A Dedicated Messenger

Transcript

GR 630
1/23/1983
A Dedicated Messenger
Philippians 2:25-30
Gil Rugh

Book of Philippians in your Bibles; Book of Philippians and the Second Chapter, the conclusion of the Second Chapter of Philippians in our study this morning, where attention is focused on another person who played a key part in the life and the ministry of the Apostle Paul. And keep in mind what Paul has been writing about through these first two Chapters, overwriting theme of joy for us as believers pervades the Book of Philippians.

We are to experience the joy and rejoicing of the Lord, but as we will see again this morning that does not mean that we are always happy in the one sense of that word. There is joy, we can't be rejoicing even when we are experiencing sorrow, going through extreme trial and difficulty. That’s the kind of joy that Paul intends for us to have, a joy that is routed within and is our portion even when we are experiencing difficult times. Now to realize this joy, we as believers must be functioning in humility, humbly before the Lord and this humility manifest itself by our willingness to serve one another.

So the idea is tied together, to experience the joy that God intends for us as believers we must be living our lives in humility before the Lord, which entails serving one another as believers. And he has given several examples of those who walked in humility. The first and key being Jesus Christ in Chapter 2 verses 5 to 11, where in verse 5 we’re exhorted to have the mind of Christ and he exhibited his humility by humbling himself and becoming obedient to death. He presented himself the Apostle Paul as an example.

In verses 17 and 18 of Chapter 2, when he talked about being poured out as a drink offering giving his very life on behalf of the Philippians and he says he rejoices over that and they should too. Then in our last study together we looked at Timothy in verses 19 to 24, here is a man in contrast to all the others who seek their own interest, he put the interest of the Philippians first and he was willing to undergo the lack, the personal cost, the personal difficult that would be entailed in coming and ministering to the Philippians.

So he exemplifies that humility of mind willing to set aside his own interest his own personal benefits for the benefit of the Philippians. The Chapter closes by focusing attention on Epaphroditus and Paul gives more time to talking about Epaphroditus than any other one individual in the book. And it's interesting, because all we know about a Epaphroditus is sound right here. His name only appears one other time in the New Testament that’s over in Chapter 4 of Philippians in verse 18, the bulk of the material is right here.

Interesting, that here we get a glimpse of man who played major role in the Apostle Paul’s life and ministry particularly during the time of his imprisonment at Rome on this occasion, and yet we all know almost nothing about him; to me that makes him more interesting, because sometimes as we study about the various individuals in the scripture and we look at men like Paul and like Timothy, like some of the other outstanding characters, we sort to mark them off as different, as having such unique and special gifts that sometimes to say well, they must be different than I am. And we know as we studied their life they are not; they are men and women taken by God gifted by him and used by him in the accomplishing of his purposes.

But Epaphroditus stands out because as we study through we’ll see no great spectacular things said about him in regard to a gift. Paul will not refer to him as the one who is the best preacher from Philippi, as the one with the greatest talents or abilities in this area, the one who has done more or given more in a spectacular way; the thing that will stand out about Epaphroditus is the investment of himself in his ministry to the Apostle Paul. And Paul speaks very highly of him in this context.

In verse 25 he starts out, but I thought it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus. The, but contrast with verses 23 and 24. I am going to send Timothy to you to give you the update on my circumstances; as soon as the verdict is handed down I will send Timothy with the message. Then in verse 24, I am persuaded before the Lord that I will be coming shortly myself. So Timothy will come immediately bearing the news, and then as Paul has timed to arrange the affairs of his life, he also plans to come to Philippi. But even before Timothy has send, Paul felt that it was necessary to send Epaphroditus and Epaphroditus will be the man who bears the letter to the Philippians. And it's on this occasion that Paul gives us some key information about him.

