Sermon Series: Jesus-Everything We Need

 Better Men (and Women) 

Philippians 2:19-30 

CBC Bishop 6/22/03

In a nutshell: God is looking for men and women who display integrity, teachable-ness, selfless-ness, perseverance, servanthood, and sacrifice. These are the qualities that make us "better" men and women of God.

I. Introduction

A. A Few Good Men

Probably all of us have seen the Marine Corps advertising campaign where they say that they're looking for "a few good men."-the few, the proud, the Marines! Have you ever wondered, are they looking for people who are already good…or are they offering to make you into a good man? Maybe if you're a former Marine, you can let me know after the service. J

Well, regardless, the Marines aren't the only ones looking for good men or women. Good men and women are needed everywhere. Did you know that God is looking for good men and women?

The Civil War era pastor, E. M. Bounds, whose writings on prayer have influenced the current generation of pastors in the United States very greatly, wrote the words that I put on the front of your worship folders this morning. He said, "Men are looking for better methods while God is looking for better men."

The longer I'm a follower of Jesus Christ, the more I am certain that one of God's primary goals is for us to be "better" men and women. But the problem comes in the definition of "better". I think one of the mistakes too many Christians are making today is that they are equating E. M. Bounds idea of "better" with success.

B. The Measure of Success

You see, too many Christians today are wanting to be successful, not wanting to be "better". And success is usually measured in terms of the three "B's"… -buildings -bodies, and -budgets And those that have the most in these three areas, are considered successful.

Now I'm not against any of those things. In fact, one of the items we want to share with you at our "state of the church" meeting at noon, is that God is growing our CBC family at a very healthy rate. And because of that, we are beginning to max out this facility for worship services. So what do we do? It's a great problem to have, but running out of space isn't success!

In fact, it's possible to gather a lot of people in a church building, but only have a crowd-not a church. The thing that makes the difference is the power of God, changing lives.

C. Is My Life Being Changed?

Every Christian man and woman needs to be wrestling with his or her answers to these questions: "Is my life being changed?" "Am I growing in Christ?" "Am I farther along this year than I was last year?" "Am I becoming more like Jesus Christ on the inside?"

Life transformation is the key to being "better"! Everything else flows from that. Whatever else we may accomplish --Our lives are not really becoming "better" unless they are being touched by God's life-changing power.

God has called us to live lives that are authentically Christian. By that I mean He wants us to live lives that have been and are being transformed into the image of His Son, Jesus Christ. When that happens, our beliefs start impacting our behavior, and our behavior starts impacting our world.

D. Transition to the text

Well, this was certainly the case with the men mentioned in the verses we're going to be looking at today. If you have your Bibles, I would encourage you to turn to Philippians 2 this morning. In verses 19-30, we're going to see where the apostle Paul singles out two young men who exemplify what it means to "be better"-their names are Timothy and Epaphroditus. These two men were men who were transformed by God's power. They were men who set an example for their generation and for us to follow.

As Paul singles them out, we're going to see why you and I should emulate them. So, let's look at these verses, starting at verse 19…

Philippians 2:19-30 19 I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, that I also may be cheered when I receive news about you. 20 I have no one else like him, who takes a genuine interest in your welfare. 21 For everyone looks out for his own interests, not those of Jesus Christ. 22 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. 23 I hope, therefore, to send him as soon as I see how things go with me. 24 And I am confident in the Lord that I myself will come soon. 25 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. 26 For he longs for all of you and is distressed because you heard he was ill. 27 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. 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. 29 Welcome him in the Lord with great joy, and honor men like him, 30 because he almost died for the work of Christ, risking his life to make up for the help you could not give me.

From these verses I want to show you six characteristics that these two young Christian guys displayed that we need to develop in our lives, in order to be "better" followers of Jesus Christ.

II. Timothy

So, first, let's look at the life of Timothy. He demonstrated four characteristics that contributed to him being someone who was "better".

A. Integrity

First of all, Timothy was a man of integrity. Paul said of Timothy in verse 20…, "I have no one else like him." It was obvious that Paul thought very highly of Timothy. Timothy had become a man Paul could trust because he was a man who had incorporated his faith into every area of his life. That's what made him a man of integrity.

Integrity means that you are an integrated whole--that you really are who you appear to be. And when it comes to being a follower of Jesus Christ, integrity means that you're a person whose outward life is a result of the relationship you say you have.

Look at these words from…

Proverbs 11:20 The Lord hates people with twisted hearts, but he delights in those who have integrity. (NLT)

Boy!!!! We need to emphasize that more and more. Research that I've read recently from both the Barna Research Institute and the Gallop Polls…on the way Christians behave…say that most Christians in the United States do not live any differently than people who do not claim to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. All indications are that many Christians' faith has not made them very faithful. It seems that faith for many Christians resides in the realm of the theoretical, rather than the practical.

