The Fellowship of Little People Philippians 2:19-30

Size: px

Start display at page:

Download "The Fellowship of Little People Philippians 2:19-30"

Estella Warner
5 years ago
Views:

1 The Fellowship of Little People Philippians 2:19-30 The seventh in a series of messages from Pastor Laurel Neal on the book of Philippians. August 28, 2016 Laurel Neal 1

2 Philippians 2:19-30 (NIV) Timothy and Epaphroditus I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, that I also may be cheered when I receive news about you. I have no one else like him, who will show genuine concern for your welfare. For everyone looks out for their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ. 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. I hope, therefore, to send him as soon as I see how things go with me. And I am confident in the Lord that I myself will come soon. But I think it is necessary to send back to you Epaphroditus, my brother, co-worker and fellow soldier, who is also your messenger, whom you sent to take care of my needs. For he longs for all of you and is distressed because you heard he was ill. 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. 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. So then, welcome him in the Lord with great joy, and honor people like him, because he almost died for the work of Christ. He risked his life to make up for the help you yourselves could not give me. 2

The Fellowship of Little People Philippians 2:19-30 August 28, 2016 Laurel Neal I Back in the 1920s, 30s, and 40s, a professor in England was busy inventing another world. J.R.

3 The Fellowship of Little People Philippians 2:19-30 August 28, 2016 Laurel Neal I Back in the 1920s, 30s, and 40s, a professor in England was busy inventing another world. J.R.R. Tolkien created Middle Earth and wrote a massive epic fantasy 1 about it called, The Lord of the Rings. This world Tolkien invented was complex. It was filled with various creatures and peoples everything from Trees and Ents, to Elves and Orcs; from Wizards and Men, to Dwarves and Hobbits. It had an elaborate history and many languages. It was a world of intricate beauty and a world in trouble, facing a calamity of evil. 2 1 Ralph C. Wood, The Gospel According to Tolkien. Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 2003, 2. 2 Ibid., vii. 3

When the time comes to deal decisively with this calamity of evil, who is it, exactly, who saves the day in The Lord of the Rings? Is it the good and powerful wizard, Gandalf the Grey?

4 When the time comes to deal decisively with this calamity of evil, who is it, exactly, who saves the day in The Lord of the Rings? Is it the good and powerful wizard, Gandalf the Grey? Is it the strong and determined dwarves? Is it the wise and noble race of elves? Is it the valiant Aragorn, from the race of men? No, it s not any of these. The heroes of Middle Earth are the least likely heroes of all: the hobbits. Here's Tolkien s description of what hobbits are: Hobbits are an unobtrusive but very ancient people, more numerous formerly than they are today; for they love peace and quiet and good tilled earth...they are quick of hearing and sharp-eyed, and though they are inclined to be fat and do not hurry unnecessarily, they are nonetheless nimble and deft in their movements... 4

5 [t]hey are a little people, smaller than Dwarves...Their height is variable, ranging between two and four feet...they dress in bright colours, being notably fond of yellow and green; but they seldom wear shoes, since their feet have tough leathery soles and are clad in a thick curling hair, much like the hair of their heads...their faces are as a rule good-natured rather than beautiful, broad, bright-eyed, redcheeked, with mouths apt to laughter, and to eating and drinking...being fond of simple jests at all times, and of six meals a day (when they can get them). 3 Moreover, Tolkien informs us, hobbits never [have] any adventures or [do] anything unexpected. 4 And, yet, it s the hobbits who save Middle Earth. It s a hobbit Bilbo Baggins who finds, recovers, and protects the evil Ring of Power. This ring has a complicated history and alarming power. It s a ring that devours all who possess it, and it will eventually enslave all of Middle Earth. As Tolkien s epic fantasy unfolds, it s another hobbit Frodo Baggins who deals decisively with the Ring of Power. With the indispensable help of his friend and fellow hobbit, Samwise Gamgee, Frodo carries the ring all the way to Mount Doom and finally destroys it. It s not a man, or a wizard, or an elf, or a dwarf that saves Middle Earth. All of these would have been more likely heroes than the hobbits but the hobbits it was. 3 J.R.R. Tolkien, Prologue, The Fellowship of the Ring. 4 J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit. New York: Ballantine, 1965, 16. 5

