Close Menu X
Navigate

Love Exemplified: Part 1

July 29, 2018 Speaker: Brian Wilbur Series: Philippians

Topic: Gospel-Shaped Life Passage: Philippians 2:19–24

THE GOSPEL-SHAPED LIFE:

LOVE EXEMPLIFIED–PART 1

An Exposition of Philippians 2:19-24

By Pastor Brian Wilbur

Date:   July 29, 2018

Series: Philippians: Gospel Partnership on Mission in the World

Note:   Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from The ESV Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version), copyright 2001 by Crossway. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

 

INTRODUCTION

When Jesus declared to his would-be disciples, ‘Follow Me’, He didn’t mean that they should only study His words. He also meant that they should study His life, that they should actually follow Him and His way of life. God calls His children to follow in the footsteps of Jesus! “But if when you do good and suffer for it you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God. For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps” (1 Peter 2:20-21). Our way of life is to be patterned after our Lord’s perfect life of humble, obedient, sacrificial servanthood.

God has also graciously given us other examples for imitation. God calls us to follow in the footsteps of Jesus and, by extension, to follow in the footsteps of mature disciples who faithfully follow in the footsteps of Jesus. The author of Hebrews said: “Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith” (Hebrews 13:7). Paul exhorted the Corinthians: “Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ” (1 Corinthians 11:1). Paul told the Philippians: “Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us…. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me–practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.” (Philippians 3:17, 4:9)

In Philippians 1:27–2:18, Paul has been calling the Philippians to pursue a “manner of life [that is] worthy of the gospel of Christ.” (Philippians 1:27) At the heart of this gospel-worthy manner of life is the practice of sincere love within the church family. How can we “[strive] side by side for the faith of the gospel” (Philippians 1:27) if we do not honor those who stand beside us in the battle? How can we “[be] in full accord” (Philippians 2:2) as a church family if we do not love one another? A church weakened by mutual disinterest or run down by disagreeableness or torn apart by division is seriously hampered in its ability to carry out Christ’s mission. We ought rather to be strengthened by a spirit of agreeableness in which we all put Jesus first and are united within the bounds of His gracious gospel by the power of the Holy Spirit. This spirit of agreeableness in a unified body of Christian believers is impossible to attain without humble love:

“Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.” (Philippians 2:3-4)

As each one seeks to show honor and love to other members of the church family, the whole church family will grow in spiritual encouragement. Then with our hearts “knit together in love” (Colossians 2:2) we will the more courageously “[stand] firm in one spirit” (Philippians 1:27) and the more transparently “shine as lights in the world” (Philippians 2:15).

In Philippians 2:19-30, Paul presents the Philippians with concrete examples of Christian love. Other Bible teachers have noted how these twelve verses function as an example of the instruction that Paul has giving us, and I am proceeding in like manner.[1] In this passage, Paul talks about two of his colleagues – Timothy and Epaphroditus – and tells us about their travel plans as well as his own. And yet, Paul doesn’t discuss these things in a matter of fact way. Instead, the reality of gospel-worthy love permeates the discussion.

Lord-willing, we will look at verses 25-30 next week, while this Lord’s Day we will focus on verses 19-24.

THE SCRIPTURAL TEXT

Brothers and sisters, hear and receive the holy words of sacred Scripture, as written by the apostle Paul under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit:

“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. 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 with me, and I trust in the Lord that shortly I myself will come also.” (Philippians 2:19-24)

SEVEN THINGS THAT GODLY LOVE DOES

As we attend to the details of this passage, I want us to see seven things that love does. These are not the only things that love does. But Philippians 2:19-24 isn’t meant to be a carefully ordered treatise on the activity of love. Instead what we have before us are actual examples of love, and what we want to do is take a close-up look and learn from the apostle Paul and his colleague Timothy about what it means to walk in love toward others.

