Good Friends

Luke Kirkendall

Philippians • Sermon • Submitted 6 years ago

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The Original Avengers

Currently, one of the big movies in the theaters is Avengers: The Infinity War.

It’s one of the many super hero movies that’s out there.

The Avengers are a team of super heroes, and it’s composed of many of the classic super heroes that have existed for the last 50-60 years.

The Avengers have:

Captain America - The American Super Soldier from World War II.

The Incredible Hulk - The Gamma Ray Infused Giant Green monster that likes to smash stuff.

Spider-Man -The web-slinging Peter Parker.

Iron Man - A man within a super sophisticated robot suit of armor, that can fly and shoot lasers out of his palms.

Thor - The god of lightning from outer space.

And a bunch of others.

Each of these super heroes have their own super powers and abilities.

Some of them have special suits, and equipment that make them better than the average person.

Each of their talents and abilities give them unique strengths and weaknesses that need to be used together as a team to defeat their common enemy.

In today’s text, we learn about the original group of Avengers.

This is Paul’s group of men who served in Philippi to care for the church.

There was:

Paul

Timothy

And Epaphroditus.

Each of them had their own strengths and abilities that made them the perfect fit for the job.

I’ve even come up with super hero names for each of them as well:

Paul is called Joy Bringer.

Timothy is Gospel Boy.

And Epaphroditus is called The Gambler.

Those will also be the main points for our sermon.

Joy Bringer

Gospel Boy

And The Gambler

When I was younger, I’d love to pretend I was Spider-Man.

I’d climb on the monkey bars, making sure my feet never hit the ground.

And I’m sure today, there are plenty of kids who want to be like the Avengers that they see on the Big Screen.

Today, may we rekindle that desire to be a hero, by looking at the Original Avengers and imitate them in our own lives.

Let’s go ahead and read our text now.

Philippians 2:19-30.

A Personal Letter

Before we really dive into the text there’s a couple things we need to know.

First, this is a personal letter.

This is a of a one sided conversation.

It’s as if you’re listening in on a phone call.

You’re in the same room with someone who’s on the phone, but you’re only hearing him talk.

You don’t get to hear what’s being said on the other end.

So as you eavesdrop, you are trying to piece together all the different clues you hear, so you can understand the larger story.

That’s what we are doing here in this section of Philippians.

We are trying to piece together the things that we hear so that we can understand the larger events in Philippi.

And that being said, there’s some things we also don’t know.

We don’t know a whole lot about Epaphroditus, we have to make some guesses.

We don’t know all the details of Timothy’s relationship with the Philippians either.

But we do know that these 3 men have had deep fellowship together, and they desperately love the church, specifically the Philippian church.

The first member of the Original Avengers is Joy Bringer - Paul.

We are familiar with Paul.

He’s not an unknown to us.

But what we see with Paul is that no matter the situation he’s in, he’s filled with joy.

That’s why he’s Joy Bringer.

Paul is in house arrest.

He’s chained to a Roman guard.

He has no freedom.

No privacy.

Though he’s in the comfort of a house arrest, it is not luxury.

He has to come up with money for his own food and to pay for the Roman guard chained to his side.

Meanwhile, he’s not allowed to leave the house.

This means that he is dependent upon the kindness of other people to pay for his stay in jail.

Others need to send him food, money, clothing; whatever is needed for him to survive.

He’s especially vulnerable.

But no where does Paul complain.

Later on in the book he will say he has learned to be content in all things.

And instead of complaining, he rejoices.

Chapter 1 he says he prays with joy.

And even when hearing that others are taking advantage of his sad situation, he continues in joy.

He says in 1:18, “What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice. Yes, and I will rejoice,”

Unsure if he will live or die, he even rejoices in the opportunity of death.

“For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better.”

He sees death as better.

Last week we saw that even if he were to die, he says, “I am glad and rejoice with you all.”

That is someone who is filled with joy.

This is the result of having a life that is constantly focused on the Cross and knowing Christ as King.

Have you ever been around someone that’s completely cross focused?

Often times when we think of someone who is obsessed with his religion, we picture someone who is legalistic.

Focused only on rules and do, do, do.

But the Cross-Focused person isn’t legalistic.

This person is joyful.

This is the person who when confronted with trials says, “Well, it’s better than I deserve.”

Because he knows that he deserves Hell, but Christ died for him.

And holds to , knowing that whatever happens, its for his good.

They walk by the Spirit.

They live by the Spirit.

A person who is obsessed with the glory of Christ ... that obsession is contagious.

The joy that they have overflows out of them.

And they desire to see that same joy in others.

Throughout this book, Paul has repeatedly desired for the Philippians to have joy.

Back in chapter 1, Paul said that he prays that the Philippians love would abound more and more.

And while wrestling with whether he should live or die, he said back in 1:25, “Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all, for your progress and joy in the faith”

Paul’s desire is to see the church be joyful.

Part of the reason for Paul writing this letter is so that the Philippian church would have joy.

At the end of the previous passage we see how much Paul desires for the church to be joyful.

Verse 18 says, “Likewise you also should be glad and rejoice with me.”

That’s a command to rejoice.

