Introduction

Review of Last Week

God’s Gym vs. the Worlds Gym ----you must have a membership card!

A.       The worlds gym focuses on the outward, the flesh

B.       God’s gym focuses on the inward, the spirit

C.       The worlds gym will reap temporal things that will fade away

D.       God’s gym will reap eternal benefits that will never fade away

1.      No pain, no gain—growing muscles vs. growing spirits

2.      Spotter when working out—Jesus is our spotter

3.      Push the wait upward

I.                   To Work Out One’s Own Salvation With Fear & Trembling v.12

II.                To Work At Obedience—To Work Out the Stirring of God Within the Heart v.13

III.             To Work At Not Murmuring v.14

IV.             To Work At Being Pure v.15

a.       Blameless v.15

b.      Harmless, sincere v.15

c.       Without Fault v.15

V.                To Work At Witnessing v.16

VI.             To Follow the Example of Sacrificial Labor v.17-18

This week I want to focus on the faithful example of others.

Nothing seems to challenge the human heart any more than the faithful example of others.

This passage gives us the dynamic of a young man who willingly served in second place, 2:19-24

Verse 19

I.                   Bckgrd: Timothy-A Young Man Who Willingly Served In Second Place

A.       Paul is deeply concerned about the Philippian church and its believers.

B.       He loves them and he deeply longs to minister to them, this is the heart of a pastor.

1.      He wants to know their state condition, welfare (v.19)

2.      He wants to care for them (v.20)

C.       But Paul is in prison; he cannot personally visit the church.  What can he do?

D.       He does the next best thing, he plans to send his faithful companion and co-worker, Timothy

But now God has set the members, each one of them, in the body just as He pleased. (1 Corinthians 12:18 NKJV)

Serving in second place is a privilege.  The second man not only leads those under his responsibility, but he also contributes to the life & ministry of the first man.

A.       An assistant is one who backs up, undergirds and supports another, one who follows after another.

B.       The business of the assistant pastor is to complete the task the Senior Pastor cannot.

C.       An assistant pastor is one who is able to take off on his own and able to get things done.

a.       Look for things that need to be done & do them

D.       Matt.6:5 –An assistant pastor does not look for someone to pat him on the back or to compliment him.

Verse 20

II.                He Had A Brotherly Spirit In Caring For Others

A.       An assistant must have a servant’s heart.  If the heart is not right, nothing else will work right.

B.       Jesus said that the greatest in the kingdom was the slave of all

C.       He also said that we must learn to be the servant of all, not to act like one but to be one

D.       True servants act, talk, and think like servants.

E.        Timothy cared for the church just as Paul cared for them, his heart naturally cared for them

1.      It was deep from within

2.      It was genuine and sincere

3.      It was the same kind of care that a genuine brother would have, a true concern

F.        Timothy was the only one who had the same kind of genuine interest in the Philippians that Paul had.

G.       Timothy was like-minded with Paul, which means he had the mind of Christ and he was characterized by humility.   

1.      2 Timothy 3:15—From childhood, Timothy had known the Scriptures.

2.      Acts 16:2—As he grew up he was highly recommended by those who knew him best.

3.      1 Corinthians 4:17—He was Paul’s beloved and faithful son in the Lord.

4.      Romans 16:21—Fellow worker.

5.      1 Thessalonians 3:2—Brother and minister of God, & fellow laborer in the gospel of Christ.

Ask Jesus to give you the heart of a servant!

"And I will give you shepherds according to My heart, who will feed you with knowledge and understanding. (Jeremiah 3:15 NKJV)

"I will set up shepherds over them who will feed them; and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed, nor shall they be lacking," says the LORD. (Jeremiah 23:4 NKJV)

Verse 21

III.             He Was Willing To Deny Himself-To Be Obsessed With The Things of Christ

A.       Sometimes even well meaning believers put their own interest before those interest that belong to the work of God

B.       Remember their were others who were seeking their own glory (1:15-18 cf. 2 Timothy 4:10,16), & willing to belittle Paul.

