Philippians 2:19-30 | Following Jesus in Selfless Sacrifice
Earlier in chapter 2, Paul presented Jesus as an example of humility and sacrifice. Verses 19-30 read like a travelogue. It feels different. But if we look deeper, we’ll see the connection: two men who exemplify the Christ-like qualities he spoke of earlier. The Lord is our model; and Timothy and Epaphroditus are model Christians. Let’s read it now.
19 I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, so that I too may be cheered by news of you. 20 For I have no one like him, who will be genuinely concerned for your welfare. 21 For they all seek their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ. 22 But you know Timothy’s proven worth, how as a son with a father he has served with me in the gospel. 23 I hope therefore to send him just as soon as I see how it will go with me, 24 and I trust in the Lord that shortly I myself will come also.
25 I have thought it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus my brother and fellow worker and fellow soldier, and your messenger and minister to my need, 26 for he has been longing for you all and has been distressed because you heard that he was ill. 27 Indeed he was ill, near to death. But God had mercy on him, and not only on him but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow. 28 I am the more eager to send him, therefore, that you may rejoice at seeing him again, and that I may be less anxious. 29 So receive him in the Lord with all joy, and honor such men, 30 for he nearly died for the work of Christ, risking his life to complete what was lacking in your service to me
INTRODUCTION
After Paul’s words about the beauty of Jesus’s humble sacrifice, a question rises to the surface: can I expect to find that same beauty among his followers? I mean, after all, if it’s Jesus’s church, shouldn’t his humble, sacrificial service mark the church through and through? Paul says it does, and in this passage, he presents Exhibit A and B, proving the preceding gospel doctrine of Jesus isn’t just something good to think about but creates a beautiful gospel culture to live inside.
Timothy and Epaphroditus are proof that the gospel is real. I mean why else work so hard and suffer and put others’ interest above your own?
Here’s the lesson: our lives bear witness to the fact that Jesus suffered and died. If others see in us the same kind of Christ-centered self-sacrifice, they can see the truth of the gospel. That doesn’t mean when we fail, the gospel is less true. It’s true no matter what. But it can be seen in the way we sacrifice, serve, and care for one another.
Of course, we can’t do it without Jesus. That’s the other lesson. Christ not only shows us the way, he is the way. He not only commands us to go and live likewise; he invites us into himself, comes to us by his Spirit, and empowers us to live self-sacrificial lives.
Paul wants us to see in Timothy and Epaphroditus the kind of whole-hearted Christian life that Jesus our Savior creates. So my sermon today is pretty simple, outline-wise: Paul’s two examples, and what those examples mean for us.
EXAMPLE 1: TIMOTHY
In verses 19-25, Paul relays Timothy’s plans. Timothy was coming to get a first-hand report of the condition of the church—to report to Paul the status of the disagreement within. Paul hoped that report would encourage him, that his letter would have had an impact, helping them agree in the Lord in all humility and joy.
Who was Timothy, and why was he being sent?
Chapter 1, verse 1 says this letter is from Paul and Timothy. Acts 16 says Timothy was a convert of Paul who went on to be Paul’s companion and right-hand man on many of his missionary journeys. His name means, “one who honors God,” and from all accounts, he lived up to that name. The Philippians knew him well. He planted the church with Paul. In fact, he helped plant many churches, raising up men and women to serve those churches, and leaving to go to the next city to start all over again, pouring himself out for the sake of the gospel.
Why would Timothy do this? What possesses a man to give up a normal life with a regular 9-5 job with a steady salary and good benefits and paid time off and plenty of time on the weekend to hang out with the family, work in the yard, and watch football? Church planting is incredibly taxing one time, but he did it repeatedly. Pastoring is trying, but he was tireless. What compels a man to do this? Jesus does. When Timothy came to Christ, Christ sent him out, and Timothy willingly went.
Timothy read and accepted the beginning of Philippians 2 about the example of Jesus. “Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant…he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross…”
Timothy knew those weren’t just beautiful words, they were beautiful words about his beautiful savior. Jesus did that for him, and he did it for others, and he was willing to suffer so others would know.
