If It’s Not Risky, Is It Really Love?|11.02.25|Jesus Over Everything pt.5
When my dad passed away suddenly from a heart attack in the middle of the night,(...) I didn't find out until the next morning when I got a phone call from my mom.(...) It was five years ago in the height of the pandemic and so everyone was still keeping their distance from each other and so my wife Megan was really the only person who was able to be there with me in my grief until we heard the doorbell ring and we answered the door and we were greeted by two young sisters in their 20s who Megan and I had been mentoring and they were there standing with a plate of something gooey and chocolate and asked if they could come in and sit with us for a while and I was a little bit too numb to even know how to process or respond but they didn't press, they didn't rush to speaking,(...) they sat together with Megan and I outside and just listened, just were present,(...) just spent time there and to this day I can't tell you what we talked about but I remember them being there for me. I remember feeling better afterward. It wasn't their words, it wasn't the gooey dessert, it was just them being present with me and then they went home. No fanfare, no publicity, just a tangible demonstration of care and compassion without asking for any recognition.(...) Now we don't normally hear stories like this because our world celebrates people who are noticed, right? If you do something good publicly in front of people that's when you get the praise for it because people see it but in our Bible passage today we're gonna talk about people who actually serve quietly, the people who pursue presence instead of a platform, the ones who sacrifice without the need for a spotlight. So open your Bibles with me to Philippians chapter 2 and if you're using the Black Seatback Bible that's in the little thing in front of you, that's on page 153 of the New Testament. You'll flip through about five or six hundred pages of the Old Testament, you get to the New Testament and as you're finding Philippians chapter 2, I want to remind you that we have been reading this letter from Paul that he wrote to followers of Jesus in a Roman colony called Philippi. Now the Philippian Christians who live in Philippi, they're part of the Roman Empire and they're in a culture that is obsessed with status and titles and recognition all because they are Roman citizens but in our previous few passages Paul has just finished describing the humility of Jesus, how he gave up his status in order to serve and Paul is calling us to follow Jesus's example of laying down our pursuit of power,(...) laying down our need for control in order to serve the people God is putting in our lives. Last week we talked about how Jesus shows us true power is service and this week Paul is gonna show us two real-life examples of people who actually lived that out. First we're gonna hear about Timothy who is one of Paul's closest disciples and students. Then we're gonna hear about a man named Apaphroditus. He was a member of the Philippian church and he's the one who brought a care package to Paul and now he's the one who's actually carrying the letter back to the Philippians, the one that we get to read. It's all because of Apaphroditus. So let's read together Philippians chapter 2 starting in verse 19.(...) "I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon so that I too may be consoled by news of you. I have no one so like myself who will be genuinely concerned for your welfare.(...) All of them are seeking their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ. But Timothy's worth you know how like a son with a 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 trust in the Lord that I will also come soon. Still I think it necessary to send to you Apaphroditus, my brother and co-worker and fellow soldier, your messenger and minister to my need. For he has been longing for all of you and has been distressed because you heard that he was ill. He was indeed so ill that he nearly died but God had mercy on him and not only on him but on me also so that I might not have one sorrow after another.(...) I am the more eager to send him therefore in order that you may rejoice at seeing him again and that I may be less anxious. Welcome him in the Lord with all joy. Honor such people because he came close to death for the work of Christ, raising his life, risking his life to make up for those services that you could not give me. This is the word of the Lord.(...) Thanks be to God.(...) Now Paul was a man who had a lot of accolades and then he met Jesus and he made a name for himself spreading the news of Jesus across entire continents.(...) Then he got thrown in jail because he's making such a big impact and now he's riding to a church in a community that is all about status and influence and so he could have bragged about big names or huge miracles to encourage them and to wow them but instead he chooses to honor two ordinary guys. He highlights them because they demonstrate the facts that following Jesus means serving like Jesus, laying down their own pride and power to serve others, risking their own lives and livelihood to serve others.(...) Serving like Jesus is sometimes costly. It costs us our pursuit of our own interests.(...) It costs us our agenda. Sometimes it costs us our own money and time when we give it for the cause of Jesus.(...) Sometimes it costs us our own safety and security but Paul wants to make sure to see these behind-the-scenes servants.(...) So we're gonna make sure to look at each of them, see what we can learn from each of them. First he talks about Timothy and Timothy is an example of someone who is caring like Jesus and Paul wants to make sure that a spiritual mentor can go and encourage the Philippian church. It's been a while since he's been to visit them and he really wants to go and encourage them but since he's stuck in prison he says I'll send Timothy that is just as good as me going myself. He's gonna do an excellent job because he's genuinely concerned for your welfare. In fact Paul says I have no one like him. I've known this like me like him. He uses this Greek word isosuchos. It means like-minded or it could mean same sold.(...) Paul is saying that Timothy shares the same spirit as Paul. They share a genuine spiritual friendship because Timothy has a heart that beats in sync with Paul's and so Paul says that sending Timothy is just as good as him going himself.(...) Like what a high honor to say about Timothy isn't it? Like what an incredible beautiful way to commend someone and then he mentions how Timothy isn't like everyone else who seeks their own interests and this is a direct call back to the passage that came right before this we talked about last week. It's where Paul is encouraging his readers to look to the interests of Jesus not to the interests of themselves
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and he has to encourage us of that because it's so natural for us to look to our own interests isn't it? Maybe people who don't feel like they have a very strong support system. No one else is to look out for me. I've got to look out for myself and that's natural. I understand that. Sometimes it's just because it's easier to seek our own interests instead of the interest of Jesus. It just comes more naturally.