Let’s have a word of prayer before we look at the details. Father we praise you this morning for the work of grace that you have done in our lives. Thank you for a savior who transforms us from within. Thank you for the testimony regarding Epaphroditus that we have to consider this morning. Father impress upon us as we study this passage, the true greatness of this servant of yours cause us to see what indeed makes a person successful in service for you. Lord praise that we might grasp the principles. Lord make it difference in our lives. Lord that we would make a difference in our service where the spirit might conform us to the character of Jesus Christ himself, even as we see it reflected in Epaphroditus. We pray in Jesus name, amen.

As I mentioned this is the only place Epaphroditus is mentioned. These verses at the close of Philippians Chapter 2, and then once in Philippians Chapter 4 verse 18. It was a common name in New Testament times; and interesting it means charming, calmly and perhaps indicates something of how his parents felt when he was born that this is a charming baby. Every parent feels that way maybe that’s why it was a common name. More probably it is tied to the name Aphrodite, and Aphrodite was the Greek Goddess of love and beauty. And it may indicate, seem very well would indicate that his parents were worshipers in the cult of Aphrodite.

So they named this baby son when Epaphroditus was born in honor of Aphrodite, the Greek Goddess of love and beauty, just as we find often through the Old Testament scriptures; individuals named with the name of God in Israel, because the Jews were worshipers of Jehovah, Elohim the true God. So here Epaphroditus named after Aphrodite, his name is not changed after his conversion, still bears the name of Epaphroditus, which carries the name of Aphrodite; evidently no superstition attached to a name or a title that they felt that it was necessary to change it. So he bears the name Epaphroditus.

Paul is going to describe him in five ways in verse 25. You noted in verse 25, he calls him a brother, a fellow worker, a fellow soldier, a messenger and a minister. And these expressions give some insight and light upon what made Epaphroditus effective as a servant, now this won't be the full picture. But these names help us appreciate what we ought to be looking for in fellow Christians. Sometimes we develop the worlds philosophy and idea; that you look for those who are the greatest, the most influential, the most powerful, the wealthiest whatever and we do that in the church.

We give all the glory to the preacher, to the best teachers, to those who stand out in remarkable ways; and Epaphroditus stands out, but not because of certain remarkable gifts. And Paul starts out very simply; he says that Epaphroditus is my brother; is it a Passover term like that and say well, fine my brother that’s just a general term. The word literally means from the same womb, and so a brother would be one who is from the same womb, born of the same mother. Now that significant it identifies us as having a common origin. And when you have that common origin there is a common level that you are also identified with.

We see this in families; you may have a brother or a sister who will grow up and have great fame, power, and influence, but it's still your brother, that doesn’t make any difference. In our families we are family, so my brothers are my brothers. I don’t bow down and anyway when I go home and visit with them and they don’t bow down before me. They don’t say the Right Reverend Monsignor is visiting us today, my we are honored. I walk in they say hi Bub that’s my nick name at home; hi Bub no big deal; how are you and I say; hi Jack, hi Randy that’s it, they are my brothers.

So important then there is something emphasized here that there is a common origin and we have that in Christ. We are brothers and sisters, because we have the same origin. We have been born into God’s family. We have come to trust Jesus Christ the savior and he’s cleansed us and caused us to be born into his family. We have the same origin now, and there is a commonality about us. In many churches they call one another brother and sister; that’s why I am not comfortable with using titles among ourselves as a family.

Why I am comfortable being Gil calling you by first name, not that there is disrespect, but there is a commonality among us. And your title and position is not an issue within the body. There is an equality among us across the board, we might say, and we need to be careful, because the distinctions that are drawn in the world tend to creep in. And this person is influential in the world and that tends to creep in among us. And we want to elevate them a little more, we want to honor them a little more and lose sight of the fact.

They are just a brother a sister in Jesus Christ. I say just, but that is everything as well. That is the exulted position. In Christ we are the sons of God, that’s the most exulted position I can have. Any other honors that I might have in the world naturally fall down the line from back. So, there is a recognition of a common level and a oneness. Now that say something about divisions that exist; that they are not to be present in the church. That Christianity, when we come to faith in Jesus Christ breaks down the barriers. We have become one in Christ.