Timothy was the right man for the job. He might not have looked like it on first impression. In other parts of the Bible, Paul talks to him about his timidity. Timothy was just a regular guy, whom Jesus saved and Paul discipled, that was willing to put all his chips on Jesus’s square. And Jesus took him around the ancient world, planting churches and pastoring people and pouring himself out for the sake of the gospel. Timothy is a perfect example of the biblical truth that God exalts the humble.
Timothy was a man who deeply accepted the lordship of Jesus. He let Jesus set the boundaries of his life because he saw in Jesus the kind of Lord who could be trusted. Jesus made himself nothing for nobodies like Timothy. Jesus emptied himself, taking the form of Timothy’s servant so that he might save him from his sins and usher him into an eternal kingdom. Timothy was a humble man whom God used in his mighty hands for his mighty purposes because he simply looked to Christ by faith and trusted him with his life.
What does that service look like?
Well, look at verse 20. Paul says he has no one like Timothy who “will be genuinely concerned for your welfare.” John Stott says the word genuinely contains the idea “as a birthright.” Timothy served with Paul as a son with a father. He took upon himself the responsibility to care, alongside Paul, for the church, as a responsibility from Jesus. He thought to himself, “I’m responsible for them. I want to care for them as much as I care for myself. I’m committed because Jesus is committed to them.” Do we take responsibility for one another as Timothy did, for Jesus’s sake? Do we serve one another in this way? Do we have a genuine concern for the welfare of our brothers and sisters inside the church?
There seems to be nothing forced or artificial about Timothy’s care. It came naturally to him. Or, rather, it came supernaturally to him. Jesus so changed his heart that he couldn’t not love his brothers and sisters. That’s the key to it all. If we want to care as Timothy cared, we must let Jesus change us. We must deeply accept not only the salvation of Jesus but also the calling of Jesus. What he commands is hard, and to love people is the hardest of all, but whatever Jesus commands he also gives. He gave it to Timothy. He can give it to you too.
We see how this gift reveals itself in verse 21. “For they all seek their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ.” Who is “they” that seek their own interests? Probably others Paul could have sent. Timothy is different. He’s a truly humble man. Not a bone in his body wants something for himself.
And the Philippians could see this. Paul says in verse 22 Timothy was a proven commodity. He was faithful, steady, and sure. He had a good reputation. Over the years, he proved he wasn’t out for himself. He wanted, like Paul, to see Christ formed in them.
Like Jesus, Timothy put the interests of others above his own. That’s the true measure of a servant-hearted person. Timothy was a mature Christian. Compared to the important people of the world, he wasn’t much. But inside Jesus’s Church, he was mighty because he knew how to care. When we get outside of ourselves and care for others for the sake of Christ, we know we’re gaining traction in our Christian life.
Now, Paul can’t send Timothy immediately. He says in verse 23 he wants to wait until he knows what his fate will be. Then Timothy can bring that word as well. And since Timothy couldn’t leave immediately, he sends Epaphroditus back to them, and in doing so, gives us the second example of the kind of self-sacrificial life Jesus creates.
EXAMPLE 2: EPAPHRODITUS
Epaphroditus was a Philippian sent by the church to care for Paul in prison, and to bring him the gifts Paul thanks them for in chapter 4. But it wasn’t an easy trip. You see in verses 27-30 that he nearly died from an illness. So Paul sent him back. But as he sent him back, he honored him. Look at verse 25: brother, fellow worker, fellow soldier, messenger and minister.
First, Paul calls him a brother. They’re not just friends; they’re brothers because of Christ. I’m not sure we think about this enough. Look at our world. Look at the divisons. If you were to come from another planet and watch our cable news, would you ever get the idea that there was any love possible in this world? The early church lived in a world with the same divisions we face: political, racial, and ethnic. But the gospel of Jesus united these previously separate people, not into an organization but into a family. Many of their differences remained but they simply overlooked them for the sake of Jesus.
Paul saw Epaphroditus as his brother. We see that in his concern for his well-being. He was anxious about his illness and feared his death. That’s how brothers react when things go wrong. Do you see your church family the same way? Does your concern for one another rise to the level of brotherhood and sisterhood?