6 II Paul s been talking in Philippians 2 about what God has done to address the calamity of evil in our world: to rescue the world, set it right, and make it new. For Paul, this includes all that God had done in the Old Testament, through the people of Israel but especially what God had done recently, in Jesus Christ. Now Paul hopes that Jesus himself will shape the Philippians congregational life and ministry in world. As we know, the Philippians have been struggling in various ways with their present circumstances: with the misunderstanding, opposition, and disdain they regularly receive from the surrounding culture; and also with experiences of disunity inside their congregation. You see, in a sense, the Philippians are facing a calamity in their own community so Paul s been appealing to them to get on the same page with each other about the gospel. Not just to hang in there in the face of misunderstanding and opposition; or agree to disagree; but to organize their congregational life around the gospel itself. To agree about the gospel s importance, and authority, and content; to live gospel-shaped lives letting the gospel shape what they think, what they do, and how they do it; to practice the grace they ve received in Jesus Christ until they get really good at following Jesus and letting Jesus live his life in them. Paul s spent all of chapter 2 trying to inspire and motivate the Philippians to dedication and action along these lines. But in this morning s passage, Paul shifts gears. In this morning s passage Paul focuses on what he s going to do which is send the Philippians some help. ASAP. Now if Paul could get to Philippi himself, he would. But he can t. He s in prison. But he s got two other people he can send Timothy and Epaphroditus and he s already got the wheels in motion to get them there. He ll send Timothy, he says, as soon as he possibly can, but not immediately. Paul, remember, is waiting for the outcome of his trial. As soon as he knows more regarding his own affairs, he ll send Timothy to Philippi. And, assuming he gets released, Paul himself will follow shortly thereafter. But Epaphroditus will be coming right away. 6

7 So who are these guys? Well, Timothy s an old friend of the Philippian congregation. He was in Philippi with Paul when the church got its start, and he s visited Philippi several times since. Epaphroditus, on the other hand, is actually a member of the Philippian church. In fact, not long ago the Philippians sent Epaphroditus to Paul, bearing a gift from their congregation. Probably money and supplies Paul s needs while he s in prison and Ephaphroditus has not yet returned to Philippi. III So the Philippians will be glad to see both Timothy and Epaphroditus again. But there s more to it than that because Timothy and Epaphroditus aren t just friends of that congregation. They are simultaneously the most unlikely heroes of this story and the most able people Paul can send to encourage the Philippians and help them. Here s what I mean. Timothy was no celebrity pastor. Apparently he was nervous, and insecure, and had trouble with his stomach. And Epaphroditus was pretty ordinary, too and perhaps not very physically robust. In fact, he d gotten sick on this trip. Really sick, and had almost died. So neither man is outwardly very impressive. Neither one looks like a hero. But just listen to their other qualifications which, as Paul unpacks them, include a lot of the things he s just been writing to the Philippians about. Regarding Timothy, Paul says, I have no one of such genuine like-mindedness to send to you. No one so loyal. No one as intensely interested in you and your circumstances as Timothy is. Most people Paul continues, echoing those first verses of chapter 2 are looking out for themselves, with little concern for the things of Christ Jesus. But you Philippians know, Paul says, that Timothy s the real thing. His character and integrity shine like those stars back in verse 15. And Timothy certainly knows how to serve like Jesus because he s been like a son to Paul: putting himself in service to Paul for the sake of the gospel. And then there s Epaphroditus the Philippians own messenger to Paul; the person they selected to run a simple errand that 7

Paul now refers to as a sacred service performed on his behalf. Apparently Epaphroditus has conducted himself with distinction, because Paul refers to him in glowing terms.

8 Paul now refers to as a sacred service performed on his behalf. Apparently Epaphroditus has conducted himself with distinction, because Paul refers to him in glowing terms. Epaphroditus is his brother in Christ. He s Paul s co-laborer his partner in the work of the gospel. He s even Paul s fellow soldier meaning that Epaphroditus has shared in the dangers and risks that come with living the gospel and proclaiming it. These are terms of intimacy and praise for Epaphroditus for his character and his service. The Philippians sent him to look out for Paul s interests, and according to Paul Epaphroditus has done an awesome job. Going so far as to put his own life on the line. Time for a couple of examples. IV 8

9 Six years ago, Fitz and I became fans of Downton Abbey on public television. As you probably know, Downton Abbey is a British costume drama. Now concluded, the series spanned the years 1912 to 1927 a period of dramatic cultural and social change in Britain and beyond. Downton Abbey itself is a building: the sprawling country home of the Earl of Grantham. But Downton Abbey is also a family: the aristocratic Crawley family, who live upstairs and their servants, who live downstairs. Both upstairs and down, not to mention in between, there was plenty of kindness and conniving and calamity to go around. But the most consistent nobility of character and life, it seemed to Fitz and me, was found downstairs, in people like Anna Smith and John Bates. Both Anna and Bates are in service to the Crawley family: Anna as the personal maid to Lady Mary, the beautiful eldest daughter. And Bates as valet to Lord Grantham himself. Both positions involve Anna and Bates in the closest personal contact with their employers, about whom they know virtually everything and certainly more than other family members know. But unlike certain other servants in the house, Anna and 9