And we are in Ephesians Chapter 2 and verse 14; Paul says that Christ has broken down the barrier between us, talking about Jews and Gentiles, that barrier has been annihilated. Now the world has an artificial brotherhood and they create that brotherhood by building barriers. We see this very clearly in race situations, and different races do it. The white race, the Anglo-Saxons they have an identity and they have a pride in an arrogance, and the blacks when emphasized their culture and have pride in theirs, and they identify a commonness among themselves.

But it is at the expense of building a barrier from others, and it happens in a variety of ways. And the people mark themselves of as a brotherhood, as a group bonded together. But in Christianity is the barriers were taken down, all of us is believers in Christ have been joined together as one. Now that seems obvious and it is, but when Paul identifies Epaphroditus as the brother that mark him of his special. And it's good for us to remind ourselves, how do we think about other believers in the body, and we degenerated to the point that we think some are more special and more important than others, more significant then why; and often it's because of incidental things that have nothing to do with position in Jesus Christ.

He identifies Epaphroditus in a second way. He says he is my brother; he is also my fellow worker. My fellow worker; Paul and Epaphroditus were joined together in a common work. And just the compound word; fellow worker, a worker with me; Paul and Epaphroditus were joined together in the work of the Gospel, that’s what their work was all about. And you note how Paul, he is the mighty Apostle Paul; the one who had received greater revelations from than anyone else. And yet he says he is my fellow worker. He puts himself on the same plane, the same level joined together in the work of the Gospel.

And you just note again, we have been mentioning along the way in our study of Philippians that our service in the Gospel is work. We are fellow workers. We are not those who have experienced salivation, so now that we can sit back and rest and relax and enjoy it, we are to enjoy it, but as we carry out the work of the Gospel. We are fellow workers, so there is a bond here. We are all joined together in the same task diverse as we are fellow workers in the Gospel.

And another statement, a fellow soldier and these are in building order. My brother, my fellow worker, my fellow soldier there is a heightening here; you add to it the brotherhood. But that is not passive; we are brother in who are working together, and we are brother in who are working together in a war. So we are joined in a conflict. We are fellow soldiers. When we talk about being in the work of the Gospel for the promotion of the Gospel of Jesus Christ; back in verse 22, we saw the Timothy served in the furtherance of the Gospel.

We have to remember, then but we have an enemy who is unrelenting. Satan is the foe and opponent of any and all who are identified with Jesus Christ, of anyone who had taken upon himself to promote the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I was interested in reading a comment of John Calvin, it was written centuries ago. But he makes the point that anyone who gives himself to the task of promoting the Gospel of Jesus Christ has entered combat with an unrelenting foe Satan himself and things haven’t changed, and I became a believer in Jesus Christ, than I became the mortal enemy of Satan. And thus there is constant warfare and battle going on.

Look over in second Corinthians Chapter 10. Paul refers to this warfare in Second Corinthians Chapter 10 verse 3; for though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh; for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. You note he there assumes we are in a war, we are in a war; and we do not do battle in this warfare with physical weapons, it is a spiritual warfare. Ephesians Chapter 6 tells us that, we are in a warfare against these forces of spiritual wickedness in heavenly places, not against physical things, but against spiritual forces.

Now these spirit forces often work through physical instruments, but the prime enemy is the spiritual foe that motivates and energizes the unbeliever in his opposition to the Gospel. Look over in Second Timothy at the end of his life Paul looks back, and he encourages Timothy. In Second Timothy Chapter 3; Second Timothy Chapter 2 verse 3, give this right yet. Second Timothy 2 verse 3, suffer hardship with me as a good soldier of Christ Jesus.

Here Paul exhorts Timothy to remember, you are a soldier that means you suffer hardship; no soldier on active service, in active service entangles himself in the affairs of everyday life. So that he may please the one who enlisted him as a soldier. You see the emphasis here; that a soldier is one who has been pulled out of the mainstream everyday activities to give himself in a concentrated way to preparation and involvement in warfare. Now Paul says to Timothy, you are a soldier on active duty. You don’t have the liberty to become involved in these things that would mire you down and distract you from soldiering.

