Well, this morning, once again, we turn to Philippians chapter 2, as we consider the last number of verses of chapter 2, verses 19 through 30, verses 19 through 30 of Philippians chapter 2. We hear now the Word of God. I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, that I also may be cheered when I receive news about you. I have no one else like him who takes a genuine interest in your welfare. For everyone looks out for his own interests, not those of Jesus Christ. 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. I hope, therefore, to send him as soon as I see how things go with me. And I am confident in the Lord that I myself will come soon. But 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. For he longs for all of you and is distressed because you heard he was ill. 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. 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. Welcome him in the Lord with great joy and honor, and honor men like him, because he almost died for the work of Christ, risking his life to make up for the help you could not give me. Beloved in Christ the Lord, in John chapter 13, Jesus said, A new command I give you, love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. You see, that is the practical result of new life, of true life in Jesus Christ. true christianity expresses itself is recognized by love love for god above all and for our neighbor as ourself especially as brothers and sisters in christ we know of course that paul has been preaching to imitate christ to imitate the selfless humility of the lord jesus Christ and it is as if our Lord summarizes what that means with the word love. And Paul is calling the Philippian believers and you and I to take this command seriously to imitate the selfless humility of Christ. To live in love with love for one another. To look away from ourselves. Now it may be for you that as we read this passage, this text this morning already that this seems like an odd part of this letter. It doesn't seem to fit with things that Paul has said before. Paul is very personal here. He's talking about individuals from almost 2,000 years ago. He's talking about situations that were taking place that seemed to affect the church to whom he was writing almost 2,000 years ago. It's a bit like the letters that we might write. Well, Billy has been up to this and Sally is doing that and well, Bobby, he's been sick but he's feeling better. And as we read this what seems to be a personal account, we you might wonder, well, what does that have to do with us today? And the answer is, really, it has everything to do with us. Because Paul, in good Paul fashion, has told, he's been busy telling the Philippian believers and telling us today what we must know, what we must believe, that He who began a good work in you will be faithful to complete it. That for to me to live is Christ, And to die is gain. That we are recipients of the grace of God. Talking about what Jesus Christ did. He humbled Himself all the way to death on a cross. He's been busy telling us what we must know and believe. And also then telling us what we must do in response to what we are to know. In response to the grace of God. He's been talking about that Gospel conduct that we have been considering. How to live as a result of that Gospel. But see, with this passage now, we notice that his instruction doesn't end there. He doesn't simply tell God's people what to do, but he shows God's people. He shows us here how the rubber meets the road. He portrays in this passage the true nature of the Christian life and he gives a wonderful picture of the life of the church. A life of love for one another. And he does so using three examples. Sure, he only places two before the Philippian church, Timothy and Epaphroditus. But as you and I read this and consider this here in 2007, we see three because we cannot overlook Paul's example himself. He fits in here with the other two. And with these examples, then, we see Christian soldiers practicing gospel conduct. Christian soldiers practicing gospel conduct that is, first of all, heavenly-minded. And it is, in the second place, with earthly good. Maybe you've heard someone being described as, they are so heavenly-minded that they are of no earthly good. We might think, first of all, monks. Those who go hide off in a monastery somewhere, lock themselves behind doors, and they meditate, they pray, they do whatever they do in those places. But when we're talking about an ordinary individual, We might say that one knows the Bible inside and out. Their faith is strong. There's no doubt about that. They witness for the Lord Jesus Christ. They're not afraid to confront another in their sin and call them to repentance and faith. And as well, they long for the glory of heaven. They can't wait to be with the Lord. And all of that sounds good, doesn't it? They are so heavenly minded, we might say. But they might be of no earthly good in the sense that at the very same time, They sort of ignore the reality of this life that God calls us to live. They ignore the reality of the daily details and the challenges that God's people face on this earth. They don't get their hands dirty, as it were, in the service, in Christian service. They're so heavenly minded that they are of no earthly good. That's not the case here with these examples. Indeed, they practice gospel conduct that is heavenly-minded. Notice Paul, verses 19 and 24. I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon that I also may be cheered when I receive news about you. And verse 24, And I am confident in the Lord that I myself will come soon. See, the first thing we need to notice is that kingdom citizens, heavenly citizens, are to be heavenly-minded. We are to be heavenly-minded. And Paul was. Paul was dominated by Jesus Christ. He did not