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Like Christ, If I Could Be Like Christ - Philippians 2:19-30

Sermon Series: Partners in Christ

When I was a kid there was a Gatorade commercial that came on which inspired every little boy in the United States. The commercial starred the most influential athlete in the US (if not the world) at the time – Michael Jordan. And while the visual images transitioned back and forth between some of Michael’s greatest feats and images of Michael drinking Gatorade there was a song that played which had a little chorus that said, “Like Mike, if I could be like Mike!” And while the jingle was catchy, it had (I believe) an even greater impact than just getting people to buy Gatorade. The commercial inspired a whole generation of young boys not to settle for mediocrity in their neighborhood basketball games, but to strive to be the best. When we used to play in our neighborhood there wasn’t just one boy in the neighborhood who was imagining that he could be like Mike and everyone else imagining that they were like Patrick Ewing. No! When we got ten guys together to play a game of basketball, each and every one of us walked out onto the court with aspirations of playing like Mike that day! And while none of us ever came close to attaining the kind of basketball greatness that Michael Jordan possessed, each time we took our place on the court we did everything in our power to be as much like Mike in that game as we could. When I think back on that commercial and the unbelievable influence that that little jingle had on an entire generation of boys it absolutely amazes me. A simple little jingle, “Like Mike, if I could be like Mike,” inspired every little boy to do the best he could to make his game resemble Michael’s game, each and every time he put a basketball in his hand.

Then I think about this little jingle and its influence in light of my own walk with Jesus and in light of the state of the Church in our community, in our state, and in our nation today. What if we simply changed the jingle by replacing the name of the greatest basketball player who has ever lived with another name? What if the jingle said, “Like Christ, if I could be like Christ!” Would it inspire in me the same kind of effort I once gave to be like Mike? Would it inspire each and every member of the church as it inspired each and every little boy? And can you imagine how that would look as we worked that out as a church? That each and every time we stepped out into our community we weren’t content with mediocrity in our faith, but gave our best effort to make our life reflect Christ’s life as much as possible. No, none of us will ever to be able to live a life completely like Jesus’ while we are still here wrestling with sin and the flesh. But why not strive each day to be as much like Him as we can be? Can you even begin to imagine what the church would look like if that was the case? And yet this is exactly what Paul was calling the church at Philippi to. As partners in Christ who were to “have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus” (2:5), they were to be letting their “manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ” (1:27), “striving side by side for the faith of the gospel” (1:27), and continuously working out their salvation with fear and trembling (2:12). The first half of the letter to the church of Philippi has painted a picture of every believer in Christ giving their all to resemble Christ and to do this in the context of doing the work of ministry with one another. Paul didn’t want one or two believers to aspire to be like Christ while everyone else aspired for mediocrity. Paul wanted every believer, every member of the church, to strive to be like Christ and to partner with others who were striving to do the same thing – just like a basketball team full of boys who are all aspiring to be like Michael Jordan.

When I take an honest look at myself and an honest look at the Church today, unfortunately this isn’t what I see. It seems the present reality is this – there are certain days when I strive with excellence to make my life look like Christ’s, but there are other days when I’m not really working all that hard to be like Him. As far as the Church goes, on any given day there are a handful of people who may come out striving to live their lives like Christ, but at the same time, a greater majority of believers have opted not to really give much of an effort at all. Perhaps on some special occasion a group of believers comes together for a specific time or a specific day in which they are all doing their best to live like Jesus. But have we ever seen a church that aspires each and every day to make their lives individually and collectively look as much like Jesus’ as they can? Probably not. Which probably also means that for the average believer in Christ they don’t even know what a life lived like this day in and day out looks like. As Paul exhorts the church at Philippi to live like this, he recognizes the difficulty of the task that he is calling them too, but he also provides for them some real life examples of guys who are striving to live their lives in this manner every day.

