July’s Passage: Philippians 2:19-30
I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, so that I too may be cheered by news of you.
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. But you know Timothy's proven worth, how as a son with a father he has served with me in the Gospel.
I hope therefore to send him just as soon as I see how it will go for me, and I trust in the Lord that shortly I myself will come also.
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, for he has been longing for you all and has been distressed because you heard that he was ill. 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.
I am the more eager to send him, therefore, that you may rejoice in seeing him again, and that I may be less anxious. So 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. (ESV)
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Throughout each month, we will post short articles to give some depth of understanding regarding our text (see the archive links on the lower right of this page for review). Today we will discuss...
Reality of Gospel Ministry
When I (Pastor Ken) first felt called into the ministry, I was told by my pastor to search my heart and life and my pastor said, “Ken, if there is anything - ANYTHING - you can think of that you would rather do, then don’t follow this calling.”
This was not meant to discourage me from wanting to be a pastor, rather, it was a dose of clear and unflinching honesty, that pastoral ministry was going to be the hardest thing I would ever undertake. And, while I do give this same talk to people who come to me with a felt call into the pastorate, I also think it is wise to lay out the truth to every person who enters into the ministry - not just pastors.
In another letter, The Apostle Paul makes it clear that every saint, meaning EVERY CHRISTIAN (including YOU), is supposed to do the work of the ministry (Ephesians 4:12). Pastors and teachers and other people whom we usually talk about as “Ministers” are simply equippers of the family of ministers - Or, as The Apostle Peter calls the church, the "priesthood" of all believers (1 Peter 2:5 & 1 Peter 2:9).
The truth is that YOU are a minister of the Gospel. And the reality of Gospel Ministry is that it is not easy on this side of eternity. It is the best calling anyone could have. It absolutely is. But it won’t always be easy. It is physically, emotionally and spiritually tough at times. In fact, it will be impossible unless you have the Holy Spirit to help you, to direct you and to sustain you.
That’s what we see in Epaphroditus. A man, called of God to be an ambassador of Christ, who found great joy and great pain to be the two sides of the coin of Gospel ministry.
Who was Epaphroditus
Epaphroditus wasn’t likely in the forefront. Both Timothy and Epaphroditus were servants in the church, but while Timothy served as a leader, Epaphroditus was a delivery man. The church needed teachers who were there with the family in Philippi day in and day out. Epaphroditus’ journey would have taken him away for weeks - even if he had not become ill. And it seems Epaphroditus was pleased to fill this role of a messenger sent back and forth between the Apostle Paul and this young church that Paul had planted.
Epaphroditus was tasked with bringing material and possibly financial blessings from the church family to Paul to help him in his imprisonment. He also to carried word as to the triumphs and struggles that the young believers were having. Then, Epaphroditus was sent back to Philippi with this letter of teaching and encouragement.
The church is served by such people as Epaphroditus. So many people only want to be in the ministry if they can share in the spotlight: to preach, to teach, to sing or to administrate. But the church needs more than mouthpieces and organizers. But we also need those who will never stand behind a microphone.
Epaphroditus didn’t just work as a pack mule for supplies, he carried the Gospel encouragement along with the material blessing to Paul. He was such an encouragement to Paul that the Apostle said that he would have had sorrow upon sorrow if Epaphroditus would have died from his illness. Also, we are not sure if Epaphroditus only “risked his life” because of his illness or if he also faced danger because of the hostility that other people had for Christians. Either way, Epaphroditus was willing to continue on through any trial or challenge to complete the work God gave him to do.
But, it wasn’t only physical danger that Epaphroditus faced. He also knew the burden of truly loving a family of believers. He was “distressed” because he heard that the church had known about his illness.
Epaphroditus was troubled in his heart when others were troubled about him. This is a reality of living in Gospel ministry. Your heart will break when others are hurting -EVEN IF THEY ARE HURTING BECAUSE YOU ARE HURTING. This seems strange unless you remember that we are one “BODY” as a church. There is not any part of us that should be in pain, without all of us feeling it. We weep with those who weep and we also rejoice with those who rejoice. To be in Gospel ministry is to be so in love with and loved by others that it hurts when they hurt.
Many people are not willing to be that close to one another, but it is your call IF you are a Christian.
I believe it also distressed Epaphroditus when he heard the church was concerned about his health because as a minister of the Gospel, Epaphroditus wanted to keep all eyes on Jesus. There is a false humility that always pushes attention away so that people will love us more for our selflessness, but there is also that jealousy for God that honestly grieves when people think about us more than they think about the One who matters most, Jesus. Epaphroditus may have felt distressed as he wrestled with that tension.
But, the suffering was not without cause. There was a goal that made it worth it for Epaphroditus.
Because of Epaphroditus’ courage and steadfast faithfulness, the Apostle Paul said Epaphroditus was due to be honored. The honor that we receive as Christians, always comes with some form of hardship. We can be encouraged by the fact that Jesus’ honor came with hardship as well, more than we could imagine, more than we take. No matter what you are called to endure in or out of the “spotlight roles of ministry,“ remember that any suffering is merely a light and momentary affliction compared with the immeasurable joys that are waiting for us in glory.
Go. Serve. In All Things, Point to Jesus.