focus on earthly authority. Remember his situation. He was a prisoner in Rome. Chained up. Possibly between two guards. Nero, wicked, godless Nero, who hated Christians and Christianity, was in power at that time. But Paul's confidence, negatively speaking, is that it's not his current or physical or visible situation or those who seem to control his present life or his future life that he is concerned about, that he considers. The emperor may call the shots. The emperor may control Paul's destiny in a manner of speaking. But Paul did not consider his future life or the details of his life in terms of Nero. It was not Nero who governed Paul's life. He did not say here, well, before I decide whether I'm going to send Timothy, I've got to wait and see what Nero decides. I have to wait and see how he feels when he wakes up in the morning, if he gets up on the right side of the bed, because you know, Nero is the kind of person, he could wake up tomorrow and decide, we're going to wipe out Christianity, we're going to kill them all. And therefore, I've got to wait and see what Nero does before I decide whether or not I'm going to send Timothy or whether I'll be able to come myself. No. because life is not governed in terms of Nero. You see, beloved, we may think that our employers or the economy or our grade point average or a host of other things is that which determines our future, governs our lives. But it's not. Well, those things may very well be the means and the tools that God uses to lead us and direct us in our life. But along with Paul, we are to be confident of sovereign control. What I want to point to you in those two verses are these two phrases. Paul says, I hope in the Lord Jesus. And I am confident in the Lord. You see, Paul's focus is that, sure, he's a prisoner of Nero, but he is a bondservant of Jesus Christ. He is bound to the service of the Savior who saved him. For Paul, we know that all is Christ. To live is Christ. Life is Christ. He does not think apart from Christ. He does not come to a decision except in terms of Christ. His confidence was that the Lord Jesus Christ sovereignly determines all things according to the eternal plan of God. including something as small as whether or not Paul will send Timothy or whether he will come himself to the Philippian church. Paul's will was bound together with, it was governed by, it was surrendered to the will of Jesus Christ. He trusted completely in the plan of God that in all things, God works for the good of those who love Him. And his only desire was to be content in the sovereign will of God as God's plan for Paul unfolded day by day. And his desire then was to please God. When it comes to us, our actions and our plans, the things that we determine to do are often made according to common sense. What seems sensible or reasonable according to reason. And you see, in many ways that's okay as long as we remember and understand that our common sense and our reason is also sinful and must be exercised within the boundaries of God's will. We don't know, like Paul, we don't know God's hidden, His secret will. We don't know God's plan for us until it unfolds for us day by day. But we, along with Paul, do know God's revealed will. I am the Lord your God. Serve me. Trust me. I control all things. You are safe in my hand. We know God's revealed will. We often act and we often make our plans first, apart from God. And only then after we have made our plans, then we stop and we pray and we ask God to bless the plans that we have already made. But that's the wrong order. You see, in all things, beloved, We are to live in such a way that our attitude is if the Lord wills. If the Lord wills, God is in control. His plan is perfect. You see, sometimes our desires and the things that make sense to us do not fit God's plan. Some of you know that's the way it was for me. I didn't want to be a preacher. It didn't seem reasonable to me. It seemed unreasonable to me. Back to almost 70 years ago when my wife and I visited here, one of you, one of the young children of our congregation who's now a high school boy, asked me, why do you want to be a preacher? And I had to say, I didn't. I didn't. And how many times have you planned something, only for some reason, whatever it might have been, you weren't able to carry out those plans, and you only found out later it was a good thing. It was not God's plan. Our focus, beloved, is to be on the One who gives life. And all of life is to be lived in and for Him as unto the Lord, bowing before the Lordship of Jesus Christ. Paul says earlier that every knee will bow before Him one day. And then he shows us in a practical way how believers do that now. He had no need to fear Nero. Nero was probably the most powerful person on earth at that time. but even he could not frustrate the will of Jesus Christ. Even he was subject to the plan of God. Even if Paul died at the hands of Nero, Paul knew that it was the will of the Lord. God is in sovereign control. We are called, beloved, to be heavenly minded, especially when it comes to the details of this life. There is no greater comfort than to know that God's will is perfect. His plan is complete. He makes no mistakes. He has shown us this. We have seen it in His salvation of us. And we have the guarantee of it along with Paul that when we die, God is so in control that we will be with Christ. Paul's gospel conduct was governed by the will of the Lord Jesus Christ. He was heavenly minded and so were Timothy and Epaphroditus as together the three of them practiced gospel conduct with earthly good. You cannot practice gospel conduct with earthly good if you are not heavenly minded. And he shows us that here with Timothy and Epaphroditus and himself and even the Philippian church as they care for fellow believers. As they loved and cared for fellow