Feb 21, 2010

Series on Philippians #12

Heroes in the Faith
Philippians 2:19-30

Last week, I talked about how we as the Church (Big “C”) need to live lives that draw others (the lost) in. Or as Paul said, we need to shine like stars in the universe.

In other words, people should see us – the family of believers — and marvel at our unity. And, Paul tells us in first two chapters of Philippians, that we achieve unity in the Church through humility and self-less-ness and a genuine commitment to one another’s betterment (love).

Now, last week, I talked pretty extensively about areas where I don’t think we don’t get it right as the Church (big “C”) and maybe not even as the church in the grass.

There are areas where our infighting between denominations — and sometimes within the walls of a local church — make us very unattractive to people on the outside.

And not only that, sometimes, we as the Church can be so un-loving to the lost that we drive them away before they can ever get to a point where they can hear the Gospel.

But, last week we also said that as faulty as we are, there is still more good than bad to say about the Church.

And I ended with a passage where Paul says he is encouraged and rejoices when he sees the faith of the church in Philippi.

And in the same way, I kind of embarrassed some of you when I talked about the areas of faith that I see in your lives — areas of faith in you that cause me to REJOICE.

Now, tonight we’re going to keep going with that line of thought — not about you, that part is over — but about rejoicing and being encouraged by the faith of others.

And with that, I want to talk about heroes. Heroes in the faith.

John Piper is a pastor up in Minnesota. He has presented several very good biographies about missionaries and pastors and other gospel-centered world changers throughout the history of the church.

Some are well known names. Most are not. But I’ve never listened to any of the biographies that didn’t stir something in me.

Anyway, at the beginning of a biography for a guy named John Owen, Piper said:

I agree with Piper completely, there. You and I should have heroes. Now, don’t hear me saying that you should just pick anyone.

Back in the day there was a basketball player named Charles Barkley who got in some trouble on the court. He didn’t always have the best sportsmanship and one day a commercial comes out and he’s just staring at the screen and he’s telling the parents,


I’m not saying pick captains of industry, or athletes, or famous musicians. And I’m not even saying you should look to your parents or teachers as heroes — if they are not believers.

What I am saying is there should be some people who have walked in their faith to Jesus in such a way as to inspire you to do the same. There should be people who stir the passion and the endurance to run your race well.

Their faith to Jesus and devotion to Jesus and dependence on Jesus is key here. Our heroes need to be people who point us to the savior. Our heroes need to be people who deflect all of the praise to God, and not to them selves.

And this is key. Piper is not saying that we should WORSHIP people. God says not to worship any created thing – that includes people. So a Hero is NOT AN IDOL. Are we tracking on that?

Don’t take a good thing (a Hero) and try to make it an ultimate thing (an Idol).

But do find some heroes!

Another pastor says that the best heroes are dead ones. Once they stop breathing they stop being able to fail morally.

So looking back through history, both in the Bible and in the lives of the early church fathers and in the lives of the Reformers and in the lives of the Christ-centered civil rights fighters…We can look for heroes there.

And again, I know that not everyone’s family is devoted to Jesus, but if they are, look to their faith and see if they might have lived lives in a role-model sort of way.

If they have, take what you can from their positive, Gospel examples.

Anyway, you’re not here for my big ideas or even John Piper’s, let’s get into the Word. God gave Paul a lot to say about this, we’re going to look at some of it tonight. Specifically we’re going to look at two HEROES of the Faith.

Philippians 2:19-30
19 I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, that I also may be cheered when I receive news about you. 20 I have no one else like him, who takes a genuine interest in your welfare. 21 For everyone looks out for his own interests, not those of Jesus Christ. 22 But you know that Timothy has proved himself, because as a son with his father he has served with me in the work of the gospel. 23 I hope, therefore, to send him as soon as I see how things go with me. 24 And I am confident in the Lord that I myself will come soon.