And then you go over to Chapter 4; as Paul gives the summary of his life. He will say I have fought a good fight I have kept the faith. He sees his life is coming to an end, the war is over. Now taking that’s an indicator that this warfare will go on until Jesus calls us into his presence. So I might just as well set myself for it and be prepared to wait in and do battle. And I have all eternity to enjoy and relax; if I can use that word, even though we will be active we will not be warring, but now here in this life I am a soldier.

Come back to Philippians Chapter 2. So as Paul looked at Epaphroditus; he was a brother, one who had a common faith in Christ and we served together in the work of the Gospel as fellow soldiers. So we look around, we ought to look at one another in this way. We are brothers and sisters in Christ. We are fellow workers joined to same task, not all doing the same thing, but for the same end, the furtherance of the Gospel for the glory have gone, and we are fellow soldiers. We are serving together as an army.

Alright Paul goes on in verse 25; to identify him from the Philippians perspective; he says that Epaphroditus is a messenger. And this word messenger is the word Apostle; one sent is an emissary, as a representative with the message. Here he is the messenger from the Philippians. He was sent on a mission by the church at Philippi; that ministry that he was given that service as a messenger was to meet the Apostle Paul’s need. So he was to be the Philippians representative in needing Paul’s need.

Evidently he had brought the gift from the Philippians and the material things. And he was to stay with Paul and minister to his needs as long as was necessary. That’s what the Philippine church has sent him apart for. So he was the messenger of the Philippians and the minister to my needs. Again an interesting word on how the service of Epaphroditus was marked out, you mind this wasn’t anything spectacular. He wasn’t sent to proclaim the Gospel to Rome directly, he was sent to invest his life in serving the Apostle Paul.

Now I would say that another way, he was sent to invest his life in serving Jesus Christ by serving the Apostle Paul. I will say well, this was you know not a major task, not someone you would want to pull out to have some great gifts. You want to take your best teacher, your best leader or something like that. I mean this is something anyone could do, evidently not, because note when he says; he was the minister to my need. That word minister is the word that is used for priestly service in the New Testament.

And it says, he was sent to carry on a priestly service in meeting my needs and in effect what is said, is that Epaphroditus was serving was a priest of God in meeting the needs of Paul. Now that doesn’t mean that he was a priest in an official sense, but in the sense that we as believers our priest before God, believer priests; then the service we carry out is a sacrifice offered to God. And Epaphroditus just wasn’t coming and serving Paul, Epaphroditus was carrying out a priestly ministry.

Now look over in Chapter 4 verse 18 of Philippians. Verse 18, but I have received everything in full and have an abundance I am amply supplied having received from Epaphroditus what you have sent, a fragrant aroma an acceptable sacrifice well pleasing to God. So both what Epaphroditus brought and what Epaphroditus did was an offering to God. And I say that, because it's easy to lose sight of that and we get mire down and think, oh I am just doing a mundane thing, I am just serving out here.

I mean what Epaphroditus is doing, just what every can to meet Paul’s need, well that’s not anything spectacular, but it was. It was a priestly service. It was a sacrifice offered to God not even to Paul that posted on a different level. This is a priestly service I am carrying out for God that makes that ministry all the more significant. And here Paul he is doing his ministering to the need, Epaphroditus is ministering to the needs of Paul in the best ways it he can. And Paul says that’s a priestly service, well I take it that significant for all eternity. So we need to be careful that we mark out as important what God marks out as important, not evaluating things the way the world does.

Look over in Romans Chapter 15 verse 27. It's interesting how often this word is used in the context of material things. And we get to this when we get to Chapter 4 Philippians. But in Romans 15 verse 27, yes they were pleased to do so; the gentiles, particularly the Greeks Macedonians, now those whom Achaia had given an offering for the poor saints at Jerusalem. They were pleased to do so, and they are indebted to them; for if the Gentiles have shared in their spiritual things, they are indebted to minister to them.