LOVE OPERATES WITHIN THE RELATIONAL FRAMEWORK OF KNOWING JESUS

First, godly or God-pleasing love operates within the relational framework of knowing Jesus (v. 19, 24). As Christians, we must never accept the erroneous idea that the only thing a human society needs in order to flourish is love for one another. Of course, love between brothers and sisters, love between friends and fellow members of a community, is a wonderful thing. But love is not meant to function as a stand-alone reality. The love that passes back and forth between ourselves and other human beings is not the only thing we need.[2]

In Philippians 2:19-24, we see that Paul’s loving intention to do certain things for others is tied to his relationship with Jesus. Paul hopes to do something for the Philippians: “I hope… to send Timothy to you soon (v. 19). Paul trusts to do something else for them as well: “I trust… that shortly I myself will come also” (v. 24). Both the word “hope” (in v. 19) and “trust” (in v. 24) express Paul’s confidence that he will do the things he intends to do. With heartfelt love for the Philippians, Paul is confident that he will succeed both in sending Timothy to the Philippians and in making a personal visit to them. However, Paul’s confident expectation that he will do these things for the Philippians doesn’t operate on a merely human level. Instead, Paul’s expectant hoping and confident trusting that he will do these very practical things, is part of the much bigger reality of walking with Jesus. And Paul isn’t content to leave this bigger reality in the background, but instead he brings it right to the foreground. He says,

“I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon.” (v. 19, italics added)

“I trust in the Lord that shortly I myself will come also.” (v. 24, italics added)

Paul’s experience of hope to do a very practical thing was an experience that took place “in the Lord Jesus.” Paul’s experience of confidence to make a personal visit was an experience that took place “in the Lord.” Paul’s fellowship with Jesus, Paul’s knowledge of Jesus, Paul’s ultimate trust in Jesus, was the garden in which love grew and ripened for action.

Paul doesn’t specify the precise inner workings of how his relationship with Jesus led to a confident expectation that he would do these very practical things and do them “soon” and “shortly.” But let me briefly mention two Scriptural realities that teach us how our relationship with Jesus should govern and guide our practical attempts to love other people.

Before I mention these, though, be assured that it is good for loving hearts to develop confident expectations that they will do certain things for the sake of loving others. You might hope or confidently expect to write a letter to your son or daughter after they leave for college. You might trust or confidently expect that you will host a Bible Study in your home this fall. The question is: What would it mean to hope or confidently expect in the Lord Jesus to write a letter to your son or daughter after they leave for college? What would it mean to trust or confidently expect in the Lord that you will host a Bible Study in your home this fall?

It means at least two things.

First, to have a confident expectation in the Lord that we will show love to someone in a very particular way, means that the Lord is pleased with our desire to do that thing. We cannot hope in the Lord to do something that is not pleasing to Him. Thus, when Paul says that “I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon,” he implies that the Lord Jesus would be pleased with this action. This raises a question: How do we know what pleases the Lord? The general answer is: as you know the Lord through His Word, and as you fellowship with the Lord and His people, you develop a growing taste for God-pleasing things. We want Philippians 1:9-10 to be happening in us, namely, that God is granting to us a growing love that accords “with knowledge and all discernment, so that [we] may approve what is excellent” (Philippians 1:9-10). As God “works in [us], both to will and to work for his good pleasure” (Philippians 2:13), we will have a growing confidence that our desires and intended actions are truly rooted in Him.  

Second, to have a confident expectation in the Lord that we will show love to someone in a very particular way, means that the Lord is sovereign over our ability to do that thing. While it is true that Paul “[hopes]… to send Timothy to you soon” and “[trusts]… that shortly I myself will come also,” these intended actions are not the ultimate object of his confidence. To be sure, Paul is confident that these intended actions will come to pass – and in any particular instance, such confidence may be entirely appropriate because of how the Lord is charting our course in a very specific and detailed way. However, we must not think that Paul’s ultimate confidence was in the intended actions themselves. Paul would want us to have the same perspective that James taught us:

“Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit” – yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.”” (James 4:13-15)

When Paul says that “I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon,” he implies that this intended action is subject to King Jesus’ sovereign direction.

