A Few Good Men of God Philippians 2:19-30

That these people believed everything he said. In news of his abuse of these people got back to the United States. And there was a congressman by the name of Leo Ryan who went down there to investigate what was happening in South America.

And he actually got a number of people to leave with him. And as they were trying to leave, on the runway of the airport, security people from Jim Jones actually shot and killed the congressman from California and the people who were trying to leave.

So obviously Jim Jones was concerned because the authorities were now gonna be after him. And so what he did was he prepared a Kool-Aid that had poison in it that he was going to give to everyone who was with him.

And they didn't have a choice of whether or not they could take it, they had to take it. And it was Kool-Aid. And every one of the people, 918 in all, ingested this Kool-Aid and were killed. And it was the second most people who had died in one event until 9 -11 happened.

918 people followed this man and it led to destruction. And the same drinking the Kool-Aid actually came from this event. So whenever you hear that used, just remember it was from a very horrific event that happened.

These people followed the wrong person and it led to destruction. We need to follow the right people. And that's what this sermon is about today. It's titled following, the sermon is titled A Few Good Men of God.

And this sermon is gonna be calling you to follow Christ. And the way that you, one of the ways that you follow Christ is by following people who follow Jesus. So in our sermon this morning, we're gonna be looking at Philippians chapter two verses 19 through 30.

And so if you have a Bible, please turn with me. And the big idea of our sermon is follow the example of the Lord's faithful servants. So Philippians chapter two verses 19 through 30. These are the words of the Lord.

I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon so that I too may be cheered by news of you. For I have no one like him who will be genuinely concerned for your welfare. For they all seek their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ.

But you know, Timothy's proven worth. How as a son with a father, he has served with me in the gospel. I hope therefore to send him just as soon as I see how it will go with me. And I trust in the Lord that shortly I myself will come also.

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. For he has been longing for you all and has been distressed because you heard that he was ill.

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. I am the more eager to send him, therefore that you may rejoice at seeing him again and that I may be less anxious.

So receive him in the Lord with all joy and honor such men. For he nearly died for the work of Christ, risking his life to complete what was lacking in your service to me. So follow the example of the Lord's servants.

Caring Sincerely for the Good of Others

And this morning, we're going to look at three godly characteristics that you must follow. The first is caring sincerely for the good of others. Caring sincerely for the good of others. Last week, we looked at Philippians 2, 12, verse 18 that implored us to work hard to become a new creation in Christ.

And we do this by bearing fruit with God's help and by standing out as a loving community and finishing with no regrets in your labor toward fellow believers. Today, Paul gives us examples set by two men that we should aspire to follow.

And these two men, as I just read, are Timothy and Epaphroditus. One thing we need to know about one of these men is that Paul discipled him. Another way to say to discipled is that Paul mentored him.

In verse 19, Paul is hoping to send his mentee, Timothy, to the church in Philippi soon. That's what he says in verse 19. He says, I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon. One of the reasons he wants to do so is because he desires to hear news about the people in Philippi.

And Paul expects to hear news that will cheer him up. That's what he says here in the second half of verse 19. He says, that I too may be cheered by news of you. Then Paul does something that is quite incredible here.

He gives Timothy very high praise. At the beginning of verse 20, he says, I have no one like him. I have no one like him. Then he points out why he has no one like him. In the second half of verse 20, he says, I have no one like him who will be genuinely concerned for your welfare.

The praise that Paul gives Timothy is the highest praise since Timothy has reflected Christ. Remember a couple weeks ago when we looked at how our attitude should be that of Christ Jesus by counting others more significantly than ourselves?

That's what Timothy is doing here. Timothy's selfless behavior has reflected the behavior of Christ. Paul has seen Timothy up close and he can vouch for him. This guy is the real deal. He can say that because he's spent time with him and he knows his proven worth.

And Paul is saying here that the same care he has shown to the believers in Paul's midst is the same care that he will show to you. We can all think of times where we spoke well of someone or someone maybe spoke well of us when they were talking to someone else.