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There's a thought that I wish I had more often. A phrase that I wish I said to myself more often. I wonder what Jesus wants from me in this moment.(...) How can I serve Jesus's mission today?
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Because even though I'm a pastor, I've been following Jesus for over 20 years, I still have to be reminded to ask those types of questions.(...) But you know what I never have to be reminded to ask about? My own desires and needs.(...) I don't have to be reminded to wonder if I'm hungry. I don't have to be reminded to wonder how to entertain myself when I feel bored.(...) But I have to be reminded to ask myself, how could I serve Jesus's mission today?
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See, Paul wants us to realize that Timothy, he's not like that.(...) Timothy genuinely cares for others like Jesus because he genuinely focuses on Jesus's mission and heart for others. And Timothy isn't just worth mentioning because he's demonstrated it in one task or one event or even one year. Because being gifted gets you attention.
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But developing character over time,(...) that's what builds trust. And Timothy is trustworthy. He has proven his character as one of strength, as one of integrity, because it's been tested over time. He's demonstrated faithfulness built in the small things over time. That's why Paul wants to highlight him for us. Because Timothy serves out of love. He's not serving for recognition or approval. He's not trying to get ahead. He's not trying to build a platform. He's trying to lift others up simply because Jesus would do the same thing. And so his care reflects the care of Jesus himself. And if we're going to learn from his example, if we're going to learn to follow the example of Jesus as well, then we should probably ask, how can we care for others like Jesus?
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And so for you to think about, what if this week you picked one person to show care to?
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Who's one person that you could call or text just to pray with or spend time with? What if you were just present with someone, just like my two friends were present with me when my dad passed and just be there?
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What if you called up an old friend, say, how are you really doing?(...) And then just listened because that simple act of caring love might be what God uses to reach them this week.
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Now, maybe you thought of a friend or a family member, but maybe God put on your heart, you're one. Here at New Life, we talk about how each one has a one that God is calling us to reach.(...) There's a parable where Jesus talks about the good shepherd who notices one is missing from his flock. He leads the 99 to go and reach the one and bring him back.
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And so we talk about each of us have a one in our life, someone who is far from God, but close to us.
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That God is saying,(...) how can you connect to that person this week? How can you show care to your one this week? Because maybe God is opening a door for you.(...) Now, Paul wants us to know that Timothy is a really good example of caring like Jesus. And now he's going to tell us about Epaphroditus, who is going to be shown as an example of risking like Jesus.
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Notice how Paul introduces Epaphroditus. He introduces him as my brother and coworker and fellow soldier.(...) Now, Epaphroditus wasn't a particularly notable member of leadership of the Philippian church. Not at all. He was the mailman. He was the courier that brought the care package. He was the guy who was willing to go.(...) But Paul calls him brother. It's a family term. And he calls him his coworker, which puts Epaphroditus on the same mission as Paul. And then he calls him his fellow soldier, which points out the level of commitment and sacrifice that Epaphroditus has demonstrated.(...) And then if you go down to verse 30, he highlights how Epaphroditus risked his life for the sake of showing up for Paul.
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The word that Paul uses, it's a mouthful. Hold on. Let me get it right.(...) Para Bellusimenos.
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That word literally means that Epaphroditus gambled his life for the sake of Christ.
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He didn't play it safe. He risked his comfort, his health. He risked his reputation to serve Paul and to serve the work of the gospel.(...) Now, centuries later, in the third and fourth centuries, there's a group of Christians in Egypt who took this verse so seriously that they named themselves after it. They called themselves the Para Bellani, the risk takers.