In verse 19 of chapter 2 Paul begins to share with the church at Philippi his plans to send some of his friends to them. He tells them first of his plans to send his most beloved friend to them, Timothy. Paul tells the church at Philippi, “I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, so that I too may be cheered by news of you.” Paul’s expression of hope here isn’t one of uncertainty and it doesn’t imply that Paul lacked confidence in his plan to send Timothy to the church at Philippi. The ‘hope’ that Paul declares he has here is one that actually implies great confidence or trust – confidence and trust that exist because the hope is ultimately in Jesus. Because Paul understands that his role as a believer in Christ is that of a ‘servant,’ Paul recognizes that he is not the one who crafts plans and gives the directions. He understood that any planning he did had to be under the direction and guidance of Jesus and that the success of his planning was completely dependent upon Jesus making it a reality – even with something as small as travel plans for Timothy. (How often do we fail at this?) So Paul seems to suggest in verse 19 that he is confident about sending Timothy to the church at Philippi because he has made these plans as he has sought direction from Christ and sensed His leading in this direction.

The sending of Timothy to Philippi appears to be in Paul’s mind a mutually encouraging act. Paul says that the sending of Timothy will also cheer him, leaving us to imply that the sending of Timothy would first and foremost cheer and encourage the church at Philippi. Though he doesn’t directly say that the church at Philippi will be encouraged by Timothy’s visit it does seem to be clearly implied. We have previously seen that Paul is excited about the advancement of the gospel (even while chained and imprisoned) and it seems that his expectation is that the church at Philippi will be encouraged by this news as well. The news of the advancement of the gospel would serve to cheer the hearts of the Philippians, who had partnered with Paul for this cause; and when Timothy returned to Paul after his visit to Philippi, Paul expected to be encouraged by the news of the advancement of the gospel in Philippi and the news that the church was following through on the instructions that he had sent to them in this letter.

In verses 20 through 22 the emphasis moves from the plan to send Timothy to a focus on Timothy, himself. Paul says in these verses, “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.” In these verses Paul gives two distinct reasons for wanting to send Timothy. The first reason he says is because there isn’t anyone else who would be “genuinely concerned” for their welfare. With the exception of Timothy, Paul says that “they all seek their own interests.” This is an incredibly broad statement and one which leaves us with a great deal of uncertainty. When Paul says “they all seek their own interests,” who exactly is he talking about? There are several options for us to choose from. By saying “they all” he could be talking about the entire population; he could be talking about all Christians; or he could be talking about all of the potential co-workers that he could have sent to Philippi. Unfortunately Paul doesn’t include enough details in this letter to help us come to a confident explanation – which also means this wasn’t the point of emphasis. Paul’s emphasis wasn’t on these others but rather on Timothy. And what becomes incredibly clear is that Timothy is one who is genuinely concerned for the welfare of the church at Philippi. Timothy’s character exemplified the character Paul was exhorting the church to have in Philippians 2:4, “Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.” A character trait that was ultimately seen in Jesus, Himself, who, because of His genuine concern for the church, “did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men” (Philippians 2:6-7). Timothy was working hard to follow the example of Jesus, who had given His all not for His own particular interests, but for the interest and mission of God the Father. In like manner, Timothy was giving his all – not in pursuit of his own interests, but for the interest of Christ.

Paul says the second reason for planning to send Timothy was because the church of Philippi knew of Timothy’s “proven character/worth.” This is significant because Paul doesn’t use this word lightly. Listen to what Paul says in his letter to the Romans, “More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character [i.e. “proven character/worth” – same word used in Philippians 2:22], and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us” (Romans 5:3-5). Paul says in this portion of his letter to the Romans that “proven character/worth” is the product of enduring suffering for the faith. So to say that the church at Philippi knew of Timothy’s proven character/worth was to suggest that the church at Philippi knew that Timothy was one who had been enduring suffering for the sake of his faith. Paul says even more about “proven character/worth” in the second letter we have from him to the church at Corinth. Paul says in 2 Corinthians 9:13, “By their approval [i.e. “proven character/worth” – same word used in Philippians 2:22] of this service, they will glorify God because of your submission flowing from your confession of the gospel of Christ . . .” Paul uses the word “proven character/worth” in this portion of the letter to the church at Corinth to say that proven character is demonstrated in service of the gospel (which further validates a previously stated confession of faith in Christ). So to say that the church at Philippi knew of Timothy’s “proven character/worth” was to not only say that they knew that he had endured suffering for the sake of the gospel, but that they had seen his confession of faith in Christ validated through his service for the sake of the gospel. Timothy had faithfully served and endured like Paul – just as a son might do with a father. But Paul is also quick to point out that Timothy’s service and endurance wasn’t for Paul (like a son’s might be for his father) – Timothy had faithfully served and endured with Paul, “in the gospel.” This is a proclamation that takes us back to the opening line of this letter, “Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus” (1:1). We noted when we first began our study of this letter that Paul wasn’t emphasizing his authority or position over Timothy – he was emphasizing their shared role, as servants in Christ. In like fashion here, Paul is emphasizing Timothy’s faithfulness as a servant not to him, but with him in service to Jesus and the good news of the gospel.