So, to say that love operates in the relational framework of knowing Jesus, means both that our hearts must be rightly attuned to our Lord’s desires (so that we discern what is pleasing to Him) and that our hearts must be humbly submitted to the Lord’s will.[3] The idea is: lean on Jesus, and in that attitude of humble dependence on Him, love others. Lean on Jesus and make plans to love people, to write a letter of encouragement, to reach out with a phone call, to bring a fresh pie or warm meal to the neighbor down the street, to invite a family over for dinner. Make plans to love others, and have a confident expectation of implementing those plans, not because you are confident in yourself, but because you are confident in Jesus and in His gracious work in your life.

LOVE SENDS HIGH-QUALITY REPRESENTATIVES

Second, godly love sends high-quality representatives (v. 19). It is the nature of love to show up and be truly present, but often you are hindered from going. At such times, you might send a high-quality representative to go in your place.

Paul had a vested interested in the churches of Antioch, Pisidia, Iconium, Lystra, Derbe, Philippi, Thessalonica, Corinth, Ephesus, Colossae, Crete, and other places as well. Paul was a man with limitations like ours, and as such he could only be at one place at one time. Like Paul, we too are called to love a wide range of people: our families and relatives, our neighbors and friends, our colleagues and co-workers, and especially our Christian brothers and sisters – those at South Paris Baptist Church and beyond. “[Let] us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.” (Galatians 6:10) If we limit our deeds of love to direct personal visits, then we will necessarily limit the scope of our influence. But we need not limit ourselves in this way: we can sometimes send a high-quality representative to go on our behalf.

As Paul – the great apostolic leader – oversaw an extensive missionary network, one of his tactics was to send faithful brothers to do work on His behalf. He couldn’t be everywhere, and on top of that ordinary limitation his movements were also restricted at times by imprisonment. So, Paul was in the habit of commissioning others to do the work. Paul “left [Titus] in Crete” so that Titus would strengthen the churches there (Titus 1:5). On another occasion Paul and Silas “sent Timothy” to Thessalonica (1 Thessalonians 3:2). Here in Philippians 2:19-24, Paul intends “to send Timothy” to Philippi. Timothy was not merely a representative, but a high-quality representative: “For I have no one like him” (v. 20).

The New American Standard Bible gives us a better translation of this phrase: “For I have no one else of kindred spirit….” (Philippians 2:20 NASB). Similarly the Christian Standard Bible says: “For I have no one else like-minded” (Philippians 2:20 CSB). The Greek word is isopsychon: iso means like or same, and psychon (which is related to our words psyche and psychology) means mind or spirit.[4] So, Paul is specifically saying that of all his colleagues, Timothy stands out because Timothy has the same mindset as Paul. They are kindred spirits, they are like-minded, and this means that Timothy will minister to the Philippians in the same way that Paul ministers to the Philippians. Timothy is a high-quality, Paul-like representative who will faithfully minister to the Philippians on Paul’s behalf.

You may wonder what it would mean for us, in our comparatively smaller sphere here in the Oxford Hills, to send a high-quality representative to those we love. Well, here are some examples:

  • As a congregation, we could (and did) send a Mission Team to New Brunswick. This sort of thing could (and should) be done a regular basis, sending a small portion of our congregation to go and bless a church, ministry, or missionary in some other place.
  • The Elder Team could send one or two of their own number, or another deacon-like helper, to go and care for someone in need.
  • Husbands, you could make it possible for your wife to go visit someone who needs encouragement or counsel. Watch the kids or in some other way free up your wife’s time so that she can go on an across-town mission of love. And wives, return the favor!
  • Parents, your children are like arrows! Before you send them on an extraordinary mission to conquer the world for Christ, send them to the widow two doors up with some fresh baked goodies in hand, knowing that the fresh baked goodies won’t be the only thing that blesses the widow’s dear soul.