When Brianne and I were getting married, we wanted her to move out close to where I was living, which was in Spring Park in the Lake Minnetonka area. And she needed to get a job, of course. And this was the months leading up to our marriage and she was gonna live with my brother and sister-in-law.

And so I went to the chiropractor one day and got my back cracked and everything that they do there. And as I was there, the chiropractor said, we're actually looking for someone to be a receptionist here and to do other things.

And I said, well, my wife is looking for a job. And so then I talked her up and I told the truth. I said every glowing thing you could possibly imagine. And I didn't lie in any way. I told the entire truth because I had spent a lot of time with Brianne and I knew that she was genuine and I knew that she cared for other people and I knew that she was gonna do a wonderful job.

And it worked out well because she ended up getting the position. And I remember that they really wanted her badly. They moved things around just so they could meet with her and everyone else that they were talking to, they just kind of pushed to the side.

And that was because I spoke well of her and she was one that they could trust, that they could count on. And you too might be able to think of a situation where someone spoke highly of you or you spoke highly of someone else.

That may have been the difference between you getting a job or the person you spoke about getting a job or something else. And I know that just from hearing some of your stories that you met your spouse by being set up, where those setting you up spoke well of you.

They put a good word in for you and obviously things worked out well because you're married today. And by the way, Brianne and I did that with our friends. One was one of my best friends and one of her best friends and they ended up getting married.

We spoke well of them and that worked out well. And what happens when you speak well of someone else like Paul is speaking of Timothy here is that you are able to say with integrity that you are not going to meet anyone else like this person.

Now, Paul contrasts Timothy with others that he had come into contact with. And the other people that he came into contact with, he could not say glowing things about them. In fact, he said negative things about them.

In verse 21, he says, they all seek their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ, where Timothy was seeking those of Jesus Christ. These people were not reflecting Jesus. The identity of the selfish people that Paul is referring to is unknown.

You have to remember what we talked about earlier in the sermon series. Remember those people who were preaching from rivalry? They weren't preaching on a goodwill. They were preaching a correct gospel, but they were doing it for the wrong reasons.

That is likely the identity of the people that Paul is referring to here, these people who are seeking their own interests. And the reason I say that is because Paul is in prison in Rome, writing to people hundreds of miles away in Philippi.

Timothy is in Rome with Paul. Okay, so these people he's talking about are in Rome with him. They're not in Philippi. So the identity of them is likely these people who are preaching from rivalry. These were immature Christians who were not reflecting Christ.

But Paul is not sending them to Philippi, and for good reason. He's sending Timothy to Philippi. So we must follow Timothy's example by caring sincerely for the good of others. This is the first godly characteristic that you must follow.

Caring sincerely for the good of others. And in doing that, you will be following the example of Christ. The second godly characteristic that you must follow to emulate the example of Christ is by proving yourself in ministry, specifically in gospel ministry.

Timothy not only looks out for his own interests, but he has also demonstrated his faithfulness to the Lord over a long period of time. Verse 22, Paul writes, but you know Timothy's proven worth. How as a son with a father, he has served with me in the gospel.

No one has seen Timothy like Paul has in ministry, because they have worked together. They've been companions. Paul is able to say with integrity that Timothy has proven himself to be a faithful minister of the gospel.

So my question to you is, would other Christians who maybe you have done ministry with in some fashion in this church, say that about you? Would others who have seen you say glowing remarks about you?

If a ministry comes up in our church and someone needs to do it, will they recommend you being the one to fill that position? It could be anything. Will they be able to say, you know what, this person's proven him or herself in the past, and you know what, this person would be a good fit in this position.

This ministry that needs to be filled in this church. Would they be able to say with integrity, you would be the right fit? Or would they say, you know what, I'd try someone else. This person, they seek their own interests and not the interests of others.

They haven't proven themselves in the past. Would they say that? It's good to examine ourselves here and ask ourselves these questions. Because the people in this church are people you have served with very much.

And they are a good indication of how well you have done by what they say. As long as they are a trustworthy source, of course. Sometimes people lie about you and they say false things about you. I'm not talking about that.