That word minister is the word we are talking about; leitourgia, and we get the word liturgy from it; priestly service, to minister to them, to carry on this priestly service to them in material things. Over in Second Corinthians Chapter 9 verse 12. Second Corinthians 9:12, for the ministry of this service. There is our word again, this service; and the service here was the giving of their material things again in this context, is not only fully supplying the needs of the saints, but is also overflowing through many thanksgivings to God.

The ministry of this service; now, stress this because important that we put in proper perspective; everything you do as a believer in serving Jesus Christ, in serving other believers is placed in the category of priestly service. Now that makes it significant, there are no insignificant tasks, no out of the way tasks, because when it's a priestly service offered to God that elevates it to overwhelmingly significant. Now strange how distorted we get, someone does something that the world calls important.

And here a person is serving in rather out of the way, seems unimportant. But they are giving their life to the service of Jesus Christ. This is what’s important. This is priestly service offered to God. We as believers need to be careful; we appreciate one another on that level. And we need to be careful that we appreciate what we are doing personally on that level. Let’s not mire down and perhaps become grumbler and a complainer. Epaphroditus could say, oh my gifts are being waster. I am investing my life in Paul. I want to do something to make an impact, but his life was making an impact, and so he didn’t have that attitude at all.

Back to Philippians 2; we are obviously not going to take as much time with all the rest of the verses. This is who Epaphroditus is something of the character of his life and you measure yourself, and see how you fit. Now Paul is going to give the reasons why Epaphroditus is coming home, because he is coming home early. He was evidently supposed to stay to minister to Paul throughout his imprisonment. But he is coming home and Paul still imprisoned why, Paul must be sure he is well received when he gets home, not like a failure, oh you couldn’t see it through, you couldn’t stick out, you didn’t have what it takes, be sure he is well received.

He sent home for three reasons; one, to fulfill the desire that Epaphroditus had to be back with the Philippians; two, to bring joy to the Philippians; and three, to lessen Paul sorrow; so Epaphroditus is going to benefit, the Philippians will benefit, Paul will benefit by his return home. Note verse 26, because and this ties back, I thought it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus in verse 25, verse 26; because he was longing for you and was distressed, because you had heard that he was sick. You need some insights into Epaphroditus and why God could use him in such a ministry.

He was longing for you an intense word. He had that desire for you, reaching out of you. There was a place in the heart of Epaphroditus for the Philippians. He had a concern for them, but for a special reason he was distressed, because you had heard that he was sick. Jot down two passages for this word distressed. Matthew 26:37 and Mark 14:33. Let me read you one in the garden of Gethsemane. They came to a place name Gethsemane and he took with him Peter, James and John and began to be very distressed. That’s the same word that we have here regarding Epaphroditus.

It's used three times in the New Testament. The two passages I gave you in Matthew and in Mark of Jesus Christ and his distressing Gethsemane, and then this time here in Philippians Chapter 2 verse 26 he was distressed, because you had heard that he was sick, it denotes an agony, an inner turmoil undergoing a retching in the inside, it’s something of the intensity of it as you consider Christ experiencing Gethsemane.

Epaphroditus is going through this on behalf of the Philippians, and I think that significant. He is distressed, because of the Philippians not because of his personal discomfort. The Philippians had heard that Epaphroditus was sick, and he is terribly concerned for them that they will be worried about him. And here you have a beautiful picture, Epaphroditus is worried that the Philippians are going to be worried, and the Philippians are worried about Epaphroditus, both are manifesting a genuine concern about the other.

And here you see something of the character of Epaphroditus, is he sitting and saying, boy if the Philippians hadn’t sent me on this journey I wouldn’t be so sick, I wouldn’t be going through these problems, you know what’s his concern all the Philippians are going to be so worried about me, they are going to be so concerned. I want to set their heart at peace, what a genuine concern, so often. As we get caught up in difficulties, as we go through difficult times what happens, I get turned in word. And I begin to think, doesn’t anybody care about me, isn’t anyone interested in me, isn’t anybody going to take the time about me; what’s Epaphroditus is saying, oh I am so concerned for those Philippians.

