Philippians 2:19-30.  Yesterday we saw Paul warning the Philippian believers that they were in for some trouble and to stick together.  He used himself and Jesus as examples.

In this next section of the letter Paul doesn’t just leave them with a big wish for endurance and unity he actually does something to help them.  In this case he must have felt that they needed more personal “hands on” care.  The first thing he was going to do was sent the letter (Philippians) to them in the hands of their very own messenger Epaphroditus.  Remember Epaphroditus had brought a gift of money to Paul from the church to help him with his bills.  Epaphroditus had become very sick on the trip (at least 800 miles, somewhere in the neighborhood of 1-2 months of walking).  The church had wanted Epaphroditus to stay with Paul and help him in whatever way he could.  Paul knew that the church had heard of Epaphroditus’ illness and were worried about this faithful member.  So Paul was sending him back.  The second thing Paul was going to do was sent his own helper, Timothy.  Timothy had helped Paul start the church at Philippi and been his faithful helper on the second and third journeys Paul made around the Mediterranean world.  Finally Paul hoped to return to Philippi himself if things turned out well in his trial.

The way Paul describes Timothy in verses 20-23 tell us that it is a big sacrifice for Paul to send Timothy away.  Paul was in a bad spot, under house arrest for at least a year at this point and having spent the two years before that in jail back in Israel.  He wasn’t out starting churches which is what he wanted to do more than anything.  I’m sure it would be discouraging.  And to give up his helper would have been hard too.

I am self-employed, I work on peoples houses, fixing them up and making them bigger sometimes.  I have done this work almost all my life (my Dad told people I was 5 when I started doing real work on jobs).  I worked with my dad when I was younger and in college.  My dad sort of drifted off while I was in college so when I got married I started working on my own.  It was a tough time and various rules made it almost impossible to have employees.  When they got a little older my kids would come to work with me but most of the time I worked alone.  Sometimes it was hard and discouraging.  About 10 years ago my son-in-law became a partner in the business and that was very encouraging.  We both had similar ideas about God and work.  In 2008 he came to me and said he thought he wanted to be a fireman.  We had just finished building a big hose and things had been going so well, it was very sad for me.  He hs stayed a partner while pursuing the fire job but only works part time.  On top of that we have been in a recession singe 2008.  Very discouraging.  But I am happy for the good things that have been happening in my son-in-law’s life as a result of trying to be a fireman.  I think that is what Paul was going through.   Verse 20 shows us this side of Paul’s heart because he describes Timothy as a person who shared his desires and would be genuinely concerned about the spiritual well being of the Philippian believers.  We also see that many of those around paul and around the Philippian believers were not really concerned with the Philippian believers spiritual lives.  Maybe these were the same people described earlier as “talking abut Jesus out of selfish motives.”  So Paul was sending “his right hand man” to the Philippian church to help them through what ever hard time they were having.

In the mean time he had sent Epaphroditus back with the letter.  Paul describes Epaphroditus in  language similar to the way he described Timothy.  He called Epaphroditus his brother, fellow worker, and fellow soldier.  He wasn’t literally a brother (although in other writings by Paul he talks about how we are adopted into God family).  In most of the world for most of time families were very important.  Families formed a unit of care and survival.  In Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 we are told of the importance of having help in life and families are God’s first and best design for that.  Epaphroditus also probably did not literally work next to Paul day to day, like Timothy had, but they both worked for the same “boss” (God) and were therefore fellow workers.  Finally Epaphroditus and Paul were not literal soldiers in an army.  A few years ago our theme for the youth group at church was “War” and the theme verses were 2 Corinthians 10:3-5.  Our battle is one for minds and hearts and it is fought with truth and love, not guns and bombs.  But it does take dedication and commitment and sacrifice just like being a soldier.  Epaphroditus was all of these things to Paul.

In sure there was a lot of conflict inside of Epaphroditus over going home, he was there to be with Paul but now he was going back.  Since he had been sick he probably hadn’t done much “work” for Paul.  But Paul had been encouraged just by the effort and he knew the people back “home” were worried about Epaphroditus so he was sending them back.  I’m sure there were those back home who would see Epaphroditus as a failure, “What’s the matter cant take a little 800 mile stroll?”  But Paul wanted them to know that he had done a great deal for Paul, not by bringing him the money, but just for making the effort to come.  Now paul wanted them to have that same kind of encouragement by having their friend back with them.  In verse 28 we see that Paul dind’t want to have to worry about them worrying.  It seems kind of sad that Paul has to tell them to joyfully have him home and to respect him.  In verse 30 he basically tells them that Epaphroditus has done what they couldn’t do, he came close to dying to carry their gift to Paul.

I love how personal God is.  Remember that although Paul is writing to a church in Philippi that God is writing to us too.  In a letter written by one of Jesus’ original followers, Peter, Peter tells us that “scripture” (which means writing or written words but came to mean God’s written word), the Bible was given to certain men by the Holy Spirit (God, see “Three or One?”)(2 Peter 1:20-21).  Later on in that same letter Peter says that those writings, that “scripture”, God’s communication to us, includes the letters written by Paul (2 Peter 3:15-16).  So Paul’s letters are God’s words and according to what Paul wrote to Timothy (2 Timothy 3:16) God’s words are profitable for us.  But God’s words here are not some vague principles, like says of Confucius or an Aesop’s fable, this letter is very direct and very practical.  God cares when we are worried or scared or hurting or discouraged or in need.  And God uses his people to help each other out in all of those areas.  God cared about Epaphroditus’ feelings, Paul’s feelings, the Philipian believers’ feelings and he cares about ours too.  One thing I try to get you all to understand in Sunday School or at Friday Night Alive or whenever we talk is that God is not some disinterested far away person who is out of touch with life or you or your feelings.  God is personal and wants to be personally involved in your life.

God thank you for caring about me.  Thank you for caring about each one of us.  Thank you for knowing us and our feelings.  Help me trust you with my life and my feelings.  Help me have the same desires that you have.  Help all of us want the same things you want.  Help up be brothers, fellow workers, and soldiers for you dedicated to your work in the hearts and lives of people.