I'm talking about people who we can trust. Will they say things well about you? There is no one from Rome where Paul is imprisoned that he would rather send than Timothy because of his character and because he has proven himself.

And we don't want to overlook something here in verse 22. We see the family atmosphere of the apostles and their companions. In verse 22, this is what Paul says, that Timothy is like a son to him. And he's like a father to Timothy.

Paul calls Timothy a son. As far as we know, Paul never married. Okay, and since he never married, he never had children. Paul has taken Timothy under his wing and he's cared for him spiritually. And so Timothy is a spiritual son to Paul.

You don't have to have children to be a parent. You can be a spiritual father, you can be a spiritual mother. You do not have to be a parent biologically. And sometimes you hear stories when someone says, you know what, I have a biological parent, but this person really is my parent because of the investment that they've made in my life.

And it's nice when your biological parent is also your spiritual parent, but it doesn't always work out that way. We know that. And the Christian community is supposed to be like a family. It is God's design that people in the church get along and become close friends.

Some Christians come for the service and the moment the benediction is said, they bolt out the door and you won't see them until next week. And that's not the way that the church is supposed to be. We should be people who don't want to leave.

We want to have this community. We want to have this fellowship. He designed the church to be a family atmosphere. And you know what? We are a family. God is our father. We are his children. And so we need to act like it.

And we need to show this here at Eureka Baptist. We see how tightly knit the early church was by Paul's relationship with Timothy. And we've seen throughout this letter his affection for the church in Philippi and all the churches that he came into contact with.

And here at Eureka, we should have this family-like fellowship. And it's funny because I say this knowing that many of you are actually related and you are family. But what I don't have in mind here is blood family, as great as that is, but spiritual family.

We are spiritual brothers and sisters in Christ with God as our father. And you can have a spiritual child that is not your biological child like Paul had with Timothy. And so it's an important emphasis to make.

We need to see how closely knit these people were and how God has designed for us to be here at Eureka. Now in verses 23 and 24, Paul discusses his plans to send Timothy and then come himself later. This is what he says.

I hope therefore to send him just as soon as I see how it will go with me. And I trust in the Lord that shortly I myself will come also. Paul desires to find out when he is going to get out of prison in Rome before he sends Timothy.

Once Paul knows when he's going to be released, he wants to send Timothy out ahead of him so that he can soon follow after. And Paul chose to send Timothy above all others because of what I said in point one, because of his proven worth and because he sincerely cares for other people.

So this is the second godly characteristic of the Lord's servants that you must follow by proving yourself in gospel ministry. And as you prove yourself in gospel ministry, then people will trust you to take on ministries and you will do a faithful job.

Taking Risks for the Sake of Christ's Mission

And in that way, you will be reflecting Jesus Christ. The third godly characteristic that you must follow is by taking risks for the sake of Christ's mission. By taking risks for the sake of Christ's mission.

In verses 19 through 24, we have seen Timothy's selfless character and his proven worth over a long period of time in ministry. Now there is another man we are going to look at and whose example we must follow.

And his name is Epaphroditus. Epaphroditus was also a fellow worker of Paul's and Epaphroditus was from Philippi. Epaphroditus was the one who went from Philippi to Rome to meet Paul and to meet the need that he had.

And then now Paul is going to send him back to Philippi with this letter that he wrote. Epaphroditus is described as a messenger from Philippi. And one thing I want to highlight here again is once again, you see the close relationship between Paul and another Christian.

In verse 25, this is what Paul says of Epaphroditus. He says, he's my brother, he's my fellow worker and fellow soldier. These are some pretty big statements that he is using to describe Epaphroditus.

And he was sent to supply the need that Paul had. And we know that he supplied it because later on in the letter, in chapter four, verse 18, it says that he received full payment from them. So whatever Epaphroditus was supposed to do, he did.

And Paul received that. Now in verse 26, we see that Epaphroditus and Paul have spent time together. This is what Paul writes. He says, he has been longing for you all and has been distressed because you heard that he was ill.

