"Sending our Best!" Philippians 2:19-24

"Sending our Best!”

Captivated by Christ: An expository sermon series on Paul's Letter to the Church in Philippi (message #18)

Pastor Jerry Ingalls

August 22, 2010

Our Scripture lesson for today is found in Philippians 2:19-24 (NIV), “I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, that I also may be cheered when I receive news about you. ²⁰I have no one else like him, who takes a genuine interest in your welfare. ²¹For everyone looks out for his own interests, not those of Jesus Christ. ²²But 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. ²³I hope, therefore, to send him as soon as I see how things go with me. ²⁴And I am confident in the Lord that I myself will come soon.” [Prayer]

We need to remind ourselves of the overall context of Paul’s letter to understand this week and next week’s Scripture lessons. Paul is under house arrest, in Rome, for defending the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He is literally in chains for Jesus Christ awaiting a court appearance with Caesar to determine whether or not he will be set free or convicted, with a punishment that could possibly be his own death. During this time, around 61 AD, Paul is writing to the churches he had formed during his three missionary journeys, one of which being the church in Philippi.

Timothy was with him while in Philippi (Acts 16) and Timothy is with him now taking care of his needs and the needs of the ministry. The focus of this passage is Paul’s desire to send his very best disciple and closest companion, Timothy, back to the Philippians.

Paul states in verse 19 and then in verses 23-24 his purposes in sending Timothy. "I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, that I also may be cheered when I receive news about you. [Verse 19 points to the first purpose; it is for Paul’s sake, to discover how this letter he is sending has affected them.] I hope, therefore, to send him as soon as I see how things go with me. [Verse 23 points to the second purpose; it is for their sakes, to be encouraged and brought up to speed about the outcome of his imprisonment.] And I am confident in the Lord that I myself will come soon." Verse 24 shows Paul’s apostolic and pastoral heart that ultimately he desires greatly to go and see the churches again personally, but until he can go, he wants to send his very best to them.

There is a famous expression from Hallmark Greetings Cards, “When you care enough to send your very best.” I want to utilize this concept today…

As the Church of Jesus Christ, our very best is not only those other people we send oversees as missionaries or across the nation as pastors. As an application point for each of us, sending our very best is each of us displaying our characters and attitudes on a daily basis in the mission field of where we live: our homes, schools, parks, workplaces, marriages, locally in our towns and counties.

As I researched what makes Hallmark Cards the very best to send when you care enough to send the very best, I learned that Hallmark Cards are beautiful on the outside and that’s important, but it is what’s inside of them that makes them stand out as the best. If the card was catchy and beautiful and said the right things only on the outside then it may get my attention, but it is what’s on the inside that determines if it has the right stuff to qualify as “the best!” The inside has to be of the highest quality—the right heart, the right message, the right character of card for the occasion!

Imagine with me that you are a greeting card; think of your heart, your message, and your character. What do people read when they open you up? If we sent you into the mission field, a card given to someone, and they opened you up, would they find the attitude of Jesus Christ, the actions and words of love?

What needs to be surrendered to Jesus Christ before we can send you as our very best? Do you look like God’s best on the outside, but are not on the inside? Maybe some of us need heart surgery (or an extreme makeover from the inside-out) so when we are opened up people find the things of God in us like love, unity, compassion, grace, caring, forgiveness, mercy, generosity or justice.

This message is about how we, as the church of Jesus Christ, are to send our very best into the mission field. Let’s look at what it takes to send our best!

First, WE SEND OUR BEST WHEN WE TEACH PEOPLE THROUGH OUR ATTITUDES!

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

This is a revealing assessment of Timothy’s true character, but it is also a sobering review of the rest of the Christ-followers in Rome. Paul is not comparing Timothy to all Christ-followers, but to those he had access to from his circumstances in house arrest in Rome.

Paul uses the Greek word isopsychos translated “no one else like him” which literally means “no one else of equal soul”. Paul is saying that Timothy’s attitude and character is so much like his own that he is made of the same stuff. And that is why Paul wants to send Timothy; because he knows what Timothy teaches (through word and deed!) will be worthy of the gospel of Jesus Christ. To make a connection with the previous section we spent 2 months studying, Timothy is the person to watch if you want to learn how to live your life in manner worthy of the gospel of Jesus Christ (1:27).

You see, Paul is concerned not just that a report is returned to him about the Christ-followers in Philippi, but that these brothers and sisters in Christ are encouraged and taught by the one he sends, so that they can stay true to living a life in a manner worthy of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Here is a key point: The people the church sends have to be our very best because they multiply who they are, more so than teach what they know! It’s about character demonstrated by attitude and action!

Paul is highlighting ever so clearly is that Timothy has the same attitude as that of Christ Jesus, exactly what we just studied in the Christ Hymn as the exemplar of attitude for all Christ-followers and the crescendo of this entire letter!

In Philippians 2:4-8, Paul taught of a disciple, "Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death—even death on a cross!"

Timothy is so very special because he is not selfishly looking after his own interest like everyone else. He is genuinely interested in the welfare of the other Christ-followers!

We send our best when we send people whose lives teach because they have the attitude of Jesus Christ, meaning they genuinely care about the welfare of other people.

When the rest of the world (even when so much of the American church) tells you to look after #1, who are you going to look after? Who is #1 in your heart and mind? You or God? Or are you going to be like the rest of the culture, here in the USA, just like in Rome, and look after your own interests?