He is going to turmoil in the inside, because he doesn’t want them to be concerned about him. He wants them to have peace about his situation. He was sick and verse 27 tells us he was very sick, for indeed he was sick to the point of death. In other words Epaphroditus almost died. And this evidently was a lengthy illness, one of the commentators took the time to figure out how long it would take to go from Rome to Philippi and then back again, to see about the news getting to Philippi and the news traveling back and so on.

So that Epaphroditus must have been sick for at least three months, now this just isn’t the flu that came in wind, evidently he was deathly ill and Paul had been through some experiences that brought him to the brink of death, he knew the difference Epaphroditus just wasn’t a sissy, but when he got a cold went to bed for a week. Here he was sick to the point he almost died, he came to deaths door, but God had mercy on him, and not on him only but also on me, lust that I should have sorrow upon sorrow.

Some interesting insights here; number one, Paul did not remain aloof from the suffering of Epaphroditus. He refers to the fact God had mercy on him, God pitied him, thus restored him to health, and you know what the reason lust I should have sorrow upon sorrow. And the picture here is wave after wave of sorrow, and here you see in sight into the Apostle Paul’s life; wait a minute day when there are so much cheap emphasis on happiness as Christians, and we ought to be happy all the time.

You see some people on some TV programs who are believers, every time they come they got this big grain and they are just bubble, bubble, bubble; and here Paul is talking about having wave after wave of sorrow. There is a different kind of Christianity that I read about in even a book of joy like Philippians. He had the sorrow of his own imprisonment and suffering. He had the sorrow of the illness of Epaphroditus, and then if Epaphroditus had died it would have been another wave of sorrow to sweep over the Apostle Paul.

You think Paul was sitting there saying, oh well Epaphroditus is sick, let’s just smile and be happy. I think he had the joy of the Lord, but I think he was experiencing sorrow. And he said if he had died it would have been another, get that; another wave of sorrow sweeping over me. So you need to be careful about the idea that sorrow is never God’s purpose for us as believers, it was God’s intention for the Apostle Paul that he experience sorrow. And even the sparing of Epaphroditus did not completely remove the sorrow from Paul.

We know that because down at the end of verse 28; I may be less concerned, that’s the same basic word as you have translated sorrow, but verse 27; that I maybe less sorrowful. He does not say that my sorrow be gone, but that I might have less sorrow. So I take it even when Epaphroditus left that relief some of the sorrow that Paul had, but it didn’t take it all away. So there is a place for sorrow in the life of the Christians, not self pity not the down and out well either you read through the Book of Philippians, you see the difference, but for sorrow.

Secondly, I want you to note here. That Paul did not heal Epaphroditus. Now what’s wrong, here is the man given the greatest revelations of any man, new revelations from God cut up to the third heaven, here is a man who have the gift of healing and he did not heal Epaphroditus, in fact the Epaphroditus hung in the balance and Paul had sorrow and didn’t know whether he was going to have to preach the funeral message for Epaphroditus or not.

In fact you study your New Testament and find out, if you ever find Paul healing a Christian. Some of for you to study, did you find any occasion anywhere in the New Testament where it's recorded that Paul ever healed a believer. I am not saying he didn’t, but are there any cases recorded where he did. We got a junk emphasis on healing today and that is not God’s intention for you to be sick and healings in the atonement and on and on and on. What’s Epaphroditus doing sick, there is no indication here there is any sin in his life, there is no indication here he doesn’t have faith.

You need to be careful idea that God doesn’t want you sick and then the perverted logic you here to support this; what’s Epaphroditus doing sick in the presence of the Apostle Paul was God’s intention at that time, why; I see no purpose in it. Epaphroditus travels all the way from Philippi to Rome to minister to the Apostle Paul to encourage him and he gets sick. And that just adds to the Apostle Paul sorrow, you tell me there is any good comes out of that, it's what God did isn’t it; this idea that, oh God doesn’t want you sick, God doesn’t intend for Christians to be sick, he took our sicknesses.