In addition to the emphasis on Timothy’s proven character in verse 22 we have to be sure to note that he is described as a son to Paul and a servant to Christ – both are roles which imply a character trait of humility. And both are roles that point back to Jesus in Philippians 2:6-7. There we saw another humble Son who also became a servant, “who though He was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made Himself nothing, taking the form of a servant.” Paul is purposefully describing Timothy in these verses as one who is living out the exhortations that he has already given to the church at Philippi, but even more importantly as one who is giving His all to be as much like Jesus as he can in every situation. It’s as if Paul is pointing to Timothy and saying here’s a guy who wakes up each morning with a jingle in his own head. But rather than the jingle going, “like Mike, if I could be like Mike,” the jingle in Timothy’s head goes, “like Christ, if I could be like Christ.” I imagine Timothy's mindset being a lot like mine and every other little boys when the Michael Jordan commercial came out. But rather than trying to make his basketball game resemble Jordan’s, Timothy is giving everything he has to make his life resemble Jesus’. So Timothy becomes an example for us who are a part of the church of a guy who is genuinely trying to make himself resemble Christ every day and in every moment. When we’re tempted to say that striving to be like Christ all the time is impossible, he’s the guy Paul points to and says, “Oh yeah – what about him?” And Paul is sending this example of all that he’s been calling the church at Philippi to, back to Philippi so that they can see what all of this looks like in a real and tangible person. Paul concludes this focus on Timothy then by saying again, “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” (vs. 23-24).