In all such cases, we want the person or people we are sending to be as like-minded with us as possible, provided that we ourselves are like-minded with our loving Savior.

By way of broader application, keep in mind that the high-quality representative you send may not be a person but an encouraging letter. Paul sent a letter to the Philippians! G. Walter Hansen refers to Paul’s letter as a “[substitute] for himself”[5] – and given the fact that we’re spending the better part of a year studying this letter, I’d say it meets the standard of high-quality! Granted, you cannot write Holy-Spirit-inspired-Scripture, but the Holy Spirit can enable you to write Scripture-shaped letters of encouragement or instruction to help others in their walk with the Lord. Perhaps you should spill more ink in the cause of love!

You can only be in one place at one time. Therefore, deploy high-quality representatives – people or personal letters – and thereby expand the reach of your love.

LOVE WANTS TO BE DELIGHTED IN THE KNOWLEDGE THAT THE BELOVED IS WELL

Third, godly love wants to be delighted in the knowledge that the beloved is well (v. 19). Paul’s own joy is one of his motives for sending Timothy: “I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, so that I too may be cheered by news of you.” The idea here is that Timothy would go to Philippi and afterward return to Paul with a good report that the Philippians are faithfully walking with Jesus, and that good report would fill Paul with joy. Paul’s joy is bound up with the spiritual health of the congregations that he loved and served.

Over and again, we learn that Paul wanted to know how it went with these congregations, and he longed to know that they were “stable and steadfast” (Colossians 1:23, and see 2:5) in Jesus. In Philippians 1:27 Paul said, “Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel.” So, if Paul continues to be absent from Philippi, but Timothy goes and returns with a good report that the Philippians are “standing firm” (Philippians 1:27, and see 4:1), then Paul will have great joy. Of course, if Timothy returned with a bad report, then Paul would be grieved. But as it stands, he is confident that the news out of Philippi would be good news.

Paul’s example here teaches us something about love: love delights in the knowledge that the beloved is well. Further, love doesn’t just want the other person to be well, love wants to know that the other person is well, so that love can rejoice in the beloved’s good welfare. Although this might seem obvious in the circle of one’s family or close friends, keep in mind that we are not talking about a small circle of family and friends here. The Philippian congregation – and every congregation that he served – is beloved to the apostle’s heart (e.g., Philippians 4:1)! Our Lord calls us to make sure that our loving heart goes forth to love all of our fellow Christians (e.g., Philippians 2:4, Romans 12:10), especially those in our own local congregation. We are an interconnected body of believers; “we… are one body in Christ” (Romans 12:5); and as members of that body, we belong to one another (Romans 12:5). “If one member suffers,” all should suffer (1 Corinthians 12:26); If one member rejoices, all should rejoice (Romans 12:15, 1 Corinthians 12:26). If our brothers and sisters are strong in the Lord, then we ought to want to know that they are spiritually strong, so that we can rejoice in their strength.

This offers a corrective to those people who are addicted to criticizing others. There is a kind of person who looks forward to detecting faults so that they can go into critique mode. There is a kind of person who goes to the worship service, or to the Prayer Service, or to a Bible Study, or to a ministry team meeting, or to a fellowship event, and their antenna is up for bad news, for failings, for shortcomings and weaknesses. That’s what they want to see and pounce on, that’s what you want to chew on and stew over and speak about with others. Such people feed on what’s wrong with everyone.

The point to be made here has nothing to do with overlooking serious flaws. Paul did not overlook serious flaws, whether in doctrine or in life, but he rather confronted and corrected those who were in error. That said, his anticipation and desire was to behold spiritual health in the congregations, so that he could rejoice therein. Do you share Paul’s anticipation and desire, or are you of a different spirit? By this you may know the depth of your love: do you anticipate beholding the good work that God is doing in your fellow Christians so that you can rejoice in it, or do you anticipate beholding their sins and follies so that you can issue judgments against them, or are you totally indifferent to their spiritual welfare? When “in humility [you] count others more significant than yourselves” and “look… to the interests of others,” then you will be glad when others are well, because nothing makes you happier than to see your fellow Christians walking with Jesus and bearing fruit for the glory of God.