25 I think it is necessary to send back to you Epaphroditus, my brother, fellow worker and fellow soldier, who is also your messenger, whom you sent to take care of my needs. 26 For he longs for all of you and is distressed because you heard he was ill. 27 Indeed he was ill, and almost died. But God had mercy on him, and not on him only but also on me, to spare me sorrow upon sorrow. 28 Therefore I am all the more eager to send him, so that when you see him again you may be glad and I may have less anxiety. 29 Welcome him in the Lord with great joy, and honor men like him, 30 because he almost died for the work of Christ, risking his life to make up for the help you could not give me.

Look again at verse 29, Paul tells the Philippian church to HONOR MEN LIKE EPAPHRODITUS. That’s our key text for tonight. That’s going to unlock everything else.

First off the word honor here is the Greek word entimos (in-ta-mas) and it means to hold a person dear, or in honor. To value highly

So again, We're not saying to idolize anyone! But we do hold them in high esteem. We can look to them as role models.

So, you want to look up to someone? You want a role model? Look to Epaphroditus, Paul says. Look to men like him. Look to men like Timothy.

Why them? Why men like them? They’ve been dead for 2,000 years. What can they teach me? What can they teach you? They didn’t deal with my problems back then. They didn’t deal with your problems back then, did they?

They may have been great examples to the Philippian church back then, but can they really have anything to teach us?

Well, when we read the Scriptures we always want to read them in context, we want to see what is around the text that can give us some clues.

Paul lists some good individual things about Timothy and about Epaphroditus. We’re going to look at some of those.

But, if we look back again over the second chapter we’re going to see that, what WE can get from these two guys is the principle behind their lives, the catalyst for their actions and concerns and words.

We can see what stirred their hearts and we can learn from that. We can apply that principle — those principles to our lives.

And again, if you’ve ever been here before, especially in the last few weeks this isn’t going to be new to you.

All of the things that Paul is saying about these two guys in the verses we just read, they all fit in perfectly with the point he’s been trying to make throughout.

This chapter is all about humility and love that stem from a firm foundation of knowing that WE ARE LOVED BY GOD!

Read the beginning of the chapter again, starting in Philippians 2:1

So, what does that look like? Paul fleshes that out a bit more, saying:

Everything we do, say, think, feel, believe about the world, believe about other people, believe about ourselves — EVERYTHING flows from this understanding of God’s love for us, for His children.

We are carried along by the knowledge that we are UNITED WITH JESUS CHRIST! Do you realize how big that is?!

We are carried along by the knowledge – the head knowledge and the HEART knowledge that we have fellowship with the Holy Spirit!

It comes from an understanding that we didn’t do anything to earn His love or these gifts that bear the seal of His love.

He gave these things to us while we were still in rebellion, while we were still sin soaked, while we were still His enemies. He didn’t wait for us to clean up our acts first. He didn’t wait till we had our lives together first. He didn’t make us wait through a probation period.

No! He said come to me you who are weary. Come to me and drink the water of life.

And, He has continued to shower us with His love AND sought to draw us back into fellowship in the times that we’ve strayed away.

Out of that, comes love for others, a desire to shower others with the love we’ve received. Out of that, we slowly but surely begin to take on the attributes the characteristics of our Father.

Are we perfect in our self-LESS-ness? Nooo!
Are we perfect in our humility? Not even close!
Are we consistent with our devotion to our Father in Heaven? God help us. We all know the answer. No.

But, we are growing. We are being purified by the Spirit and by the Word.

We are coming together as a family of believers to encourage one another and equip one another, AND to call each other on our sin when we need to.

And through this life, while we wait to see the face of our Savior in all it’s glory, Paul says — the word of God says — Honor Men like Epaphroditus and Timothy.

Look to people who are walking on the road with us, and those who have walked the path ahead of us. And seek role models in that crew. Seek heroes in the Faith.

After calling us to Christ centered love, humility and self-less-ness, what’s he do?

He first points to the perfect example starting in verse 5. He points to Jesus and says, look there. Be like that.