10 Bates never trade on what they know, never manipulate, never connive. They serve, in a sense, as confidantes, even friends, to Lady Mary and Lord Grantham both of whom are sorely in need of true friendship. Depending on the circumstances, Bates and Anna can be found offering comfort, encouragement, wise counsel, honest feedback. Each of them looks not just to their own interests but also to the interests of their employers and to the interests of each of the others in the house. All of this happens against the backdrop of intrigue and crises inside the house and out in the world. As time goes by, terrible crises arise in their own lives and relationship as well. We discover that Anna and Bates aren t perfect people after all or even uncomplicated ones. But early on in the series, we discern the shape and trajectory of their lives. We find them to be dependable and true each, in their own way, protecting Downton Abbey, and each other, with their own lives. Bates and Anna aren t the only noble characters in Downton Abbey, but they stand out both upstairs and down. They re the kind of people you might dispatch to a struggling church to help out the kind of people a congregation might love to see if it was feeling confused, or worn out, or discouraged. And, more recently, what about Abbey D Agostino and Nikki Hamblin in the Olympic games? There they are, on the ground both contestants in the same qualifying heat of the women s 5,000 on August 16. Hamblin, a New Zealander, went down just in front of D Agostino and D Agostino, an American, couldn t avoid falling as well. 10

11 Two things happened next. First, instead of getting up and resuming her own race, Abbey D Agostino got up then turned to help Hamblin. Hamblin remembers a hand on her shoulder and D Agostino saying to her, Get up, get up, we have to finish this. Then, as they resumed the race, it became apparent that D Agostino was the one who d been badly injured in the collision. So now it was Hamblin who helped D Agostino get up and both women managed to finish the race. Neither one was expected to medal in the 5,000 which, I suppose, qualifies them as little people in the rarefied world Olympic competition. And, of course, what they did for each other has been hailed as an example of the Olympic spirit which it certainly is. But there s a little more to it than that. A few days later, Matt Lauer interviewed Abbey D Agostino on The Today Show. I think most people s instinct, Matt said, after colliding with another runner, would be get up, get back in the race. And it seems your instinct was to turn around and lend a helping hand. Where does that come from? It s a good question, Abbey replied. The thing about that moment was everything happened so fast All I know is that I got up and my first instinct was, Okay. Turn around. We gotta finish this. And I don t think that was me. I think that was, literally, the Spirit of God in me. V We have to keep remembering how much Paul loves this little congregation in Philippi. We have to keep remembering how dear the Philippians are to Paul and how much is riding on how they conduct their life together. Not for the sake of Paul s reputation but for the sake of the gospel. And for the sake of God s reputation in the world. From Paul s perspective, God has personally given everything to rescue the world from a calamity of evil. He s done everything possible to set the world right and make it new. Paul s mindset is that local congregations exist to live out this great reality and proclaim it. That there s some urgency about congregations doing this, and that there are challenges and sacrifice involved. But to do any of this, congregations have to be on the 11

12 same page about the gospel. They have to agree to live gospel-shaped lives and conduct gospel-shaped relationships. They have to learn to look out for the interests of others. They have to learn how to do everything without grumbling and arguing. They have to practice the grace they ve received in Jesus Christ. So here s the thing. God sent his best person to us: Jesus Christ. And we heard a couple of weeks ago how low Jesus had to get how small he had to become to rescue the world. Now Paul sends the best people he has to the Philippians, two men who ve put in their 10,000 hours of practice. Who have become really good at following Jesus and are now in a position to encourage, inspire, and help the Philippians. But Timothy and Epaphroditus aren t big shots or celebrities. They re ordinary, and typical and small. This passage reminds us that God never leaves his Church high and dry. That God sends heroes into every household of faith almost always unlikely ones: Timothy and Epaphroditus; Bates, and Anna, and Abbey D Agostino; Bilbo, and Frodo, and Samwise Gamgee. Ordinary people. Little people who are in service to Jesus Christ. People who are the furthest thing from celebrities but who serve the household of faith with distinction. So look around. Look around here at MPC. Look for the Christlike people God has sent here and then welcome, honor, and imitate them. And please don t forget to look in the mirror. When you do, who do you see? Do you see someone who s in service to Jesus Christ and his gospel? If so, then God has a high calling for you. He means for you to be an unlikely hero: here, in this household of faith and beyond. 12

13 13

Grumbling, complaining, whining, disputing, and arguing. Paul says that the Christian is not to be like this. We need to grow up.

Grumbling, complaining, whining, disputing, and arguing. Paul says that the Christian is not to be like this. We need to grow up. SESSION 8. GRUMBLING, MUMBLING, COMPLAINING, DISPUTING REBUKE IT AND REFUSE IT! Philippians 2:14-16, Do everything without grumbling or arguing, 15 so that you may become blameless and pure, children of