So you can tell here that they've had lots of conversations. Paul and Epaphroditus have had these conversations where Epaphroditus has been talking about the people back home. And what became clear in their time together is that he missed his friends back home and longed to be with them again.

You can maybe think of a time where you were away from home for some time and all you could think about was going home. And you can imagine, as he was sick, he was thinking, you know what, I'd love to be back in Philippi.

That's where my home is. And I'm stuck here in Rome and I just want to go home. And he's concerned because he knows that they heard that he was ill and he's concerned about that they're worrying about him.

It distressed Epaphroditus because his friends in Philippi heard of his condition, but he was not able to explain what was going on. And that would cause them to worry all the more. The first sermon that I preached here, I told you the story about my marathon experience at Twin Cities Marathon in October.

I made it to mile 24 and then I collapsed. And I was concerned because my family, Brianna and my parents and her parents were at the finish line waiting for me. And I was almost there and I didn't make it.

And I was concerned because I was worried that they were going to think the worst and just be so distressed because they didn't know my condition. And actually there was a false report that I was unconscious, which wasn't true.

I was actually fully conscious. And that caused them to worry all the more. But it was a relief when I was able to see them and say, you know what, I'm going to live. Everything's okay. Okay. Now, Epaphroditus here lived in the first century and he was hundreds of miles away.

This was way before cell phones, way before any kind of quick transfer of communication. News traveled slowly. It took weeks to transmit a message because someone had to carry a letter by foot or by taking a chariot or something to get to the place where they needed to be.

And we find out here in the first half of verse 27 how serious his condition was. He was near death. That's what he writes here. He was ill near to death, but God spared him. And Paul was relieved. That's what he writes here in the rest of verse 27.

He says, God had mercy on him and not only on him, but me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow. Paul mentions here how devastating a loss it would have been to lose his friend. And what would have added to the pain is that Epaphroditus was going to Rome to help Paul.

And Paul would have felt maybe a little guilty because the reason he came in the first place was to help him. And he almost died doing it. Paul needed Epaphroditus and God sent him. And he needed his help and encouragement.

And we know that Epaphroditus provided this. Sometimes we pray for God to give us grace to get through a difficult circumstance. And you may be facing a difficult circumstance in your life right now. In some cases, his means of grace is sending the right person at the right time.

And you can think of those people in your life. You can think back and say, look at that person that the Lord sent into my life all those years ago. And that was the precise person I needed at that time.

In my own life, I can give a long list of people that God has sent in my path who were such a blessing. One time I met a guy in a sauna who became a good friend of mine. I mean, if I would have been there 10 minutes earlier, I wouldn't have met him.

It's just God's providence. My brother and I were in an apartment complex. And this was the most encouraging person I think I've ever met in my entire life. And later on, he became a roommate of ours.

And we met him in a sauna. It's amazing to think about the Lord's providence in that. And the Lord sent him because we needed that encouragement in our life at that time. Now in verse 28, we see that his health has been restored and that he is ready to come back.

I am the more eager to send him, therefore, that you may rejoice at seeing him again and that I may be less anxious. Paul is excited to send him back that they will rejoice at seeing their friend again, that he is well.

At the end of verse 28, when Paul writes that I may be less anxious, what I think he is saying is, I did not want to send a letter to you saying that he died. Can you imagine Paul sending that letter?

Whenever someone has to give a report to someone that the news that someone had died, it's one of the worst jobs in the world, having to be the one who reports that. And Paul was anxious that he might have to be the one to report that.

And he is joyful that he doesn't have to do that anymore. Remember, Epaphroditus came to Rome to help Paul and it would have hurt Paul if he had died carrying out this ministry to him. Now I want to emphasize here the focus of this third point, namely taking risks for Christ's mission, serving Jesus.

Paul closes the section by explaining the honor that is due to Epaphroditus because he risked his life to serve Jesus. Verses 29 and 30. So receive him in the Lord with all joy and honor such men, for he nearly died for the work of Christ, risking his life to complete what was lacking in your service to me.