LOVE IS GENUINELY CONCERNED FOR THE WELFARE OF OTHERS

Fourth, godly love is genuinely concerned for the welfare of others (v. 20). If you are the sort of person who delights to know that others are well, then you will also be the sort of person who does things to help others be well.

In verse 19, we learned that Paul was motivated by his own joy to send Timothy to Philippi. Now in verse 20, we learn that Paul was also motivated by a desire to serve and strengthen the Philippians: “For I have no one like him, who will be genuinely concerned for your welfare.” This genuine concern for the Philippians is shared by both Paul and Timothy. Paul is sending Timothy because Paul cares deeply for the Philippians, and Timothy is like-minded and is therefore the most sensible choice because he will have this same deep care for the congregation. This makes Timothy a beautiful example of the principle set forth in Philippians 2:4.

“Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.” (Philippians 2:4)

“For I have no one like him, who will be genuinely concerned for your welfare. They all seek their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ.” (Philippians 2:20-21)

Some people have an insincere concern for others. In their case, the apparent concern for others is actually a mask to cover their true motive, which is self-interest. Showing concern for others can play well in the eyes of people. Some people give to others and volunteer for service, not in order to actually serve others for their good, but instead to serve only themselves. There are people who want to be admired for service, so they serve to win admiration for self. There are people who want to have a reputation for being unselfish, so they give in order to their status – if at all possible with the spotlight upon them, and trumpets blowing. There are benefactors who want their name on a plaque, there are donors who crave the public relations event, there are churchgoers who show up at church events because they don’t want to be known as the kind of people who don’t show up at such events (‘What will people say?’). All such people could hardly care less about building up others, for their main concern is managing their own appearance. Unlike them, Timothy’s service was sincere.

Timothy was the sort of guy who wasn’t preoccupied with his own interests. Timothy didn’t want to put forward the appearance of service so that he could gain applause or win the ‘gospel minister of the year’ award. Timothy was “genuinely concerned for [the] welfare” of the churches that he served. He wanted his Christian brothers and sisters to grow in the Lord, and as such he was committed to doing whatever was necessary to help them grow. If they needed patient instruction or careful correction or practical counsel or wise leadership or sober warning or bold exhortation or a humble example, he would do whatever was necessary to secure their edification and endurance in the faith. Godly love cares deeply and sincerely about for the welfare of others.

LOVE CARES FOR OTHERS IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE PRIORITIES OF JESUS’ KINGDOM

Fifth, godly love cares for others in accordance with the priorities of Jesus’ kingdom (v. 21). “[Looking]… to the interests of others” (Philippians 2:4) does not mean that you devote yourself to helping other people get their selfish or short-sighted interests met. Such devotion might appear loving, but in fact in wouldn’t be loving. It isn’t loving to neglect what is truly in the best interest of other people because we want them to feel loved and they tell us that what would make them feel loved is more toys, more candy bars, more entertainments, more indulgences, more excuses, more allowances for sin, more disregards for the truth, more escapes from reality. If you play that game in your ministry to others, you’re a coward! Cowards put a thick layer of sugarcoating upon their ministry, to the detriment of all. Not so with Paul or Timothy!

A genuine concern for the welfare of others means a genuine concern that other people be attuned to the interests of Jesus Christ: “They all seek their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ” (Philippians 2:21). Thus we understand that caring deeply for the welfare of others (v. 20) involves seeking their good in the interests and priorities of the Lord Jesus Christ. While this might include practical help – people need to eat and drink, be clothed and sheltered, receive training in practical life skills – the larger goal must always be that this person, this family, this congregation need to “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3:18) and live faithfully for the Lord. Paul knew that Timothy would love the Philippians in accordance with the priorities of Jesus’ kingdom because he had a track record of loving people for Jesus’ sake as he “served with [Paul] in the gospel” (Philippians 2:22).