And that read Peter that find the interpretation of that didn’t have anything to do with physical sickness; you don’t find Paul healing Epaphroditus. God pitied him and spared him at the end evidently of an extended illness, an illness that perhaps went on for months where Epaphroditus hung in the balance. And then God saw fit to spare him, no indication that he touched him and raised him up, and you find this other places as well, where Paul has to encourage Timothy to a little bit of doctoring on his body, for his often infirmities and Paul had to leave another one of his coworkers along the way, because he got sick.

If we just stay the scripture and consider these things some things we want so badly that we will open our ears to be tickled and let us stray, and hope with I could only believe the God would never want me sick; I tell you. I like it, I like it, it's good, I will even send money for it, but then I come to the scripture I find out go when you put your head where it ought to be and evaluate what God says I find out that’s just not the way God has worked in the past, and that what he reveals as how he is going to work today.

Alright, that’s a little aside no extra charge that will be encouragement though. I get ill as a believer, I examine my life. I see is there sin in my life. I believe if I am ill, because of sin the chasing of God I will know it, when I discipline my children I make sure they know why they are being disciplined. God is disciplining me for sin in my life, I will know what the sin is, if not then I believe that God is just working his purposes in maturing me, and illness is part of that, and that maybe extended illness. For some it's almost a life time of suffering.

Some of the greatest servants of God, I mean those who suffered and suffered greatly. I refer to John Calvin, you ought to read his life, see what kind of physical suffering he went through throughout his life. He is a wreck, but the impact of his life and service for Jesus Christ is still felt, and we don’t know what the difference would have been if he’d had a healthy body. God used his physical suffering to enhance his service.

Alright let’s go on; therefore verse 28, I have sent him all the more eagerly in order that when you see him again you may rejoice and I may be less concerned about you, the Apostle Paul is something else. Here he is in prison on trial for his life and he is concerned that the Philippians have as much peace of mind and joy as they can. And I have send Epaphroditus, so when you see him healthy and well you can rejoice, and I maybe less concerned or less sorrowful, because the fact that he knows the Philippians are rejoicing will even elevate some of the sorrow that Paul experiencing, then you can say the sorrow is gone. Here is a man who is writing about having joy and even in midst that he has sorrow.

Now reminder it's right sometimes for us a Christians to have sorrow, right for us as Christians a time to weep, and sometimes we get to think we get the wrong idea to funeral. We think if a Christian goes to a funeral of a loved one without crying, he just show remarkable Christian character, but all it's too bad to some Christians breakdown. It's a place for Christian sorrow, we are human beings. When I became a believer in Jesus Christ, I did not lose my humanity. I became a child of God, but I am still a human being. I still go through those emotions, but praise God there is a difference, because he is working in my life and even in my sorrow I experience his joy.

Verse 29, therefore receive him in the Lord with all joy and hold men like him in high regard, high honor. Now here I think this is important, because it hasn’t been because he was a great preacher, it hasn’t been because he was the best teacher, the best giver, the most powerful leader, it was because of the faithfulness of his service those are the kind of men we ought to exult, kind of women we ought to exult in the church of Jesus Christ.

And you want to add a dimension here, the last verse I love it, because he came close to death, for the work of Christ, risking his life to complete what was deficient in your service to me. To complete what was deficient in your service to me; in other words the Philippians sent material things, but there was more to minister to Paul than just material things. They send, the Philippians sent Epaphroditus to minister personal lead to Paul; they couldn’t do that themselves, so they sent Epaphroditus to do it.

He was making up what was deficient, and you know what Epaphroditus went out with abandon. These are the expression you ought to underline, risking his life. Risking his life and you ought to write in the margin of your Bible gambling term, because that is a gambling term word used where you staked everything on tossing the dice. And it came to mean someone who took great risks, great chances. What he is saying is, when he risk his life he was reckless with his life. He went at serving me with complete abandon.