1.      They did not have the right motives in preaching the gospel

2.      They preached the gospel out of envy & strife

3.      Selfish ambitions, not sincerely wanting to add more affliction to Paul being in prison

C.       Timothy did not seek his own things, he denied himself, seeking the things of Christ.

1.      He wasn’t selfish – he did not live to make a good impression on others.

2.      He was humble – thinking of others being more superior than himself.

3.      He thought about what others needed rather than upon what he needed.

4.      He denied himself, took up his cross daily and followed the Lord Jesus Christ.

5.      He counted all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus his Lord

D.       Timothy Followed Paul who followed Jesus Christ

1.      Do not look to the world for role models, you have the  one’s to follow in Scripture.

2.      We must make the right choices when choosing our friendships

a.       Find a  close Christian friend – ­Galatians 6:1-3

b.      Don’t associate with those who mock God – Psalm 1:1-5

c.       Avoid relationships that could cause you to sin – 2 Corinthians 6:14-7:1

He who walks with wise men will be wise, But the companion of fools will be destroyed.

Do not be deceived: “Evil company corrupts good habits.”

d.      Make sure your friendships honor God – 1 John 1:7

3.      Timothy carefully followed Paul’s…

a.       Teaching, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, love, perseverance, persecutions & afflictions,

b.      Paul told him that he endured them & the Lord delivered Him

4.      Paul told Timothy he must continue in the things which he has learned and been assured of.

5.      And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.

I must stand with Pastor Brian & Robert, never criticizing a man who is standing for Christ.

I (we) either live our life in Philippians 1:21 or 2:21, which one is it?

Verse’s 22-24

IV.             He Was Willing To Be A Son, A Disciple

1.      Willing to be tried & proven v.22

a.       Proven.  Refers to putting someone or something being put to the test for the purpose of obtaining approval (1 Cor. 11:28; 2 Cor. 13:5; 1 Cor. 3:13 & 1 Peter 1:7; 1 Cor. 16:3).

b.      Paul was wise in not putting Timothy in the ministry right away. 

c.       1 Timothy 3:6-7 - Years later Paul wrote to Timothy about the importance of permitting new converts to grow before thrusting them into important places of ministry.

That as a son with his father, he served with me in the gospel v.22

a.       Younger ministers must respect & honor their elders & have them for an example

b.      The youth must have a proper respect for their elders

c.       Children must obey their parents

d.      Spiritual children must have respect & honor to those who are teaching them in the Lord

Therefore, I hope to send him to you at once v.23

1.      Timothy was willing to go as sent,  willingly to serve in the place the Lord had put him v.23

As soon as I see how it goes with me v.23.  Paul might have sensed that he was about to be released from prison.  Tradition indicates Paul was released from prison

1.      Paul was flexible

2.      He cared for the church

3.      Waited patiently to the end

4.      He committed the future into the hands of the Lord

5.      And he anticipates deliverance in going back to Philippi

But I trust in the Lord that I myself shall also come shortly v.24

1.      Blessed is the flexible.  I must be ready “in season and out of season”, ready to be used of God at any time in any way (2 Timothy 2:21), if I am not, I will break.

2.      Remember that there are no interruptions, just opportunities to minister the love of God to others.

3.      I must be guided by the Holy Spirit, being open & obeying His voice as He speaks to me from His Word.

4.      Walking in the Spirit implies an openness to have one’s schedule rearranged.  Everything God wants done will get done 

5.      While Paul was not positive what would happen in the future, he had placed his confidence in the Lord who is omniscient.

6.      The best commentary on this thought of being released and especially on complete trust in the Lord is found in 1:19-26 and 2:17,18.   

7.      Paul was a goal-orientated person (which is necessary if a person is ever to accomplish anything).  He normally made plans to what he wanted to do next, but at the same time he allowed for God to change the plans if He so desired.