What about you? Putting verse 20 (the welfare of others) and verse 21 (the interests of Jesus Christ) together, we can say that the basic attitude of love for others is to seek their welfare in the Lord, to seek their spiritual growth, to seek their “progress and joy in the faith” (Philippians 1:25). Do you have this basic attitude for one another? Social niceties may be nice, conversational pleasantries may be pleasant, and your ‘Sunday best’ may look good, but trust the Bible that these things are not enough. Friends, don’t settle for anything less than to be growing disciples “who walk according to the example [we] have in [Paul and Timothy].” (Philippians 3:17) And how does their example instruct us? That we should truly love one another by investing in each other’s development as faithful disciples. We are duty-bound under Christ to love one another – not according to my agenda, and not according to your agenda, but according to Christ’s agenda. Thus we see again that godly love operates within the relational framework of knowing and following Jesus.   

LOVE HONORS OTHERS THROUGH PUBLIC COMMENDATION

Sixth, godly love honors others through public commendation (v. 20, 22). In anticipation of next week’s sermon, Paul commends Epaphroditus and tells the Philippians to “honor such men” (Philippians 2:29). Love honors others. But while it is one thing to hold another person in high regard, it is another thing to say so.

Here in Philippians 2:19-24, Paul honors Timothy with high praise. He doesn’t just think highly of Timothy, he says so. In verse 20 Paul says that Timothy is the cream of the crop: “For I have no one like him.” The other guys are an amalgam of mixed motives shot through with selfish interests (v. 21), but Timothy stands out. Timothy’s love for you is wholehearted! Then in verse 22 Paul adds: “But you know Timothy’s proven worth, how as a son with a father he has served with me in the gospel.” It’s not only that Paul knows that Timothy is a gem, but also that the Philippians know it – and Paul calls this fact to their attention.

Philippians 2:22 is one of those wonderful verses that show us the biblical model of ministerial training, namely, apprenticeship. In the same way that a son would apprentice with his father in order to learn the family trade, so Timothy apprenticed with Paul in order to learn gospel ministry. This is hands-on training, on-the-job training, in which the apprentice grows in understand and gradually takes on more responsibility. One of the advantages of the apprenticeship model is that it gives the mentor (like Paul) and other observers (like the Philippians) a lot of helpful insight into the character of the apprentice. In Timothy’s case, his “[service] with Paul in the gospel” revealed the qualities of steadfast faith, good character, and genuine gospel-shaped love for others. Paul knew it and was thus able to commend Timothy. Moreover, the Philippians knew it and were thus in a position to recognize and receive Timothy for what he really was: a high-quality representative sent in love from the faithful apostle. As G. Walter Hansen comments, “Since the Philippians were cognizant of Timothy’s filial loyalty, they could be sure that Timothy’s words and actions would faithfully represent Paul’s heart and mind.”[6]

As John Calvin and G. Walter Hansen helped me to see, Paul is commending Timothy because he wants Timothy’s anticipated ministry in Philippi to be welcomed and worthwhile.[7] Paul isn’t just sending his best colleague to Philippi, he wants the Philippians to know that he is doing so. By commending Timothy, Paul is paving the way for Timothy’s arrival: since Timothy is like-minded with Paul and since Timothy will minister to them with Christ-centered, Word-of-God-saturated love, the Philippians ought to eagerly receive Timothy’s ministry so that they benefit from it.

In view of Timothy’s faithful track record, Paul says: “I hope therefore to send him just as soon as I see how it will go with me.” (Philippians 2:23) After Paul’s own difficult situation – remember, he is imprisoned (Philippians 1:7, 12-20) gets sorted out a bit, then Paul will send Timothy. And shortly thereafter, Paul intends to come himself (v. 24).