While Paul’s plan is to send Timothy to the church at Philippi, he does say in verse 23 that he isn’t going to send Timothy until after he sees how it will go with himself. Paul doesn’t clarify exactly what he means by this, but most commentators believe that Paul is waiting to send Timothy until there is some certainty regarding how his trial is going to turn out. Paul’s plan is that he will send Timothy soon, but there will be a slight delay before Timothy is sent. So Paul says in verse 25¸”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.” We discover in verse 25 that Paul had deemed it ‘necessary’ for him to go ahead and send someone to the church at Philippi right away. So Paul told them that he was sending to them a man named Epaphroditus. The church at Philippi knew Epaphroditus well because Epaphroditus was actually a member of the church at Philippi. He was a faithful member who had proven himself already in his service to the church and dedication to the gospel. So when the church at Philippi heard about Paul’s imprisonment and his need for help and provision, Epaphroditus was the one whom they had selected to take their offering to Paul and to stay and minister to him. As a result of his faithful service to Paul and of his faithful service to the gospel, Paul had come to know him as a brother, as a fellow worker, and as a fellow soldier. These titles have great significance for understanding Epaphroditus, his relationship with Paul, and his service for the gospel. Paul recognized Epaphroditus first as his ‘brother.’ Paul and Epaphroditus weren’t biological brothers and Paul wasn’t just identifying Epaphroditus as a believer in Christ when he called Epaphroditus his brother. Because of Epaphroditus’ service to Paul, Paul had grown to love Epaphroditus very much. We see evidence of this later in verse 27 when Paul says that God showed him mercy when He brought healing to Epaphroditus because Epaphroditus’ death would have heaped great sorrow upon Paul. So Paul’s identification of Epaphroditus as his brother does reveal that Epaphroditus was a believer in and follower of Christ, but also indicates that Paul had a very strong, familial type bond with Epaphroditus. Paul also identified Epaphroditus as a fellow worker (or co-worker). This title may suggest that Epaphroditus was actually included in Paul’s inner-circle of associates who had the privilege of traveling with and serving with Paul for the advancement of the gospel. This passage doesn’t provide any clarity in that sense, but as one who had been sent to minister to Paul’s needs, it is highly likely that Epaphroditus spent most of his time in the prison with Paul and that in that place he was not only helping meet Paul’s physical needs, but also helping Paul share the good news of the gospel with the imperial guard (1:12-13). The third title Paul gives to Epaphroditus is fellow soldier. In regards to this title the commentator G. Walter Hansen says this, “In Paul’s experience and theology, the work of Christ leads inevitably into warfare and suffering on behalf of Christ.” So for Paul to give Epaphroditus the title of fellow soldier suggests that Epaphroditus was experiencing some of the same spiritual warfare and suffering that Paul, himself, was experiencing, because of his faith in Christ and service for the gospel. While these titles certainly give some clarity into the relationship between Paul and Epaphroditus and the work and sufferings that both of these men shared, we also have to recognize that these titles look a great deal like the life of a true believer as Paul describes it in 2 Timothy 2:1-6. “You then, my child, be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No soldier gets entangled in civilian pursuits, since his aim is to please the one who enlisted him. An athlete is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules. It is the hard-working farmer who ought to have the first share of the crops.” As a fellow brother, fellow worker and fellow soldier, Epaphroditus was living out the life that Paul had called Timothy to, the church at Philippi to, and all followers of Christ to.

The rest of verse 25 identifies Epaphroditus as the one that the church of Philippi had sent with a message to Paul and the one that they had sent to remain with and minister to Paul. Then in verses 26 through 27 Paul shares with the church at Philippi a little bit regarding what their messenger and servant had experienced in his time with Paul. “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.” While both serving Paul and serving with Paul, we discover that Epaphroditus had become very ill. Paul doesn’t reveal any specifics to the Philippians, such as a diagnosis or a description of the symptoms that Epaphroditus was experiencing, but he does emphasize the severity of the illness. Paul says twice (vs. 27, 30) that Epaphroditus was near to death, and I believe the text suggests that he would have most certainly died had something not happened. What was that something? Verse 27 says, “But God!” The something that happened was actually a someone who stepped in. Epaphroditus was facing certain death until God acted. Paul says, “But God had mercy on him.” In a great act of mercy God intervened and brought healing and restoration to Epaphroditus so that he might continue to live and serve the cause of the gospel. In addition to seeing Epaphroditus’ healing as an act of mercy towards Epaphroditus alone, Paul also saw the healing as an act of mercy towards himself. Although Paul doesn’t say in this verse what it is specifically that is causing him sorrow, to have lost his friend, co-laborer, and the one serving him in prison would have been a devastating blow to him and would have been, as he puts it, more sorrow stacked upon sorrow that already existed.

Epaphroditus had faithfully carried out the task the church at Philippi had given to him. He had served Paul well and had helped advance the gospel. He had even done so having become unbelievably sick. So Paul says in verses 28 through 30, “I am the more eager to send him, therefore, that you may rejoice at 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.” Paul seems to have several reasons for being eager to send Epaphroditus back to the church at Philippi. One reason was because Epaphroditus was longing to see his friends at the church at Philippi once again and to clarify for them his condition (vs. 26). A second reason was that Paul needed someone he could trust to carry this particular letter back to the church at Philippi and to help the church put these exhortations into practice. Timothy could not yet go (vs. 23) so Paul was eager to send Epaphroditus. A third reason is that Paul suggests that Epaphroditus had worked hard to complete (and perhaps had completed) what was lacking in the church’s service (vs. 30). (When Paul wrote that in verse 30 he wasn’t taking a jab at the Philippian church. The reality was that the whole church could not be present with Paul while he was away and in prison, so Epaphroditus had stood in their place as their representative.) The early indication in this letter is that Paul would be giving a defense very soon and that he was anticipating being released - so Epaphroditus’ job was done for the most part. Paul wanted Epaphroditus to be able to return to his friends so that they would be able to renew their friendship and celebrate Epaphroditus’ successful completion of the task he had carried out on the church’s behalf.