Now let’s be honest. We’ve all used Jesus’ perfection as an excuse for our imperfection, right. We say things like we’ll He’s fully God and fully man. Of course He’s perfect. But I’m just a dude.

Now we don’t have time for me to tell you why that’s a bunk excuse. But, I don’t need to. Paul says, Jesus is perfect, but we see the humility and love that we’re called to in a couple of regular people like us.

Paul ends the chapter with a couple of case studies in the mild mannered Christian life that we’ve been called to.
I’m just going to hit a couple of bullet points from the text. We’ll start with Tim in verse 20:

Timothy has a genuine concern for His siblings in the faith. And it’s a concern that is so transparent and true that it is noticeable to the people around him. Let’s move on.


You want an example to follow after? Follow that example. Don’t follow the world’s example. I asked earlier if we could learn anything from these two dead guys. Yes. Look at the world they lived in. Nothing has changed?

Paul says in verse 21 that everyone else looks out for their own interests. That’s still the world we live in today. That’s the air we breathe.

The world encourages us to seek our comfort first and to get our fill of our desires for more, newer, bigger, better, nicer STUFF.

But, Jesus has called us to seek FIRST the Kingdom of God. Jesus has called us to hunger and thirst for HIM.

And it’s not because He’s a cosmic kill-joy, it’s because He knows that we are designed with a hole in our soul that can only be filled by Him.

When we try to fill that hole in our life — in our spirit — with food, or drugs, or money, or booze, or shopping, or sex, or approval at work, or acceptance in our homes, or popularity in our peer groups, those things don’t ever fulfill us. They never satisfy for long — if they do at all.
Timothy understood that. He had gotten to a point in his life where he was lifted up and carried along by KNOWING that he was united with Christ. And by understanding that He was God’s child. And by feeling that intimate connection, the fellowship with the Holy Spirit, who guided him in life.

And with that firm foundation, it made perfect sense to live a life of humility and love and self-less-ness.

He understood that it was Jesus’ humble, self-less and loving sacrifice on the cross that gave Timothy the entrance into the Kingdom of God.

It was Jesus who made it possible for Timothy to cross over from being an enemy of God to an adopted child of God.

And that’s true for you and me. Maybe tonight is the first time this really made it to your heart. Maybe this is the first time that you’ve understood that God’s love comes first and so, like Timothy, we obey in response to that love — We never obey FOR God’s love. His love is already established and It isn’t going to fade out. It’s a forever, unstoppable love.

In light of that, follow Timothy as he follows Christ.

Moving on. Let’s take a look at Epaphroditus for a moment. Verse 26:


This takes us back to the point of Paul’s statement in Chapter one where he says, for me to live is Christ and to die is gain.

Epaphroditus wasn’t distressed because he was near death. He knew where he was heading once this part of eternity is over. It is better by far to be with Jesus. But, like Paul, Epaphroditus was more concerned — more distressed when he heard that his friends and family were upset about his near death, sickness.

You want a hero? You want a role model? Look to Epaphroditus.

He is someone who is unflinching at the thought of his own welfare when there is gospel work to do. He has a foundational faith in the resurrection that instills a holy boldness in His life.

And all that at the same time, even though he – like us longed to see Jesus in His glory, set’s aside that for the thought of comforting his brethren who would be torn with grief if he would have died.

Can I call you to the Epaphroditus kind of life?
I’m the one up here, so the answer is yes. I will call you to it. Right now, I am calling you to it. When I first began preparing this message, I thought the point was mainly to honor these types of men, to find godly role-models for your life.

But if you are a Christian, I want you to be clear YOU are called to become this type of example!

Live in the Holy Boldness that comes from true faith. LIVE!
And live to serve others. Set aside self tonight. If you came in with a self seeking heart, if you came in with a bag of self-pity or self-hatred that’s been dragging you down, set that self-dash-anything at the door when you leave tonight.