LOVE GOES

Finally, we see a seventh thing that godly love does: love goes (v. 24). When you can’t go, you can always pray, as Paul does for the Philippians (Philippians 1:3-5, 9-11). When you can’t go, you can sometimes send a personal letter or personal representative like Timothy. But sometimes you can go! And love welcomes that opportunity, because love goes, shows up, and seeks to be truly present. Paul says: “and I trust in the Lord that shortly I myself will come also” (Philippians 2:24). Love goes with the very same mindset that love sends: because of genuine concern for the welfare of others, because of a deep desire to help others grow in the Lord, because of an abiding devotion to strengthen the church in the gospel of Jesus Christ.

WHAT ABOUT YOU?

Love goes. Is there someone within this congregation or in your wider circle of relationships, to whom you need to go and show love for Jesus’ sake?

Love sends. Is there someone within this congregation or in your wider circle of relationships, to whom you need to send a faithful representative in your place?

Love honors. Is there someone within this congregation or in your wider circle of relationships, whom you should show honor for the express purpose of strengthening that purpose’s ministry? Who knows, maybe Mom’s ministry to the kids would be enhanced if Dad would publicly commend her to the kids.

And when you go or send, or if you go as the one who is sent by another (as Timothy would go on Paul’s behalf), and when you honor, is your mindset rightly attuned to true, gospel-shaped love? How sad to go through all the trouble of showing up or getting someone else to show up, only to leave Jesus out of your plans, priorities, and practical actions. How sad to show honor to someone else, but to do it in a way that dishonors Jesus? Do you need to be renewed in your devotion to love people within the relational framework of knowing Jesus and letting Him govern and guide all your efforts to love?

It is entirely possible that you have come to service this morning and you find yourself on the outside, looking in to a strange world that you don’t understand. You may have appreciated some of the insights about love, but you have heard me say that mere human love isn’t the main thing going on here, and indeed it isn’t. You can’t share in this kind of love, you can’t share in this giving and receiving of genuine mutual concern for each other’s welfare, unless you come to the point where you know Jesus. Godly love operates within the relational framework of knowing Jesus. The question is: are you in this relational framework? Are you in fellowship with the Lord Jesus Christ? Do you know Him? Timothy “served with [Paul] in the gospel.” Paul told the Philippians to “let [their] manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ” (Philippians 1:27). Do you know what the gospel is? The gospel is a message about how you, a sinner, can be reconciled the Father in heaven. The gospel is about Someone – Someone greater than Paul or Timothy – who is genuinely concerned for your welfare.

The almighty and loving heavenly Father formed you in your mother’s womb, and He has sustained your life to this very day. And yet, you do not know Him! You are held captive by sin: you are part-addicted to your own interests and part-addicted to other people’s interests, but you are a stranger to the wonderful life-giving interests of the Lord Jesus Christ. Your life-outside-of-fellowship-with-God is a terrible dead end. The almighty and loving heavenly Father is holy and righteous, and He has appointed a day when He will judge the world according to the standard of His perfect righteousness. You’re in a real fix: you can’t opt-out of your appointment with God on judgment day, and yet you don’t measure up! God is righteously angry with you because of your love affair with sin (e.g., John 3:36, Romans 1:18).

What you so desperately need is to somehow make peace with God: for God to forgive all your sins and bring you into His forever family. Jesus is the Someone who is genuinely concerned for your welfare: He did not regard His own equality with the Father as an excuse to opt-out of humble service (Philippians 2:6-8), but instead He entered into this world in order to make a perfect atonement for sinners like you (1 John 4:9-10). “He himself bore our sins in His body on the tree” (1 Peter 2:24), so that sinners don’t have to bear their guilt on judgment day. The “Lamb of God, who takes away the sin the world!” (John 1:29) was slaughtered as a sacrifice for sin, so that you – a wandering sheep – could return to the Shepherd of your soul (1 Peter 2:25). The King of glory died on the cross and rose again from the dead, so that you could die to your sin and be raised up to newness of life (Romans 6:3-4). Jesus changes everything for everyone who receives Him: your sins are washed away; you immediately enter into experiential fellowship with Jesus and the Father through the ministry of the Holy Spirit, who will transform you from the inside out; and on judgment day, you will not be alone in your sins, but you will be covered in the grace of Jesus. 