Now you see how Epaphroditus took this priestly ministry of serving Paul seriously. Paul says; he was reckless; again use that expression. He went out with abandon gambling his life if you will, if you won't take that in the wrong sense; and meeting my needs carrying out that ministry. Those are the kind of men you ought to hold in honor; those who throw themselves into the service of Jesus Christ without reservation. You note it was for the work of Christ that he was doing this, and I think that ought to say something to us, like this word they had the Parabolani and that was a title given to certain groups in early church history, who took on the dangerous task as believers.

They went to the prisons they minister to those who had contagious illnesses. They took the word gamblers we have here and just gave that as a title. They were those who were reckless with their life and service for Jesus Christ. And then these are the kind of individuals that we are to hold in high honor, and I say that, because we have such a conservative restrained approach to our Christianity today. And here Paul says that we are to hold in high honor those who go at their ministry of a Christ with a reckless abandon.

Now I realize that you can take this wrongly, and become foolish. But here is a man who came to the point of giving his very life and evidently he was sick, because he had so exhausted in himself, and thrown himself into his ministry and serving Paul for the work of Christ, that he lost his physical health. We are so timid, and we structure our lives so much that I won't have too much pressure. I don’t want to have too much time taken up or I have to be careful about how much I do here, and here we are to hold in high honor those who have a reckless abandon in their service for Jesus Christ, that say something about us.

What will I do, all if I am going to witness first I have flu, will this affect my job, will this affect my health, will this effect this, how will this affect my investments; when I get all done I am such a timid person there nothing left. And here the statement from God is hold in high honor those who go out it with a reckless abandon. Now there are those who go at that in the world, there are Christians who go either. We are talking about it though for the work of Christ, we are willing to take if you will great chances. I realized it may involve a great cost, but serving Jesus Christ is worthy.

I have counted the cost in serving him is worth it, he say; but wait a minute your health what about it; appreciate the man Charles Spurgeon I refer to him a lot, because I admire him as a preacher, priest in the last century. He goes at his ministry so hard through the year that he had to leave for four or five months and go to the Mediterranean to recuperate every year, preach 16, 18 times a week. I was reading the life of George Whitefield, preach 40 hours a week. Now I feel like a sluggard, if ever do that I am going to ask to be paid by the hour, I am sure.

But a saying, men that gave themselves to the service of Jesus Christ. Let’s say, oh poor Charles Haddon Spurgeon he died at 57. If he had just taken care of himself he might have lived to 87. So what, your life made an impact in the service for Jesus Christ, the work of the Gospel went forward that are much rather live to 57 and go home with to be with the Lord having had a life that made a difference than live to be a 107, with the life that made no impact at all. That would be great, if Indian Hills Community Church were known as the Parabolani, the gamblers, in the right sense. Those who go at their service for Jesus Christ with the reckless abandon, that they care for nothing, but that Jesus Christ be made known and exalted, we be a people to be held in high honor, because we serve Jesus Christ without restrain.

Let’s pray together. Father we praise you this morning for a man like Epaphroditus. Father a man whose life was structured around the Gospel of Jesus Christ and service for him. Lord, we wouldn’t exalt men, but we would praise you for your work in the life of men and women. Lord, we praise you for what you did in Epaphroditus. Father for the way that he gave himself to serving Paul in the work of Christ. Lord, I pray that we as a body of believers might be a body of servants who function in humility. Lord who go at our soldiering with a diligence, with a singleness of mind and purpose that; Father that our service for Jesus Christ might supersede everything. Father that whatever the cost we might count it worth it. Lord that we might be those who are willing to risk our lives for the work of Christ. Lord to have a reckless abandon in going forward in carrying the message. Father so often we are timid, we are restrained, we are afraid. Father make number one before us that Jesus Christ be exalted in our lives. Lord, if it's by our life or by our death, we will praise for you it. We pray in His name, amen.