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When plagues hit cities like the plague of Cyprian in the mid-200s or the plague of Justinian later on, most citizens fled any city. They didn't know why everyone in the city was getting sick. They just knew maybe there's a curse because they didn't understand germs and proximity and things like that. So everyone just left the cities except the Para Bellani.(...) They stayed behind to nurse the sick, to bury the dead, to comfort the dying, oftentimes contracting the disease themselves.(...) While everyone else was running for safety, the Para Bellani ran toward the sick.
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They said, "If Jesus risked everything for us, how can we not risk something for others?" They believed that love was worth the risk and their actions shocked the Roman world.
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Their self-sacrifice won credibility for the good news of Jesus because people saw those are followers of Jesus and it's actually transforming their life to look different. And so outsiders who didn't even believe in Jesus, they saw tangible proof that Jesus's love conquers fear.(...) And so when Paul is talking about the first Para Bellani of Aphrodite, we see that he didn't risk his life in order to make headlines.
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He wasn't tweeting about it or posting about it on social media.
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He did it because he loved Jesus and his people. And so Paul says, "Honor people like this."(...) Rather than celebrating those with high rank or status, Paul flips Roman culture on its head. This is what he says in verse 29. He says, "Honor the people who serve others, especially those that risk their own comfort and preferences." Honor the servants,(...) not the celebrities.
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And if you spend any amount of time here at New Life, you know we have a lot of unsung servants here at New Life.(...) One that I think that no one else might even really know about or definitely wouldn't know what he does most of the time is Ervin Rhodes.(...) Turby, as his friends call him, if you know him, he served as one of the original elders of our church serving on the first leadership team of New Life Lutheran when it started 15 years ago. But because he loves Jesus and because he loves this church so much, Turby is the reason that our sanctuary gets vacuumed every week.
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Personally, himself.(...) Turby is the reason why the recycling gets taken out every week.(...) Now, I know that he would never ask for that. In fact, he was a little perturbed at me in the first service when I called him out in front of everyone. But I just wanted to honor his love and his service and his sacrifice for the church.
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In fact, when we're reading scripture and we see something, we're supposed to apply it to our lives. And so when Paul says honor such people, I want to take a second to just honor a lot of people today.(...) I want to focus actually, though, on the people who serve behind the scenes, which means if you've ever done anything at this church and someone has seen you doing it, you're a little bit of like a public servant in some way, I'm not going to mention you right now. I want to highlight the people that serve behind the scenes. And so I'm going to start naming groups. I'll name some individuals. And so if I name you or if I name a team that you serve on, I would like you to please stand and remain standing.(...) First, I'd like to name and honor the Altra Care team, the ones who set up for our communion and make sure our sanctuary is ready. Go ahead and stand and remain standing. I want to highlight Joel and Debbie Klein, who make sure straight in the seats and all the papers and all the seats.(...) I want to honor the coffee fellowship team. If you have ever had coffee or goodies out there, they don't just show up magically. It's not fairies and gnomes. It's a coffee fellowship team.
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Jamie on the facilities team who make sure our space is clean.(...) Brittany in the office and any office volunteers who prepare the bulletin, other items. I'd like to honor nursery workers and kids workers who pour your hearts into littles every week. If that's ever been you, please stand and remain standing. No, I see you, Klein's. Go say standing up.(...) Any teen volunteers who create space so that the teens feel like this church is theirs, please stand.
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The tech team who run all the lights and the sound and who never get any type of recognition, please stand back there.(...) If you've ever served on the finance team or the counting team who help us steward our resources, please stand or remain standing. The crafting team who makes quilts and blankets for hospice and those in needs. The kitchen crew, Ms. Denise, anyone who's ever helped with a senior soup supper, anyone who's ever helped with a funeral lunch or another event.
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Those who help keep the outside of our campus looking beautiful, the Coopers who plant the mums, John Smith who helps us overcome the weeds. Roger Hoffman who helps with so many projects around the campus.
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People who help remove snow that aren't paid but still show up early in the morning for us. The leaders who lead classes and life groups who study and put time and effort without credit. Pastor Phil, Marshall, Marsha, Troy Marty, any of the man-year leaders, any people who ever served in home communion, please stand and remain standing.
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Can we just take a second to honor these people and thank them for their service? And I know that I probably miss a few people and so if you serve behind the seats, I want to say thank you and God honors you for your service. You can have a seat but I want to say a prayer over you.