Second, Paul calls Epaphroditus a fellow worker. Isn’t that interesting? He wasn’t merely a good Christian; he was a good Christian worker. He worked for the Lord, for the sake of the gospel. He worked hard. Hard work for Jesus’s sake is an honorable thing. It’s important, though, to understand that, like Epaphroditus, we don’t work for our salvation. We receive that freely by grace through faith apart from all our works. But when Jesus saves us, he does deploy us.
Third, Paul calls Epaphroditus a fellow soldier. Here we think back to Philippians 1:27 where Paul exhorts them to live worthy of the gospel, to strive side by side for the sake of the gospel. Epaphroditus did that alongside Paul. He fought against the opposition to Christ’s work in the world. The work you do for Jesus is more like a battle than it is a job. We’re in a spiritual war. The enemy is trying to steal hearts away from Jesus.
Fourth, Paul calls Epaphroditus a messenger and minister. The church sent him to Paul to serve and care for him on their behalf. Unfortunately, he got seriously ill, near death. Adding to his illness was his homesickness. In verse 26, Paul says Epaphroditus had been longing for the Philippians, and he was distressed because they knew he was sick. He was there as a minister to Paul, but he was still ministering to the Philippians. He was still putting their interests above his own. He didn’t want them worrying about him—not because he didn’t think himself important enough to worry about but because he loved them so much, he hated the fact that his health caused them concern. He was more concerned about their reaction to his illness than he was about his illness itself.
So Paul sends him back home. Why? We could interpret it was because he just couldn’t hang with Paul and Timothy, but that doesn’t seem to be the case. Paul explains in verse 28. He’s eager to send him so that they may rejoice in seeing him. They missed him, and he missed them. Just having him back would bring joy. Paul was also anxious to send him back because he knew Epaphroditus would better minister to them than he would to him. Now we see Paul putting their interest over his own. Paul certainly needed help and comfort but he knew the Philippians needed Epaphroditus more than he did. He would serve them in Christ in a way that they needed, with all the spiritual resources springing from a life of service and sacrifice in Christ.
So, there are the two examples. But what does it mean for us? What can we do in response to this passage?
APPLICATION: WHAT IT MEANS FOR US
The final two verses of the passage give us insight into how we can respond. When Paul sent Epaphroditus back, he told the Philippians in verses 29 and 30 to “receive him in the Lord with all joy, and honor such men, for he nearly died for the work of Christ, risking his life to complete what was lacking in your service to me.”
Here we see three applications:
Joyful Reception
Honor
Care
Joyful Reception
Paul tells them to receive Epaphroditus with all joy. But notice the phrase before it: “receive him in the Lord.” How can we receive someone with all joy? We do so in the Lord. What does that mean? I don’t know about you, but my joy in others often feels so limited. But you know whose joy isn’t limited? The Lord’s. Paul is telling the Philippians to receive him as the Lord himself would, with open arms and an open heart.
You know, Jesus could have come down as a “Here I Am” person, drawing attention to himself, boasting of his divinity. Instead, he came down as a “There You Are” person, always on the lookout for those he could serve. Throughout the Bible, we see the Lord taking the initiative at great cost to himself. How can we, as his followers, do anything less?
We can’t do this without humility. Don’t we just hate putting others first? Don’t we just hate when we are the ones giving attention rather than receiving? Our great problem in living the Christian life is our deep tendency to re-insert ourselves into that sacred place where only Jesus belongs. When we put Jesus first, by repentance and faith, we have his power to love and rejoice in others.
The secret to the self-giving life you long for in Christ is not up so high that you can’t reach it. God has put it way down low among us in Christ, and by his Spirit, we can go down there with Jesus and take hold. All we have to do is humble ourselves—just get out of our own dang way and stop making everything about us all the time.
The way to the beauty of Christ is the way of Christ—humble service for the glory of God. The gospel takes us there. God came down to us. He came not to grind us in the dirt for our sin but to take our sin upon himself in Christ at the cross. His humility is our salvation. If Jesus went there, are we too good to go there too?
Honor
“Honor such men.” This simple command holds a world of power. We know what honor looks like here at Refuge, don’t we? We love Romans 12:10, “Outdo one another in showing honor.”