And, don’t do it for you. Do it for the glorious call that Jesus has put into your heart; a call to love Him more deeply, because that is where we find true Joy.

And a call to love others as much as ourselves.

Follow Tim and Epaphroditus as they live out their calling to humility and self-less-ness. Follow these heroes in the faith as you leave tonight.

And as you follow them, become the type of Christ followers that others will follow to Christ.

Let’s pray…
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Feb 5, 2010

Series on Philippians #11

Say It Again Paul
Philippians 2:14-18


Let’s Pray…

Repetition. I was listening to a pastor on a podcast this week. And he made the statement that the Scriptures are painfully repetitive. When we read this passage tonight, you might think, I’ve heard this before.

Certainly, if you’ve been here at the Church in the Grass, none of the ideas that come from this passage are new to your ears. I pray that they are not new to your heart either.

But, if they are, then praise God that your heart is finally listening.

The old story goes that a pastor preached the same sermon, word for word, to his people for more than a month.

After the second week they all thought he had wigged out. No one wanted to say anything. It sure might make for an awkward conversation.

But after more than a month a parishioner was finally brave enough and came up to the preacher and asked, “Is there a reason you keep preaching the same sermon?”

“Sure,” the pastor said. “By the looks of things, no one in the church has heard the message yet. I’ll move on once people “get it.””

Scripture seems to be designed in a similar way.

Through His Holy Word, through the general revelation of His will that we find in our Bible, God walks beside us. And whispers these same things to us over and again in a way that eventually we “get it.”

There have been times when I have been sitting in a church, or reading on my own, or just talking with a brother or sister in a time of study or fellowship.

And even though, in that situation, I am hearing a biblical idea for like the tenth time (not always in a row) even I’ve heard the same verses or the same idea again

All of a sudden it stirs something in me that had never been in my heart before.

Or the same truth — whether it’s about purity, or compassion or grace — the same truth all of a sudden pulls me deeper into an affection for God the Father, or the Son and here recently, even the Holy Spirit than I’ve ever had before.

I hope that as we go over these familiar ideas in tonight’s passage, that the Holy Spirit would use the Scripture and this time of preaching to stir the affections of YOUR heart for God. I pray that you might leave here tonight with tangible heart change.

Let’s unpack the text:


I’ve got 4 points that I’m drawing from the text tonight. We’ll take them in order.

First, in verse 14 Paul pleads with us as individuals and as the church not to complain or argue.

The ESV translates this as “do all things without grumbling or questioning.” I would say it like this: Don’t be that guy, or woman, or teenager, who always wants to Point out what is wrong with the church, the family, the society, the government, etc.

Don’t be that person who always wants to be the one who has to question authority (there are times when this is necessary and there are other times where we just want to throw a wrench into the process because we don’t like the leader, or we don’t like that we didn’t have a say in the beginning of the process, or whatever).

There may be times when a contrary view might need to be heard for wisdom’s sake. But if you feel like you need to play the role of “Devil’s Advocate” than stop it. Knock it off, I say in love.

Don’t be that guy who goes along with the process, but grumbles and pouts the whole way through. All right, People get it. You’re not happy. Get over it. If you’re in the process, get in gear and be the most productive, enthusiastic person you can be.

Now that first point leads into the second.
Let’s ask the question, “Why shouldn’t I argue or complain or grumble or question everything I am a part of?”

The answer is only for God’s people. If you aren’t a Christian, relax. This is for us. If your an unbeliever and want to get an inside look on what makes us tick — Here it is.

We are part of a plot that was started a LONG time ago. A plot, or you could even call it a worldwide conspiracy to take over the world.

And our marching orders tell us not to grumble or complain because grumbling and complaining, questioning everything to death and arguing with people cuts against the attitude of gratitude, humility and grace that we’ve been called to live out.