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Let me just pray.(...) Father, thank you for these brothers and sisters, these co-workers, these fellow soldiers for the cause of Christ.
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Like Paul says, may they shine like stars in the darkness as they serve in Jesus' name.
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Amen.
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See, Paul wants us to know that following Jesus means serving like Jesus, even when that love is costly. And we've seen that serving others in the name of Jesus is very similar. Can it just be something as simple as showing care, showing compassion to someone? It can mean risking our own self-interests for the sake of Jesus' interests and priorities.(...) And so this week, for all of us, I would like to ask you to pray for Jesus to give you one person. Ask for one name that he's going to put on your heart and then take one step of risky love on their behalf.
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Now hear this, risky love isn't recklessness.(...) It's spirit-led courage that puts others first.
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But if it's not risky to our own self-interest, is it really love? If it doesn't cost us anything, are we fully stepping into what God is inviting us to do?(...) Now maybe the cost is a practical cost.
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Maybe God is calling you to sacrifice your time or your money to meet a need. That's costly, that's risky because it puts someone else above yourself.(...) But maybe the sacrifice is a relational risk.(...) Maybe God is calling you to reach out to someone that you normally avoid.
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That's costly, that's risky because now you've got to trust God and rely on him to know how to proceed with that person.
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Maybe God is calling you to costly service in a way that feels risky to your emotions.
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Maybe he's calling you to forgive someone.(...) Maybe he's calling you to open up with vulnerability with someone. That's costly, that's risky.
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What is one risk of love that God is inviting you to take this week?
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What if you prayed right now?
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Jesus, who do you want me to serve this week?
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What if we did that?
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Let's do that. Let's just pray. Let's just close our eyes right now and just ask, Jesus,(...) who do you want me to serve this week?
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Now I don't know who God just put on your heart,
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but I do know that it's going to be really easy to go back to your busy life and forget this.
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And so if God just put someone on your heart,(...) a name, a face, I would encourage you. There's a pen in the seat in front of you. Write it down.(...) Pull out your phone right now and just text it to yourself because otherwise you will forget. But if God is inviting you to join him in his mission of showing love to someone else, then taking a step of obedience, writing it down, texting it to yourself, that's what brings you in line with God's mission in the world. And it's not our willpower. We're not trying to earn anything with God. That's God actually working in us and working through us to reach those who need him.(...) And so maybe God is putting someone on your heart to serve him. Maybe God is just stirring up in you about getting involved or serving here at New Life. Maybe you've never served before. Maybe you want to serve in some new way because you're already serving on a team, but you want to try it out something different. But if that's you, your best next step would be to go right out those doors to the table that's in the middle of the atrium after service and talk to Marty about what different serve team opportunities there are. We have spiritual gifts, assessments that you can take home to discover how God designed you to see how your personal unique giftings that God has put into you can fit in with his mission. But that might be the next best step for you to see how can I start joining in with what God is doing?
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Because just taking one simple step from hearing God's invitation to moving.(...) That's what God is inviting us to do. Move from hearing to doing because God wants to work through you.
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Now the parable oni risked their lives. They were the risk takers. They risked their lives because Jesus laid down his life for us all. Epaphroditus from our story risked his safety because Jesus gave his life and secured the way to salvation for us all. Paul said honor people like this because Jesus humbled himself and he bestowed the highest honor on us when he chose to love us and die for us even while we are still sinners.(...) He chose us when we were nothing. He chose us and elevated us to being partners with him in sharing the good news of the gospel. It's out of his great love for us and because he loved us so much.(...) How could we not overflow that love?(...) And when we overflow that love, we actually get to experience more love ourselves. We get to experience how other people receive that love and service. And so we get to see that we are a part of what God is doing in the world. We get to see how God is working in the lives of others. When we take that step of obedience, when he's put someone on our heart and we say yes to that, we get to participate in what God is doing.
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See, we don't serve in order to earn God's favor. We serve because he's already adopted us into the family. And this is how members of the family of Christ operate.
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We care for others like Jesus. We risk for others like Jesus.(...) It's not a spectator sport. There's no such thing as an audience when it comes to the family of God. We are all needed and deeply used by God in his mission for others.
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And this is because Jesus' risk became our rescue.
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His costly gift of love becomes our joy. And now we know that following Jesus means serving like Jesus.(...) Because costly love is always worth it when it's done in line with Jesus. When we do,(...) we shine like stars in the night, calling hearts out of the darkness and pointing them towards the love of God.
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Isn't that good news?(...) Amen.