believers even as Jesus Christ selflessly had cared for them. They demonstrated earthly good by not forsaking this life. You know, Paul was ready to die. We know that. Paul desired to depart and be with the Lord. But notice, that desire did not cause him to just sit back between the guards, chained to the guards, and let whatever will be, to let it be. His eternal hope did not cause him to abandon the church on earth and his brothers and sisters in Christ. To ignore them. Crucifying the flesh does not mean crucifying all feelings and gifts and desires on behalf of others. But we are to be active. Actively practicing Christianity in this life. Working out your salvation with fear and trembling includes working on behalf of brothers and sisters in Christ. That's what Paul did. Even in prison. We know that Paul wrote many of his letters from prison inspired by the Holy Spirit, the very Word of God that you and I benefit from even today, almost 2,000 years later. Even from prison, he exercised care and love and concern for the people of God as he preached from prison for the spiritual and the physical good of believers. Because he was anxious for God's people. He had a desire for God's people. As well as did Timothy and Epaphroditus. Notice verses 19 and 20 again. I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, that I also may be cheered when I receive news about you. I have no one else like him who takes a genuine interest in your welfare. And then verse 26 regarding Epaphroditus, for he longs for all of you and is distressed because you heard that he was ill. For Paul's part, Paul desired to know how the Philippian believers were doing. He loved them. They were partners in the Gospel. He was encouraged. He rejoiced in their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. In their demonstration of that faith. And he would send Timothy, whom he trusted with his life. He would send Timothy for a first-hand report. And also, he would send him for the benefit of the Philippian believers. Because Timothy had a genuine, godly spirit of love for God's people. He cared for God's people. And Paul knew that he could be trusted to see to the needs of God's people. And then there was Epaphroditus. Epaphroditus was a fine Christian man whom Paul says risked his life for the work of Christ. He is described by Paul as their, the church's messenger, their minister of mercy, if you will. To Paul. As well, Paul describes him as his own brother, his fellow worker and fellow soldier. Epaphroditus was anxious for the Philippian believers. He longs for them, Paul says. Why? Because he knew. He knew that they were burdened with anxiousness and love for him. He knew that they knew that he was desperately sick, that he had been close to death. Some say that Epaphroditus was homesick and he wanted to go back to the Philippian believers to relieve his own homesickness, but that's not true. Oh, he may have been homesick, but he wanted to relieve their worries. He wasn't concerned about himself. He did not want them to worry. He did not want them to be burdened on his account. He had love and concern for them. Beloved, with these three examples, do you see the pattern here of the work of the Lord? This work does not mean that our eyes are to be on heaven while we forget about earth. But this work includes living the gospel of love and concern for fellow believers. It includes longing for Christian fellowship with each other. It includes encouraging one another in the Lord. It includes exercising hospitality, giving someone a hug when you see they need it, or a phone call, or a visit, or encouragement, or even admonishment. Not locking yourself away, being tied to your own selfish interest and details of life. Being involved with each other in the Lord. Our lives as believers are not to be isolated from one another. We are not to be islands. But very much intermixed, interconnected, joined together with one another in Christian love. See, God has placed believers together in this world. We are the minority, we know that, but God has placed believers together in this world as an army for Him. And we are called to watch out for each other, to cover the backs of each other. To tend to each other's wounds. To stand strong side by side with one another. That is true communion of the saints. And Paul demonstrates that by demonstrating his joy in verse 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. Paul's joy was that Epaphroditus and the Philippian believers be reunited. Because He had such love for both of them, He would rejoice in the happiness that that reunion would bring to them. And in that way, He demonstrates the practice of true Christianity that He speaks about in Romans 12 when He says rejoice with those who rejoice and mourn with those who mourn. The only way we can do that, beloved, is to know each other. To know the details of each other. his lives. Paul also shows us here that this earthly good includes a true, what we might describe as the true association that believers have in Christ. In verse 25 he says, but I think it is necessary to send back to you Epaphroditus, my brother, fellow worker, and fellow soldier. What a powerful description of the relationship he had with Epaphroditus. my brother, my fellow worker, my fellow soldier. But you see, that doesn't just describe the relationship that Paul had with Epaphroditus. That describes, that's a beautiful description of what we as believers are in Christ Jesus. We are brothers, brothers and sisters in the Lord Jesus Christ. The idea there is to come from the same womb or to have a common origin. The church is not just a group, a collection of individuals with similar interests or certain things that we have in common like a political party or a love for history or an enjoyment of quilt making or the hobby of old cars or