If that's the case, is it any wonder that the church is making so little difference in modern society? The Church isn't making very much of a difference, because the people who are called the church are not different!

But, Timothy was different. He was a man Paul could count on. He was a "better" man. And that fact was reflected in his lifestyle.

B. Teachable-ness

A second characteristic I want to call your attention to, that was seen in Timothy, was something I call, teachable-ness. By that I mean…Timothy was willing to learn something more. He regularly put himself in a position where he could learn all he could about following Jesus from his mentor, Paul.

Paul said in verse 22, that "as a son with his father he has served with me in the work of the gospel."

Illustration: My son-in-law Brian, has been working for his dad, in Palm Springs, for the past year. His dad is a general building contractor. Now, I don't know if Brian's going to work in the general contracting field all his life, or if this is just a stepping stone to something else. But what I do know of my son-in-law is that today he has become very proficient in a variety of difficult carpentry skills, that he didn't know how to do a year ago. Why? Because my son-in-law is teachable. He is learning a number of the skills that are needed to re-model homes, because he is learning from his dad, who is a very accomplished builder.

Jesus said, "Follow me." And Paul said in…

1 Corinthians 11:1 1 Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.

Timothy understood that he couldn't become a "better" follower of Jesus Christ by himself. He submitted himself to the leadership of the apostle Paul and learned from Paul how to follow Jesus.

Friends, we need more teachable men and women at CBC. And quite frankly, we need more men and women who will step up to the plate and become teachers of others, as well. We need mentors who are genuine enough in their faith that they can say, "Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ." And we need younger men and women to say, "I will follow you as you follow Christ."

C. Selflessness

A third characteristic of Timothy is found in verses 20-21…

Philippians 2:20-21 20 I have no one else like him, who takes a genuine interest in your welfare. 21 For everyone looks out for his own interests, not those of Jesus Christ.

The third characteristic is selflessness. Now, you've all heard about how we should be selfless to the needs of others. But Timothy's selflessness was more than merely selfless acts for the sake of others. It wasn't that he merely saw a need and took it upon himself to meet it. His selflessness was a result of Jesus Christ being his top priority. In other words, he asked the question, WHAT WOULD JESUS DO?

So, when he heard of the needs of the Christians in Philippi, Timothy did something that no other Christian who was in Rome at that time considered doing…he said, "I'll go over there and help." Why? Because that's what Jesus would do. He selflessly was going to pull up stakes, move from his home, go live with people he had never met…so he could help meet their need for a ministry leader.

The great devotional writer, A. W. Tozer, once wrote, "The widest thing in the universe is not space; it is the potential capacity of the human heart. Being made in the image of God, it is capable of almost unlimited extension in all directions. And one of the world's greatest tragedies is that we allow our hearts to shrink until there is room in them for little besides ourselves." (A. W. Tozer in The Root of the Righteous.)

Timothy's heart expanded with his relationship with Jesus Christ, it didn't shrink-that's what selflessness is all about. So, what's the condition of your heart-is it expanding or shrinking to the needs of others?

D. Perseverance

Look at verse 22 for the fourth characteristic that Timothy exhibited.

Philippians 2:22 22 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.

Timothy's character had been proven through his faithful work with Paul in Rome, where Paul was being held prisoner. The reason it was proven was because Timothy had perseverance. Without perseverance Timothy could not have become the man he was-- a man of integrity, a true follower of Jesus Christ, with a selfless concern for others. Timothy hung in there. He refused to quit.

Friends, perseverance is an absolutely essential characteristic for us to develop if we want to be "better" in following Jesus Christ. Because I guarantee you, there will be times when things get tough. -There will be times when we feel like giving up. -There will be times when temptation is really strong. -There will be times of testing. -There will be times when Satan will attack us, or people will oppose us. -There will be times when we will even disappoint ourselves.

And at those times, we'll feel like quitting. And that's when we need this characteristic of perseverance.

The great leader of the early church, Peter, wrote that this is one of the top seven things we could ever cultivate and develop in our Christian lives.

2 Peter 1:5-8 5 For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; 6 and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; 7 and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. 8 For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

The quality of perseverance is one of the things that will keep us from being ineffective and unproductive as we go into our "Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and the uttermost parts of the earth" …with our faith (see Acts 1:8).

So how do we cultivate perseverance? Look at what the apostle James wrote in…

James 1:2-4 2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. 4 Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

Notice that it says the testing of your faith is what develops perseverance. In other words, when we stand up to a trial or test, and refuse to quit, perseverance begins to grow in us. And the more we endure, the more perseverance we achieve. The more perseverance we develop the more productive and effective we become in our faith.