Perhaps the most significant reason that Paul was eager to send Epaphroditus back to the church at Philippi was because Epaphroditus was another great example of an individual who was striving everyday and in every circumstance to be like Christ. He had been living out the very principles that Paul was trying to teach the church in this letter. His service to Paul in prison was clearly a picture of someone who was not looking only to his own interests but to the interests of others (2:4). His presence with Paul in prison was a picture of someone “striving side by side for the faith of the gospel” (1:27). Notice also some of the parallels that exist in Paul’s description of Epaphroditus in 2:27-30 and Jesus in 2:5-11. Twice Paul emphasizes that Epaphroditus’ obedience to serve led him to the brink of death, “Indeed he was ill, near to death . . . for he nearly died for the work of Christ . . .” (vs. 27, 30). In the same way Paul had emphasized that Jesus’ obedience to serve actually led him to death, “. . . He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross” (2:8). Additionally, Epaphroditus’ life and ministry seem to be a good illustration of what we hear Jesus proclaim in Mark 8:35, “For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it.” Epaphroditus, like Timothy, is another one of those guys who seems to have the jingle stuck in his head, “Like Christ, if I could be like Christ.” He seems to be one of those guys who, when his feet hit the floor each morning, resolves to live every moment to reflect as best he can the life of Christ. That was a guy the church at Philippi needed to be around! And that was a guy they needed to model their life after! The church at Philippi needed and the church today needs all the Timothy’s and the Epaphroditus’ we can get.

Now let me quickly note that the jingle alone wasn’t the only thing that inspired an entire generation of young boys. It was the jingle that provoked the thought – but it was the images that caused us to be in awe of Michael’s impressive basketball game. If you’re a believer in Christ and the jingle ‘Like Christ, if I could be like Christ,” doesn’t cause you to aspire to be more like Him, perhaps it’s because you haven’t gazed enough on how extraordinary He really is. Some of you who are believers in Christ need to camp out in the NT gospels or the NT book of Hebrews and just spend some time fixing your gaze on the glory of Jesus. The author of Hebrews begins his letter with this statement, “He [Jesus] is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of His [God’s] nature . . .” (Hebrews 1:3). The reality is, there is no one else on whom you could ever fix your gaze that will captivate your heart and inspire your greatest affections like Jesus. So if you’re lacking the desire to be like Jesus, perhaps it’s because you haven’t gazed on Him enough lately.

Others of you this morning may not have a personal relationship with Jesus. And if you’re honest with yourself you haven’t really ever taken an honest look for yourself at who the Bible says that Jesus is and what it is that He has done for you. Perhaps if you’re honest with yourself this morning you would be willing to admit that the Jesus that you may have occasionally glanced at is simply a Jesus that you have crafted in your own mind. If that’s you, could I dare you to take a small challenge? Could I dare you to take a little time each day to pick up a Bible, to turn to a book in the Bible called The Gospel According to John, and to read just a little each day? Could I challenge you to give some consideration to who the Bible says that Jesus is and what the Bible says that Jesus has done? And then could I challenge you to do one more thing – find a mature believer in Christ and ask them to help give clarity on parts you don’t understand or answer questions that you may have. Because what the Bible reveals about who Jesus is and what He has done for you is life-changing! His life and His accomplishments are infinitely greater than anything Michael Jordan ever did or accomplished. And I’m convinced that if you begin to explore the true Jesus and the depths of His love for you, you’ll discover Someone who is far more than you ever imagined He could be. And if not, the worst case scenario is that you walk away with a better understanding of who the Bible declares Jesus to be. What do you have to lose?

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