surfing or sports or music or something like that. In fact, many believers might not have any of these things in common in this life. But all believers have the most important thing in common. And that is that all believers are children of God. All believers have the common origin of being born again by the one and same Holy Spirit of God. All believers are related to one another in Christ Jesus. We are a family. We are a family, brothers and sisters of Christ. And brothers and sisters in Christ. And therefore too, God's people are on an equal footing because true faith wipes out. It ignores the distinction between the rich and the poor, between the strong and the weak, between the healthy and the sick, between the wise and the not-so-wise, between the master and the slave, between color and race, as all of these together in Christ make up the heavenly citizenship. And beloved, we know that that brotherhood is demonstrated in many ways. We are demonstrating it even now as we gather together, sitting side by side, shoulder to shoulder with our brothers and sisters in Christ for worship. We demonstrate it in many ways. But in particular, specifically as this text deals with, especially in sharing love and concern for one another. Truly valuing the life, physical and spiritual, of each other. Seeking the benefit and the good of one another. see that's the example that we have before us we see that here the Philippian believers they sent Epaphroditus whom they dearly loved they gave him up for a time they sacrificed him if you will to attend to Paul's needs and Timothy Timothy served Paul as a son with his father they served side by side and Timothy Paul knew would take a genuine interest in the welfare of the Philippian believers and then Paul though Epaphroditus was a great help it appears that the justice system the prison system of that day was not like today where they're given TV and all the amenities of life back then they might not even been given much food if any their needs had to be met by their friends and Paul says in chapter 4 that Epaphroditus arrived with their gift the gift from the church supplies Epaphroditus was a great help to provide for Paul. But Paul sent him back to Philippi because Paul believed that they needed Epaphroditus more than he needed Epaphroditus. Very practical stuff, beloved. Practical Christianity. And this relationship as brothers and sisters in Christ is bound by the blood of Jesus, that tie that binds our hearts together. And that means that that great love and concern for each other shows itself in action also as fellow workers. We are fellow workers. Working side by side, engaging in the work of Christ. In verse 30, Epaphroditus is said to have almost died for the work of Christ. It's not our work that we are to be about. Not even when we tend to the needs of each other. It's Christ's work. It is the interest of Christ, as verse 21 says, that we are to be about. We are called to work side by side together for the master, for the king of his church, holding forth the word of life. And in verses 20 and 21, we are given a hint at the spirit that that work is to be carried out in. I have no one else like him who takes a genuine interest in your welfare, For everyone looks out for his own interests, not those of Jesus Christ. In other translations, Paul says, For I have no one like-minded. You see, of all those in Rome, of all the believers in Rome that Paul might have thought of to send to the Philippian church, there was no one else who shared Paul's heart, who shared Paul's love like Timothy, who was totally selfless, who was completely outward-looking, who was the real deal when it came to looking to the interests of others. And that is the spirit in which we are to engage in this work together. Being like-minded with Paul and Timothy, following the example of our Lord Jesus Christ, selfless humility. Epaphroditus, too, was selfless. He risked his life for the work of Christ. Selfish believers, you see, are not much good to each other or to the kingdom of God. Christ must come first. His ministry, His message, His people. And as we considered last week in verses 16 and 17, the Christian life and the Christian service is a sacrifice. A sacrifice offered to God. And we might say, beloved, that that work that we are to engage in together includes learning and instruction. Learning together, learning more and more from the Word of God. Instructing each other. And as well, that work includes seeking to affect the world, having such a positive influence on the world that it can offer no legitimate objection. It will always offer an objection to the church. But it is to be able to offer no legitimate objection, especially as the world sees how God's people love and care for each other. And we are to seek to affect the world through the laws of our land. in the capacity that God gives us as Christian citizens, seeking to have laws made and passed and enacted for the benefit and the welfare of mankind that promote human dignity all for the glory of God. We are brothers and sisters in Christ. We are fellow workers in the work of Christ, but also fellow soldiers. We are in the army of the living God. There is a battle. You know that. Christ is victorious, and we are victorious with Him. We are safe and secure forever. Paul has made that clear, hasn't he? To be with the Lord. But the battle continues in this life until He comes again. In Ephesians 6, verse 12, Paul says, For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world, and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Satan, we know, is busy. He is active trying to destroy the church of Jesus Christ. He is trying to use wickedness and the wicked people of the world to make friends with the church so that we don't think unbelievers are so bad. We need to remember, beloved, that