Timothy was a man in his own class because he displayed a devotion to Jesus Christ by seeking the true welfare of others. This is the way it must be for each of us as long as we call ourselves followers of Jesus Christ, because this was the way our Lord Jesus Christ displayed his total obedience to the Father by giving Himself as the final atoning sacrifice on the Cross of Calvary. This is the love of God for all humanity to personally experience!

Church of Jesus Christ, let us send our very best to our community by genuinely caring about them and their needs. Here are some ways we can do that: 1) August 28 is a day of prayer and fasting for our school systems and youth; 2) praying at the front door of the High School next Sunday at 2 pm; 3) participating in upcoming community revival services at Baker Park the week of October 4; and 4) pray for our community and personally find ways to serve our community that reflect the love of Jesus Christ…we will be putting some opportunities in front of you for this fall very soon.

This teaching is not just about our individual attitudes, it is about how we come together to serve in unity! Our last teaching point, WE SEND OUR BEST WHEN WE TEACH PEOPLE BY SERVING TOGETHER IN UNITY!

We are the Body of Christ and we teach by our witness, more than our words. We can say a lot, but we are only teaching about Jesus Christ when we are unified. Paul explained about Timothy in Philippians 2:22, "But you know that Timothy has proved [dokimen] himself, because as a son with his father he has served [douleuo] with me in the work of the gospel."

The Greek verb douleuo translated “has served” literally means “has performed the duties of a slave.” This word is rooted in the Greek word doulos which is often translated ‘servant’, but literally means “slave”. This verse, 22, is echoing Paul’s first verse (Philippians 1:1a) when he introduces himself and Timothy as the "servants [doulos] of Christ Jesus".

We saw in verses 20-21, that Paul said Timothy is of equal soul because of his attitude and he is now expanding that by the way Timothy has conducted himself! Paul is setting Timothy apart by his attitude and his actions; by how he lives out his faith in word and deed!

Paul wrote of Timothy in 1 Corinthians 4:15-17, "Even though you have ten thousand guardians in Christ, you do not have many fathers, for in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel. Therefore I urge you to imitate me. For this reason I am sending to you Timothy, my son whom I love, who is faithful in the Lord. He will remind you of my way of life in Christ Jesus, which agrees with what I teach everywhere in every church.”

In this passage, Paul states, “my son whom I love…He will remind you of my way of life in Christ Jesus”, and in verse 22 of our Scripture lesson, Paul states of Timothy, “as a son with his father he has served with me in the work of the gospel.” Paul is saying that they are Co-slaves, with Timothy learning the way of Jesus Christ by walking with and serving alongside of Paul, like a son who learns a trade by watching his father.

This image is a powerful teaching image for discipleship because in ancient times, leading up to the Industrial Revolution, most fathers did not leave their land to work and the sons would learn the trade of their father by watching him and working with him. Paul is modeling for us that discipleship works through intentional investment of relationship; through mentorship. We are to pass on what we are to a person who is being formed in their person character. This image makes me think about my own son and how he is like a sponge hanging on to how I behave and speak. He didn’t learn to walk because I preached to him or set up a class on taking steps, rather he watched us walk and did everything he could to imitate. He needed lots of help though so he watched and we supported, guided, and encouraged. It’s not just in learning how to walk with his feet and legs that my son will continue to watch me, his attitude and character will be formed as he watches, one step at a time. And he’ll continue to watch me, especially in the challenging, confusing, and hard times.

Paul knows he can send Timothy to Philippi because Timothy “has proved himself”. The Greek word is dokimen and it literally points to a test or ordeal to find someone approved or rejected. Timothy has been found to have a proven or approved character because of his actions through the tough circumstances of multiple mission trips and many trials and tribulations. Because of this proven character, he knows that in sending Timothy he is sending his best.

Paul speaks of the importance of proven character through serving together in unity to the Christ-followers in Corinth in 2 Corinthians 9:13, “Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, men will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else.”

Paul speaks of obedience that comes from faith demonstrated through service and generous giving! Is the giving of your time, treasures, and talents to God’s Church dependent on your feelings and emotions or on your relationship with the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who is the Head?

Timothy was a man that could be sent into the mission field because he had proven character in the midst of difficult circumstances. Let us not be quick to look at tough situations in our lives as from the Devil. Yes, the Devil is on the prowl tempting and deceiving, but we also pass through times of testing, so that God can measure the depths of our faith and character. Pain and hardship are used for our ultimate good as God refines us in His amazing grace and abundant love!

Is your obedience dependent on your emotions? Is your faith dependent on your feelings? Let us make a choice today to send our very best by aligning our attitudes and actions with Jesus Christ, but know that as soon as you make this decision times of testing will come. God will test the sacrifice to ensure it is sincere and can be multiplied in the mission field.

Paul states in Romans 5:1-4, “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.”

We live in a world that is desperately in need of a Hallmark Card with the right heart, the right message, and the right character. I believe God is calling you today to leave this place and enter the mission field in order to proclaim the message of Jesus Christ that has not changed and will never changed.

The world experienced the love of God when they saw Jesus Christ spread His arms and give His very best! This love changed everything! His love fills the emptiness of the human heart that has led people to be hopeless and incapable of trusting and loving one another.

The world needs to hear the good news again and again! How quickly they (we) forget! God is calling you to remind people of the extravagant love of Jesus Christ!

Will the world see that God sent His very best when they open you up?