Even if you don’t understand all this yet, perhaps there is a flicker of spiritual light shining in your soul. And in that flicker, you are beginning to see Jesus as your only hope. Don’t turn away: He is your only hope! Take hold of the Savior, until you know that He has taken hold of you.

Let us pray.

  

ENDNOTES

[1] See: Boice, James Montgomery. Philippians: An Expositional Commentary. Grand Rapids: Baker, 2000: p. 152-161. Carson, D. A. Basics for Believers: An Exposition of Philippians. Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 1996: p. 72-80. Hansen, G. Walter. The Letter to the Philippians (Pillar New Testament Commentary). Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2009: p. 191-210. I recall first learning this approach to Philippians 2:19-30 about twenty years ago in a sermon I heard by evangelist Wendell Calder.

[2] What I am saying here contrasts with the surface meaning of the song title “All You Need Is Love,” by The Beatles.

[3] There are times when the Lord may reveal very specific plans to His people through a prophesy, vision, or dream (e.g., Acts 16:6-10, Acts 23:11, Acts 27:21-26). It is entirely possible that the Lord revealed the plans of Philippians 2:19 and Philippians 2:24 to Paul in this manner. If so, the general Scriptural principles that I set forth in the sermon still apply: our hearts must be rightly attuned to our Lord’s desires and our hearts must be humbly submitted to His will. Further, the ordinary absence of a prophesy, vision, or dream should not discourage us from walking confidently in accordance with God’s work in and through our life (Philippians 1:9-11, Philippians 2:12-13).

[4] See the Greek-English Interlinear version of Philippians 2 at http://biblehub.com/interlinear/philippians/2.htm. See information about the word isopsychon in two places: in the entry “2473. isopsuchos” at http://biblehub.com/greek/2473.htm; and at https://www.billmounce.com/greek-dictionary/isopsychos.

[5] Hansen, G. Walter. The Letter to the Philippians (Pillar New Testament Commentary). Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2009: p. 198. The full quote is: “He is not simply sending a letter or even his closest friend as substitutes for himself in order to avoid personal involvement.” I take this to mean that Paul’s letter is a “[substitute] for himself” while, at the same time, the letter is no substitute for a personal visit.

[6] Hansen, G. Walter. The Letter to the Philippians (Pillar New Testament Commentary). Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2009: p. 196-197.

[7] Calvin writes about Philippians 2:22, “… we see how diligently Paul makes it his aim to put honor upon pious inisters, and that not so much for their own sakes, as on the ground of its being for the advantage of the whole Church, that such persons should be loved and honored, and possess the highest authority. Calvin, John. Calvin’s Bible Commentaries: Philippians, Colossians, and Thessalonians. Translated by John King. Forgotten Books: 2007 (orig. 16th century): p. 65. Hansen at least suggests the same thing when he writes about Philippians 2:22, “Since the Philippians were cognizant of Timothy’s filial loyalty, they could be sure that Timothy’s words and actions would faithfully represent Paul’s heart and mind…. Timothy serves as a Christ-like example for the church to show what a Christ-like character looks like in everyday life.” Hansen, G. Walter. The Letter to the Philippians (Pillar New Testament Commentary). Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2009: p. 196-197.

More in Philippians

May 12, 2019

Abiding in the Benediction

May 5, 2019

Greeting Every Saint

April 28, 2019

To Our Great God Belongs Eternal Glory