Too many Christians live on a starvation diet of affirmation. When was the last time you met someone that was too encouraged?
What does it mean to honor one another? Well, it’s not flattery. The world loves flattery–I say something nice to you, about you, so that you will say something nice to me, about me. Flattery is self-serving. Honoring is Christ-focused.
To honor someone is more than recognizing their efforts, as honorable as they may be. Honoring someone is looking at the work of the Holy Spirit in that person. It’s honoring the Lord for what he’s doing through that person. That’s why it can be competitive: it is boasting in the Lord. We should outdo one another in honoring what the Lord is doing through us.
So recognize the work of the Lord in someone else. Most likely, they have no idea that God is doing anything through them. They feel weak and sinful, and they are, but they are also strong and glorious in Christ.
Here’s how you can take action on this today. Did you know October is Pastor Appreciation Month? I don’t know who made it up, but I’m glad they did. Pastors ought to be appreciated. I remember Ray Ortlund saying once, “If your pastor loves the Lord, is faithful to his wife, preaches Jesus from the Bible, don’t hassle him. Who can flourish under that scrutiny? Instead, get down on your knees and thank God. He gave you your pastor.”
Now, I believe we love Dustin really well, so I’m not trying to correct us in any way. Rather, this is a pep talk. Let’s keep at it. I pay attention to the pastoral world, and I see how this year has just absolutely beat pastors up, as it has all of us. Well, here’s our opportunity to live out Paul’s call to honor such men.
God gave us Pastor Dustin. He gave you Pastor Dustin. How can you honor him this month?
I’m so glad I get to say this today. I want you to know that you have a Lead Pastor who deeply cares for you. He serves you relentlessly, often in ways you can’t even see. But I see it, and more importantly, the Lord himself sees it. And the Lord Jesus Christ is the reason Dustin does it anyway. Honor such men.
Care
Francis Schaeffer wrote an essay called 2 Contents, 2 Realities. He offered four things that mark gospel-centered churches: sound doctrine, honest answers to honest questions, true spirituality, and the beauty of human relationships. Schaeffer also said once that the watching world has the God-given right to judge the church on that last reality—the beauty of human relationships, its care for one another. He said, “If we do not show beauty in the way we treat each other, then in the eyes of the world and in the eyes of our own children, we are destroying the truth we proclaim.”
Do you notice how care is jam-packed throughout this passage? Everything Paul says flows from it and is directed toward it. He and Timothy care about the Philippians as they care about them. He is anxious and concerned for Epaphroditus’s health and well-being. He’s sending him back not because he’s failed or is too weak but because he knows he will be strengthened at home in the Philippian church and they will be strengthened too.
Selfless care is laced throughout this passage. We love the opening passages of Philippians 2 for its high theology of Jesus. Rightly so. But do we understand the kind of people that makes us into? Do we understand the kind of joyful reception and honor and deep care we are to give to one another for Jesus’s sake? How life-giving this is! How dignifying and humanizing it is to be cared for and to care for one another!
But it’s not easy. How can we stay in a place of other-centeredness? How can we have the capacity to care deeply for one another when it so often feels as if no one cares as deeply for us? Here’s how. Cast your eyes upon Jesus.
That’s where Paul starts all this anyway. You and I will never care well for others until we first see how Jesus cares us. We can give only what we have. We deeply need to see the kind of care Jesus has for us. Jesus not only models care for us, he cares for us., and through his care, we have something to give. That’s why we can never outgrow the gospel. Every day, I wake up needing a fresh dose of gospel, and you do to. Every day, I wake up feeling unloved, uncared for, unable to do what I know I should. So I need to come to Jesus. I need to behold his love in the gospel. I need to see that every need I have he has provision in abundance for in himself. As I receive care from the Lord, I have care to give to others. Our path forward is constantly beholding Jesus.
Timothy and Epaphroditus and Paul and Dustin were and are great pastors, but they’re nothing compared to Jesus. He’s the pastor who not only nearly dies in your service but actually did. He died to save you from your sins. He died to give you his kingdom, his righteousness, his very life. Look to him, and keep looking to him, and then look to him some more. Then, and only then, can you live the kind of Christian life he calls you to live.
Let’s pray.