What we're talking about is one of those things that goes across the grain of our present culture. People today seem inclined to quit almost everything they start. -They quit their schooling. -They quit their jobs. -They quit their marriages. -They quit their responsibilities to their children. -They quit their church. I could go on and on. It's been said that "a failure is not someone who fails, but someone who quits." Many of the great inventors, like Thomas Edison and Alexander Graham Bell, had thousands of failures before they had their breakthroughs. Edison and Bell didn't fail…, because they didn't quit. And today, we are enjoying the fruit of their perseverance. Future generations will be equipped for the faith if you and I set an example of perseverance.

III. Epaphroditus

For the fifth and sixth characteristics of being "better", we're going to turn to a Philippian Christian by the name of Epaphroditus. And as we look at this glimpse of his life, it's not a "stretch" at all, to see that Paul valued him tremendously.

Epaphroditus was a young leader in the Philippian Church, who had been sent by his home church to Rome, to assist Paul while Paul was in prison. And Paul tells us how highly he thought of him when he uses terms to describe him like: brother, fellow worker, and fellow soldier. These terms indicate that Epaphroditus was more than someone who sat on the sidelines. He doing things. And by doing what he did, he had become a valuable asset to Paul's ministry there in Rome. Two characteristics are listed about him…

A. Servanthood

First, he displayed the heart of a servant. When he volunteered to go to Rome, and do whatever Paul needed done he was demonstrating servanthood.

Illustration: In 1989, we were living in Phoenix, and Mother Teresa visited our city to open a new home for the homeless. During her short visit, she was interviewed by a popular announcer, Pat McMahon, on KTAR, which was the largest radio station in the city.

After Mother Teresa left Phoenix, I remember Pat, who was a devout Catholic, talk on his radio program about a private moment he had with her. He had asked Mother Teresa, "Can I do anything for you?" He said that he was expecting her to request a contribution or media help to raise money for her new homeless facility in Phoenix. But she didn't!

Instead, she told him, "Yes, there is. Find somebody nobody else loves and love them."

Friends, that's what servanthood is all about. Epaphroditus did it with Paul, and we need to do it with the people God puts in our paths.

B. Sacrifice

Look at verses 29 and 30 for the sixth characteristic of a "better" person.

Philippians 2:29-30 29 Welcome him in the Lord with great joy, and honor men like him, 30 because he almost died for the work of Christ, risking his life to make up for the help you could not give me.

The sixth character quality of being "better" is being willing to make a sacrifice for the sake of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Epaphroditus had this quality. He risked his life for the sake of the work of God.

-He was willing to undertake the long journey from Philippi to Rome to work for Paul. -He was willing to suffer whatever consequences came with that effort. -He knew the risks to his health, but he went anyway. -He could have stayed close to home where he would have been safe and comfortable, but he was needed. …So he volunteered to go to Paul and bring the aid he needed on behalf of the church in Philippi.

-You could say that he had courage, and that would be true. But it wasn't just courage. -You could say that he was brave, and that would be true, because he laid his life on the line for the work of the Lord.

But he wasn't just courageous or brave. He was he was totally committed. Total commitment always equals sacrifice.

How about you? Are you willing to make a sacrifice with your finances, or your time, or your abilities… to see the work of God succeed here in the Owens Valley and around the world? When you do, then you're on your way to being someone who is "better".

IV. Conclusion

A. Challenge

Friends, these six character qualities that I've briefly highlighted this morning reflect what E. M. Bounds was talking about when he said God was looking for "better" men. They reflect two guys who were growing in their faith and growing in their faithfulness. Timothy and Epaphroditus were two "better" men who made a difference in the first century world.

How do you rate in these areas? 1. Integrity. Are you trying to let the leadership of Jesus Christ impact every area of your life, every behavior, every thought, every decision, and every choice?

2. Teachable-ness. Are you willing to learn, take direction, and even correction from leaders in this church, or do you have an independent, or even a rebellious spirit?

3. Selflessness. Are you concerned for others, or are you only concerned for yourself?

4. Perseverance. Do you have a track record of hanging in there when things get tough, or do you bail when you get uncomfortable?

5. Servanthood. Do you serve others? Or are you just taking from others in this church?

6. Sacrifice. Are you willing to give even when it hurts, and help even when it costs your comfort? Or does your own personal agenda take priority over the cause of Jesus Christ?

Friends, if there ever was a test for Christian maturity, I believe this would be it-these six characteristics. Hold them up as a template to our lives and see if our relationship with Jesus Christ has changed us.

B. How to change

Now, here is one last thing to consider. The measure of how you are becoming a "better" man or woman of God is directly linked to your area of greatest weakness.

Illustration: Think of your Christian life as a wooden bucket made out of six staves. When the bucket leaks, where will it leak? It will leak at the point of the shortest stave. In other words, the shortest stave will determine how full you can fill that bucket.

I would encourage you to identify this morning, in which of these six characteristics of becoming a "better" man or woman of God, you are the weakest. And in the quietness of the next few minutes, ask God to show you one or two ways to raise that stave. Then pray that He will give you the desire to do it.

Amen.