, 13 for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child. 14 But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.”

The key word in this passage is “time,” by this time – Spiritual growth takes time.  You cannot implement the various spiritual disciplines that we are going to talk about and one week later become a mature Christian.

This passage shows that time does not make you a mature Christian.  Unlike natural growth, spiritual growth requires a concerted and constant effort.  There are many people who wrongly assume that just because they have been Christians for many years automatically makes them a mature Christian.  I have seen youth outgrow their parent’s spiritually because of the effort they put into it.

When we do not have a steady intake of God’s Word we find ourselves repeating the same mistakes over and over.  Paul says that someone has to teach them “the elementary truths of God’s word all over again.”

Who is mature? Those who “by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil” If we are immature in our faith, then someone else has to show us the ABC’s of Christianity – over and over and over…..

 The mature Christian is the person who says, I want to study God’s Word myself – they are willing to spend time with God past the milk stage and want the steak, the meat. Spiritual maturity is all about application– applying God’s word to your life and coming back for more.

 Another way of thinking of spiritual maturity is to be “built up.”  Acts 20:32 “And now I commend you to God and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified.” We are learning more about God, applying his truth to our lives, and therefore we grow and are built up into the person he desires for us to become.

God’s Word takes us to places we never thought we could or would.   He takes us on a journey that has twists and curves and is anything but predictable.  You are moving from one point to another, you are taking steps, moving toward becoming like Christ.

 So That I Can Be Effective

2 Timothy 3:16-17 “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”

The Bible “is useful” for four things – first for teaching.  The bible teaches us how to think, what we should believe.  If we are not thinking correctly, then we are not living correctly.  Matthew 4:4 “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.”

Secondly the Bible tells us when we have “crossed the line.”  It is useful for rebuking us when we are doing wrong.  It tells us what sin is. It tells you what God’s plan is for your life and where you have gone astray.

Third, it is useful for correcting – it tells us of Christ and how our sins may be forgiven.  He doesn’t just tell we were wrong, but it tells us how to get back in a right way of living. And Fourthly, “training in righteousness” – the Bible shows us how to live in a way that pleases God.

 A five-step plan for what to do when you have your quiet time:

 Start with prayer. Ask God to prepare you to meet with Him. If there is something in your life that you know displeases Him, confess it. Let Him forgive you so that nothing will hinder your communion together.

Read a specific passage of Scripture–perhaps a chapter or two. If you are not very familiar with the Bible, you may wish to start with the New Testament. Many people think that the Gospel of John is a good place to start. Perhaps you would enjoy reading one or two of the Psalms every day.

Meditate on it for a while after you have read a passage. Think about what you read, and ask yourself what it means. What does God want you to do? Remember, even though you may not understand all you read in the Bible, you can still obey what you do understand.

Write down questions about the passage as you read. It is good to write down the things you learn and the questions you have. Later you can search out the answers from someone who knows the subject or Bible commentaries. You can ask the question, “what did this teach me about God?” and “what did this teach me about myself?”

Journaling is simply writing your thoughts and reflections about your life and relationship with the Lord in a notebook. Spend some time writing your thoughts as you spend time with God in His word and prayer. It can be as simple as writing what’s on your heart.

You can write about what God is teaching you in your Bible reading time. You can also write about how you are feeling and struggling with. Develop the habit of writing. This habit reinforces what God is trying to tell you in your mind and heart. I believe it is part of a good quiet time because it is a way for you to remember what God is revealing to you during that time.

Finally, respond and take action. Respond with praise and thanksgiving – “I praise you God for…..” Respond in repentance and confession – “I confess my sin of ……”  Respond by asking for guidance – “Lord, lead me today by…..”
Respond with obedience – “I will obey you in……”

 Conclusion

I have discovered that anything that is an “ought” in my life I will always be a failure at, for “ought” is a lousy motivator.  Anything that is an “ought” I may in time do.  I will do it out of compulsion, guilt, or duty – it will do it begrudgingly but I won’t do it often.

There are many of who understand our salvation to be in terms that Jesus has saved me so that I may serve Him.  Didn’t Jesus say, “Come, follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.”  We become disciples of Christ, so that we may become His fishers of men (and we serve, and we work, and we toil).

What we miss is that Jesus’ invitation simply says, “Come, follow me,” – meaning to be in a relationship with Him.  Being a fisher of men was not the purpose of my salvation (it happens, it is an outcome) – but the relationship with Jesus, the following comes first.

We serve, and in our minds we “I ought to have a quiet time” “I ought to spend time with Him” — and we get burn out, and tired, and disillusioned by life, all the while we work, and serve, and toil – and Jesus says, I said “Come and follow me.”  Jesus invites us to a relationship first (service comes later as an outflow of the relationship).  He simply wants to know you, and for you to know Him.

He did not die, so that you can serve Him, he died so that, you can have a relationship with Him.  He doesn’t really need our help anyway, He’s God!

Do you know Jesus? ABC.