This teaches us right off the bat, there is a need for joyful Christians.

The Great Commission is to go and make disciples.

Looking at Paul, we see that a disciple is to be joyful.

And therefore, if we are to make disciples, we are to make joyful disciples.

And if we are to make joyful disciples, then we are to live lives that can be imitated in joy.

To put it another way, we need to be joyful.

How do we do that?

By constantly looking to the Cross.

Seeing our sins for what they are - worthy of Hell.

But dear Christian, not in a moping, hang your head down sort of way.

But so that we can constantly rejoice that Jesus has saved us from our condition.

Looking at our sins is so that we can see that something has been accomplished.

I enjoy World War II.

But not so that I can cry and complain about the evil in the world

I don’t look back on World War II and live in a continued state of mourning.

Those who went and fought in World War II, have been nicknamed The Greatest Generation.

I like looking back and seeing the heroes who went and fought.

I like looking back and celebrating what they accomplished.

And that’s how we look back at the Cross.

There’s humility, but there’s also great celebration.

And coming out of that celebration, we encourage others to rejoice as well.

If we are to make disciples, what kind of disciples are you making?

What kind of influence are you on others?

Do you bring people down?

Or do you cause people to rejoice?

And this isn’t just trying to make people laugh or be happy.

This is a true and honest joy in the Lord.

Desiring to see them understand more fully the work of Christ.

Paul, was the Joy Bringer.

But he doesn’t need to be alone in this super power.

The church has a need for people who bring joy to others in Christ.

The next member of our Original Avengers is Gospel Boy - Timothy

Gospel Boy.

I’m sorry, I couldn’t think of another name.

He’s a boy, because he’s much younger than Paul.

Timothy is described as like a son to Paul.

In I Timothy we learn that in his youth he could be timid.

And he was told to not let his youth get in the way of his ministry.

He was told to set an example in his speech, conduct, love, faith and purity.

So that’s why in Gospel Boy, he’s a boy.

But now for the real part of his super power, Gospel.

Timothy was a proven minister of the Lord.

He was well known for how well he served with Paul in the work of the Gospel.

Verse 22 says, “But you know Timothy’s proven worth ...”

His service to the Lord stood out and was exceptional.

At this point in our letter to the Philippians, Paul is wanting to send Timothy to Philippi.

Timothy has two reasons for going to Philippi.

First, he’s going to find out how the Philippians are doing.

And Paul hopes to continue to praise God for the state of the Philippian church.

But also, Timothy is one of the best people that Paul knows, and he will be able to minister to the Philippians wholeheartedly, without reservation.

What sets Timothy apart from other people is that Timothy puts Christ before everything else.

In , Paul compares Timothy to others.

“For I have no one like him, who will be genuinely concerned for your welfare. For they all seek their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ. “

For I have no one like him, who will be genuinely concerned for your welfare. For they all seek their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ.

This is incredibly important, because this is the reality of saying that Jesus is Lord.

When you become a Christian, we profess that we believe Jesus died for our sins and rose again.

Basic confession there.

If you don’t believe that, you’re not a Christian.

We also say that He is Lord.

Saying Jesus is Lord isn’t just a cliche or a random statement.

It means He is our master, and we are His slaves.

We lay our lives under His.

Him being Lord, we pursue obedience to Him.

For most people who claim to be Christian, they’ll affirm that Jesus died and rose again, but the Lordship part … that’s the stickler.

That’s the part they fail on.

Many people claim to be Christian, but nothing really changes when they convert.

Sometimes there is a push for a different morality.

There should be repentance.

But the reason for that change should be because Jesus is Lord.

There is a pattern that is established in the Bible, that we seem to overlook in our lives.

The pattern is that the early church, took their conversion seriously.

How serious is it?

We are told to die to ourselves.

says, “We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin.”

The change should be so radical, that it’s as if we are a brand new person.

Paul said to live is Christ and to die is gain.

Here, he describes Timothy as one who looks for Christ before even his own interests.

Somehow, this has been overlooked by the church.

Verse 21 describes far too many Christians.

Way too many Christians look out for their own interests first.

Vacations, entertainment, personal comfort come before Christ.

What would your life look like if you looked to Christ before even yourself?

How would your decisions look?

What would your budget look like?

What would your house look like?

What would your schedule look like?

Timothy was The Gospel Boy, because he saw the need for the Gospel in people’s lives.

That was and is man’s greatest need.

Because he was so Gospel focused he made the Gospel the utmost priority in his life.

And the last member of our Original Avengers is The Gambler - Epaphroditus

Perhaps, you’re wondering why I call him the Gambler.

We don’t know a whole lot about Epaphroditus.

He has a Greek name.

Being Greek, he was probably not originally a worshiper of God.

Those who were Jewish converts would have been familiar with the Old Testament.

They would have been familiar with God.

But not him.

He probably came from a Greek family who worshiped Aphrodite, the goddess of love.

The name means, “Favored by Aphrodite”.

But like Timothy, who was Greek and converted to Christ, Epaphroditus though Greek, converted to Christ.

Epaphroditus, the Gambler.

He was a servant of Christ.

And in his service to Christ he risked his life.