He went on a mission to help Paul and he became ill on this mission. And it was for Christ's sake that he risked it. And that's what it says in verse 30. It says that he nearly died for the sake of Christ.

So by serving Paul, he was serving Jesus. So when you minister to other believers, really the one whom you're serving is Jesus. And he risked his life to do so. Some of you know Jim Elliott. He was a 20th century martyr who died in Ecuador.

And he was speared to death as a missionary. He said this quote, he said, he is no fool to give up what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose. Let me say that again. He is no fool to give up what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.

Everything in this life is temporary. Our health, our family and our friends, we're all gonna die. Everything here is temporary. But Jesus Christ is eternal. And by serving him, you are serving that which is eternal.

And you cannot lose that. You can never lose Jesus. The moment you die and leave this world, you forever have him. And then you will be reunited with your loved ones. But for a time, you will be separated from the people here on earth.

So by ministering to others, like Epaphroditus did, you are really serving the Lord Jesus Christ. And he risked his life to do it. And we need to take risks for Jesus too. We don't wanna be in our comfort zone where we never take a chance for Jesus.

We need to take risks. Don't be afraid to take a risk. Your reputation might be on the line if you share the gospel with someone. Your time. How do you spend your time? Take a risk with your time by spending it wisely.

Instead of maybe watching TV at night or doing something easy, go talk to a neighbor. Read your Bible. Take a risk with your time. Your money. Be generous with your money. Sometimes we don't wanna be generous financially because we find our security in our finances.

But take a risk by giving to missionaries, by giving to this church. It's a risk worth taking because the Lord will take care of you and he will bless you. There's so many ways we can take risks. And you can think of an example in your own life where you can take a risk for the sake of Christ.

We need to do so. And in doing so, we will follow the example of Epaphroditus and we will be following the example of Christ who, of course, took the ultimate risk when he went to the cross and paid the penalty for our sins.

He trusted his Father 100 when he went to the cross so that we could have salvation. So this morning, we must follow the example of the Lord's faithful servants. And there are three godly characteristics that you must follow.

By caring sincerely for the good of others. By proving yourself in gospel ministry. And by taking risks for the sake of Christ's mission. If these character traits mark your life, you will be doing well.

And someone might say about you to another, there is no one like you. Could you imagine that? If you're following Jesus, you should hear that. That should be something that, and you know what? You might never hear it because someone else might say it about you and you might never hear it.

And that's good because then there's the risk that we might get prideful. So sometimes it's good not to hear that. And the reason that they can say this about you is because you are reflecting Christ.

And Christ will be glorified through you. Then it is right for others to follow your example as you follow the example of Christ. And as you are following the example of Christ, then it is right for them to follow you.

Jim Jones, it was not right for anyone to follow him because of the horrible things that he had done and the agenda that he had. And that's just one example of people who have gone down a path of destruction because they followed the wrong person.

But if you follow someone who's following Jesus, you are doing well. And that is something that you must do. And you know what? I mentioned that people will say, there is no one like you. And they will say that because you are following the one for whom there truly is no one like him, and that is Jesus Christ.

So as we move forward through this week, it's called Holy Week. In the tradition of the church, we have Good Friday service on Sunday. I mean, sorry, on Friday. There's a reason it's called Good Friday.

It's on Friday at 6 .30. And we have Easter Sunday, of course, next Sunday. So I hope you all come back for that as we, we're actually going to be taking a little break with Philippians and looking at the crucifixion of Christ on Friday and then the resurrection of Christ on Sunday.

Let's pray together. Father, it is amazing that you tell us to follow people. Paul said in 1 Corinthians 11, one, follow me as I follow Christ. The author of Hebrews said in Hebrews 13, seven and eight, he says, remember your leaders, consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith.

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. And so Lord, help us to follow those who are following Christ because the ultimate goal is to follow Jesus. And so Lord, help us to do so. Give us grace to do so.

We ask this in Jesus' name. Amen.