You see living with a heart of humility and grace, compassion and self-less-ness, that’s part of our strategy for world conquest for our Kingdom. (Not for us, for our Kingdom, for THE KINGDOM…the Kingdom of God.)
And let me be the first to tell you: We haven’t followed this command very well, historically.
Even if you’re not a Christian you can say amen to that.

Verses 14 and 15 tell us not complain or argue… so that we “can become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation in which (we) shine like stars in the universe as (we) hold out the word of life

What’s all that mean? Well, when an outsider, a non-believer, looks in on the Church (not church as the building, but Church as the believers in a community and the believers globally)

When an outsider looks in on the Church they should see unity because, Paul says, that is going to be a beacon of light, a ray of hope, a shining star in the dark night, a lighthouse for a sailor on a dark and stormy night — are those enough metaphors?

It should be different and it should draw them in. Because let’s face it, there’s not much unity in the world, not for any prolonged period of time.

So, if we, believers — if we, the Church are living out the word of God, then we should shine like stars for the world to see and to be drawn to.

But, instead of being the kind of people — the kind of Church — that we’ve been called to be. Instead of drawing people into the Kingdom of God by our unity as a family of believers;

Instead of that, we argue with one another within the family of God — we have these family feuds about worship styles and what kind of clothes we should wear and all of these other issues that have historically sent us in a million different directions

Draining or energy on non-essential issues — on issues that we find liberty with in the Scriptures and we get tangled up in these disputes and we have no energy left for the mission that we’ve been called to.

And when that happens, outsiders looking in to the Christian culture, maybe you are someone looking in tonight. You say, “No thanks. I have enough drama in my life already. I’m not adding more by joining you guys.

So we argue with ourselves, but a lot of times we also put forth this very negative and condemning vibe out to all you all who aren’t believers. Am I right? I know I am, I used to be a non-believer.

When I was on the outside looking in, I saw the church as an out of touch kill joy that wanted to take everything fun out of my life.

I saw the church as a bunch of crazy folks who boycotted fast-food restaurants, media corporations and anything else in the culture that they didn’t agree with.

And, I saw the Christians who didn’t realize the tragic irony when they blew up abortion clinics and killed abortion doctors in an effort to…save lives.
Now, let me say this, there are more Christians who aren’t whacked out than those who are. The problem is this, we aren’t as vocal.

Now, back to us Christians. Here’s how we apply it. If you want a practical step, here you go. The passage tells us to become blameless and pure, children of God without fault and to shine like stars in the universe as (we) hold out the word of life…

Hold out the word of life. Did you catch that. Don’t hold out a picket sign with everything that we are against. People get it! And they don’t care. If they do care, it’s usually annoyance or rage that we insight, not repentance and faith.

Instead hold out the WORD OF GOD. We need to be more vocal with what God is for (like redemption and restoration) than the misguided brothers and sisters are with what they are against.

When I was a non-believer, I never said these words. “Oh look, those “Christians” are picketing a funeral with signs that say God Hates _____. I wonder if they can tell me how to find eternal life.”

No! It wasn’t hearing what Christians are against that stirred my heart. It was hearing about the promise of LIFE that brought me in, I was hungry for life and I didn’t even know it!

And God put Christians in my path – one of them being my wife, Monica, who didn’t tell me I was bad (I knew that!)

They didn’t tell me I was bad. Instead, they showed me that God is good! They did that by holding out the word of life. They did that by NOT arguing and complaining amongst themselves. They did that by NOT shaking a finger at me and telling me to clean up my act.

They did it by saying, there is a person we have found who can save you from the pain and the brokenness and the degradation of this world and of your life.

And I was drawn to that like a moth to a flame. And I was consumed! If you are not a believer, I know that might sound weird, but there’s no other way to explain it.

I was consumed by the beauty of God that I found in the Scriptures. And by what I felt as the Holy Spirit entered my heart.

As I said earlier, this is all a review session if you are a regular here. Remember, Jesus said in Matthew 5 that we are to be the salt and light in the world.