Perhaps Gambler isn’t the best word to use.

It’s not like he went to Pechanga and let it all ride on black, or spent all his money buying lotto tickets.

Really, he took a risk for the Gospel.

Fellow worker

In verse 25 we have a description of him as Paul’s fellow worker and soldier.

But then you see that at the end of verse 25 Paul says that Epaphroditus is their messenger and minister to his need.

Remember, this is a one sided conversation.

So what we can pick out from this, is that the Philippians sent Epaphroditus to Rome, to support Paul.

He came with news of Philippi.

He also came probably bringing money, food and supplies.

But somewhere along the way, Epaphroditus got sick.

In fact he was so sick, he almost died.

His illness had delayed his return to Philippi.

The Philippians were obviously concerned for their brother Epaphroditus, who should have returned a long time ago.

We are sending a group of people from our church to the Czech Republic in almost exactly 2 months, in the same kind of the same mission as Epaphroditus.

We are bringing some help to them, as well as working along side the Czech church in ministry.

But imagine if along the way, one of us got really sick.

So sick, we had to leave one of us behind.

We’d be heartbroken.

That’s what the Philippians were experiencing.

He risked his life going on this journey to Rome, got very sick and almost died.

Just as a side note, notice that Epaphroditus got sick.

This won’t take any of you by surprise, but God has never promised that if you become a Christian nothing bad will ever happen to you.

There are some groups that think that if you are a Christian you will always be healthy.

And if for some reason you do get sick, they think that it means either you have sinned, or you’re really not a Christian.

That kind of thinking is just foolishness.

Christians can get sick.

Christians do get sick.

And Christians even die.

We see all of this with Epaphroditus.

He was a servant of Christ.

And in his service to Christ he risked his life.

In his loving service of Christ to the church, he got sick and almost died.

Being a Christian doesn’t mean that we are safe from harm.

There are risks to take in our walk.

The world will hate you.

You will be seen as foolish.

You will be seen as weak.

You will be called a bigot.

You will deny yourself.

Putting aside your own desires, in order to please Christ.

You will lay down your life for others.

Consider others as better than yourself.

Isn’t that a risk?

Someone might not appreciate your sacrifice, or you might even be taken advantage of.

Wives, you take a risk when you submit to your husbands.

Husbands, you take a risk when you love your wife like Christ loved the church.

And yet, there are even greater risks.

Following Christ might mean that even your life is taken from you.

I think of Jim Elliot and the 4 other American men who were missionaries in Ecuador.

Their plan was to begin by using a plane to drop off gifts and build a relationship with an uncontacted tribe of natives.

Then, they would preach the Gospel to them in an attempt to convert the tribe.

This worked for about 3 months.

But then in January of 1956, Jim and his 4 friends were attacked and killed by warriors from the tribe.

The Gospel involves risks.

But the story doesn’t end there.

Several years later, Jim’s wife and a sister of one of the killed men, returned to the same Ecuadorian tribe to preach the Gospel.

That’s a risk.

We already know it’s a deadly situation.

Jim’s wife personally and deeply knows it’s a deadly situation, seeing as how this tribe already killed her husband.

But she took a risk.

And the result?

Many of the tribe were converted and saved, including some of those who killed the 5 men.

For about 3 months, 5 American Christian men, went to Ecuador, and using an airplane, they would drop off gifts and tried to build a relationship with a tribe of people there.

Their efforts were to preach the gospel to t

The Christian life is risky.

Is yours risky?

Enough with a safe Christianity.

It’s time to take a risk.

It’s time to get serious about:

Going to war with sin.

Pursuing holiness.

Evangelizing.

This is our Original Avengers Team

We have:

Joy Bringer

Gospel Boy

And The Gambler

But in reality, these characteristics were shared by all of them.

They all had a deep love for the church, and wanted to see her filled with joy.

They all had truly put Christ first.

It wasn’t just Timothy.

Epaphroditus and Paul both went to great lengths for the Gospel.

And they all took risks for the Gospel.

Timothy was circumcised at a late age, just so his uncircumcision would not be a hindrance to the Jews that they preached the Gospel to.

That’s a risk.

Paul was repeatedly beaten and put in jail.

That’s a risk.

This tells me that these qualities are not just limited to these three men.

They are qualities that all of us are to pursue.

We all are to be:

Joy bringers

Gospel Men and Women

And Risk Takers for Christ.

There is an expectation for Christians to rejoice and to be vessels of joy for others.

The Great Commission is not just for a few.

But all Christians are to make disciples.

No more thinking that it’s just the pastor, or just the really passionate Christians.

It’s all of us who are to put Christ and the Gospel first.

And all of us are to get outside of our cozy Christianity, risking our comforts.

I realize I started with a super hero analogy, and it’s kind of silly.

The glory of the church is that when we are putting these things to action; joy, the Gospel, and risks; together we can accomplish more than the super heroes do in those movies.

In , as the Christians did these things, and they were accused of turning the world upside down.

So the super hero analogy is done.

You’ve seen three men who love the Lord, and put their love for the Lord into action, by caring for the church.

If you love the Lord, then imitate these things and put them to actions.

Pray

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