light has nothing to do, can have nothing to do with darkness. Satan is busy spreading false doctrine, spreading error, and especially today, We are to fight false teaching that justifies killing those who are not in agreement with it. Paul says in chapter 1, we are to contend together as one man for the faith in the gospel. Beloved, the church is called to fight. God's people are to band together to fight to ensure the purity of doctrine. Not to compromise. Not to water down even in a little bit. Not to accept anything less than the pure truth of the Word of God. Not in our homes. Not in our church. Even our Bible studies must be true to the Word of God. Not in school. But also we are to stand to be corrected when we are wrong. One of the practical ways that Satan is battling us today is with busyness. He's battling with busyness. come on let's be honest one of the biggest complaints that you and I express to one another is I'm so busy I'm so busy I just don't have time for anything else well whose fault is it? it's ours because we have made details that ought not be most important we've made them most important our lives are so busy we have no time for quality family time anymore. No time for the family of God. No time for a cup of coffee and a conversation with our brothers and sisters in Christ to get to the heart of the matter. How are you doing in your walk with the Lord? To encourage each other. To admonish each other. And that's because our focus has been misplaced on earthly things and activities that have become the be-all and the end-all instead of measuring the things of this life against the will of God. Our beloved, we must reclaim our time as God has intended for the family of God. Because iron cannot sharpen iron if it never touches. And as we engage in this work as soldiers of the living God, we are to have a glorious Spirit. The Spirit that we see in Paul and Timothy and Epaphroditus, Paul was ready to die for Christ's sake. Timothy did not consider himself at all. He did not consider his comforts, his success, or his advancement first in anything. That was always secondary or way down the line. He only considered the church of Jesus Christ first. Epaphroditus did not regard his life. He almost died. The idea there is he risked his life. He exposed himself to danger for friendship, for the work of Christ. A little bit like those who hid Jews from the Nazis. Or as I read too, as someone who might be a legal defense for someone else and even go stand before Nero, the emperor. The one who stood before him on behalf of another, put his life in danger on behalf of the one. I love it in this text, which is really so very practical. What a glorious picture of the true nature of the Christian life and of the life of the church. This is the love and the care and the concern that believers are to have for one another in response to the selfless love of Jesus Christ that He has poured out on us. As we work out our salvation with fear and trembling, we need to understand it also has reference to fellow believers, to one another. And our greatest example is indeed Jesus Christ. Not only the cross. The cross which is the crown of His selfless interest for you and me. Remember, as He walked this earth, He took time for children. He took time for the sick. He took time for those who were mourning or for sinners or for those who called out to Him from the street corners. He even took time for one when we would say it was most inconvenient as He was hanging on the cross. He gave Himself in His promise to the repentant thief. He gave before He gave His all for you and me. Beloved believers, have Jesus Christ in common. His salvation and the destiny of eternal glory. Those heavenly things. We have that in common. That is for all those who repent of their sins and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, It's guaranteed for you, for me. But we also have His work on earth in common. Outside of Him, there's only loneliness. There's only abandonment for eternity where the thirst for fellowship will never be quenched. But in Him, there is eternal joy and fellowship. And therefore, even today, those who believe in Him, one who believes in Him is a part of that greatest family. The family of God. that family that will be reunited one day in heaven and not one family member will be missing. And therefore, we must care today for those with whom we will share heaven for eternity. Those who have been given the saving love of Jesus Christ and who have been given value by Him in the sight of God will then see value in one another for Jesus' sake. See, beloved, God's people cannot help but to love one another because of Jesus Christ, who is the tie that binds our hearts together in Christian love. Amen. Let's pray together. Our great God and Heavenly Father, indeed, as we have expressed time and time again, You have given to us so much for which to be thankful. Including our brothers and sisters in Christ. But we must confess, Lord, that often we do forget about each other. Often we don't give thanks to You for each other as we ought. Often we don't appreciate each other. We don't demonstrate love and concern for one another and share in the lives of each other. And Father, more and more give us a godly love for our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ, those whom you have placed in our lives to encourage us, by which to strengthen us, to help each one of us along in our walk with the Lord. Strengthen your church, O Lord, by strengthening our love here in this place for each other and for our brothers and sisters whom we will never meet in this life, even as we look forward to being reunited one day in glory. with our elder brother Jesus Christ around the throne of our Father in Heaven. Hear our prayer, O Lord, for Jesus' sake, and in His name we pray. Amen.