Paul is reminding us now, be that salt and light by not being that guy, and by our not being that church that grumbles and complains and who is first to point out the negative and the worst in a situation.

No! Be the salt and light by being full of Christ centered optimism. Optimism that doesn’t ignore the truth of suffering and pain and sin, but instead lives and talks and cares and loves as one who knows that the pain and the suffering and the hurts of this world are not the end of the story.


Now for my third point from the passage: Following Paul’s lead I would ask that you think of your pastor, but not only me, also the other Christian brothers and sisters who have spoken truth into your life in order to build you up into the person of faith that you are today.

And think of those who will continue to mentor and co-labor with you in the Kingdom mission we’ve been called to.


Now let’s talk about the church in the Grass specifically for a moment; where we are as a local church

Listen, I don’t want to overstate it. But there have literally been sweat and tears poured out for this church and the people of this neighborhood. No blood from us yet. But sleepless nights. Anguished prayers. Re-situated priorities. Former passions and hobbies set aside or outright abandoned.

All for the goal of sharing the wonderful message of God’s saving love, and the importance of a church family in the life of every believer, and the need for all the children of God to properly reflect God’s love in the world.

We haven’t done it perfectly. We’re still growing and learning, but we have walked as close to the leading of God as we know how, no matter what the cost, and that’s what we will continue to do.

So, in love and gratitude to God first, and then in honor of the efforts of one another, let us live in a way that says, the efforts are not in vain.

How do we live that out? In humility and with a high regard for others, and with a missional heart for the lost that draws the lost in with the light of God and not the darkness of pessimistic negativity.

Shine. Shine. Shine. Don’t let our efforts be in vain.

Now, one last point:
This life. The life of the Christian on this side of eternity does not come with a promise of riches, or ease, or health, or even comfort.
We’ve been pretty well informed by the Scriptures that there will be struggles and sacrifice.

But God! But God is worth every tear that we shed. Every hour spent in prayer, every slap to our pride from the world.

It’s all okay and worth it, because we have Him! — AND, not God only, Paul points out that God has also given us one another — as a gift and as a reason to rejoice.
That’s what I think Paul is saying. In verse 17.

(…hold out the word of life—in order that I may boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor for nothing…)
17 But (the word “but” in verse 17 isn’t in the ESV translation, I’m not sure why the NIV has it. I would read it the ESV way by starting with the word “Even”) even if I am being poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and service coming from your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you.
18 So you too should be glad and rejoice with me.

This is such a beautiful picture of what the church is called to be. Rejoicing in the blessings of God, and celebrating the growth in faith that we see in one another and the birth of a heart of faith that we see in new converts.

That’s our joy! And everything else is worth that.

We are called to pour our selves out for one another, and for the lost. Pour out our motives that seek to put ourselves at the top or in the front of the line.

Pour our selves out and rejoice when our efforts bear fruit, by the power of the Holy Spirit working in and through us in the Church.
I rejoice when I see Andy growing in his role as a leader in this church. Releasing control, foregoing pride and just being a wonderful encourager to me, and a Godly example in the church. I rejoice!

And, I rejoice when I see Ryan following the path that God is laying out for him and truly pouring out his energy, time and talents. This man has nothing left when he’s done for the night. And when the week is over, he is POURED OUT! I rejoice!

And, I rejoice when I see Monica growing in her spiritual growth, in her humility and strength as a mother and a wife and a woman who knows, who “gets it” that she is a child of God — safe and secure in His hands. She walks with more Christ-centered confidence and assuredness than I have ever seen in anyone. I Rejoice!

And as I rejoice, I join with Paul and I ask you to look for reasons to rejoice as well.

I know life is hard. I know that there are times when sin haunts us. But God!

But, God has given us more than we ever deserved. And He promises to continue blessing us, and the final blessing is yet to come and we can’t even imagine the joy that will overtake us on that day.

So in light of God’s mercies on us and in light of the promise of what’s to come, “Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God …” And, “…Shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life!”

Let’s pray…
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