Last year, some of the men at our church gathered together at a farm for some food, fellowship, and target practice. Some brought food, some brought their guns, and everyone had a good time. Several of the guys had a very good shot. They were quick and accurate! Then it was my turn. I had only fired a gun one other time in my adult life and also shot a bee-bee gun a few times as a teenager. So, among these more experienced shooters, I felt insecure. The men were very helpful with words of encouragement and practical tips as I stepped up for my turn. I missed the first two but learned a few things. When my turn came around again (we shot on a rotation), I hit the clay pigeon both times! One of the men then said, “Good job, Pastor. Now, whatever you did that time, be sure to do that again next time.” I replied, “Oh, so I am supposed to keep my eyes closed?”
Joking aside, I actually kept my eyes open the whole time; however, finding my target flying through the air was not as easy as it looked from afar. The Lord has given you and I a target of co-laboring together to fulfill His mission for us. Our intentions are often good, but sometimes we cannot seem to find the target. Do you know what the target of serving others looks like?
the church needs to aim to serve the Lord together.
Philippi was the first Christian church planted in Europe during Paul’s second missionary journey. This is believed to be around 50 or 51 AD. This church body mainly consisted of Gentiles (which is a huge point in a time when many Jews believed the Gentiles to be unclean). Philippi was located in ancient Greece on the eastern border of the Roman province of Macedonia, situated about 10 miles off the coast. This would have been a very strategic city geographically. Multitudes of people would pass through Philippi on their way to Rome. On a side note, there was a famous medical school in Philippi where Luke may have studied. There are four significant events that created a strong connection between the Philippian believers and Paul (Acts 16) and lead to the birthing of a new church.
1. A New Believer. The first one to believe was Lydia. A new believer is a huge step towards planting a church in a realm this mission team did not plan to remain.
2. Demons Cast Out. Paul cast out the demons within the slave girl. This event ended with Paul and Silas being cast into prison.
3. A Dramatic Conversion. Paul and Silas led the Philippian jailer and his family to a saving knowledge of Jesus.
4. Follow-Up & Sacrifice. Paul visited the church in Philippi during his third missionary journey (Acts 20). During his visit, they sacrificially took up an offering for him (II Cor. 11:9; Phil. 4:15) and for the church in Jerusalem (II Cor. 8:1-5).
My wife and I were in our first month of ministry in a church back in 1995. My wife was 8 months pregnant with our first of five children. I served as the assistant pastor at the time. The senior pastor had to leave town for a trip, and I took on several necessary responsibilities during his absence. One of those ministry opportunities was sitting with a dear lady in the surgery waiting room while her husband underwent triple-by-pass heart surgery. Charis and I spent many hours in the waiting room with her that day. After surgery, the doctor told her that her husband received a 5-by-pass surgery (instead of a triple-by-pass). When the nurse finally came to bring this sweet woman to recovery, she asked us if we would please go with her. As we followed the nurse down the hallway, she nervously clung to my wife’s arm, keeping a firm grip. We entered the bay in which he was stationed and found an elderly man hooked up more machines, tubes, and monitors that I thought was possible. Our hearts are prone to bind together with a stronger connection when we go through dramatic events together. For many years, my wife and I had an endearing relationship with this woman.
The Philippians and Paul went through some dramatic events together. These four events clearly created an unusual bond between these believers and the apostle Paul. Here in Philippians 2:19-20, Paul is longing to know how these dear believers were doing, so he sent Timothy to Philippi. Why Timothy? What is revealed here in Philippians 2:19-30 about those chosen to serve?
o COMFORTER. Timothy is sent to them for Paul’s personal comfort (2:19)
o SELFLESS. Timothy is known for his selfless care of others. His own ministry is cited as proof of such care (2:20-22).
o TIMING. Paul holds Timothy’s departure until Paul’s own situation is better understood (2:23).
o INTENTIONS. Paul declares his intentions to eventually make the trip himself (2:24).
Epaphroditus was sent from Philippi to Paul during his Roman imprisonment as a way to help Paul from afar. At some point after his arrival in Rome, Epaphroditus became very sick; in fact, he almost died! However, God intervened and saw fit to raise him back up to better health.
Timothy and Epaphroditus were both used to help other believers. Much of what they did was behind the scenes, however, their role was vital! What can we learn from these two men in regard to our own “others-mindedness?”
4 Powerful Realities of Serving Jesus Together:
1. RELATING
God places a high priority on meeting the needs of others. The Lord repeats this priority with phrases like love one another, comfort one another, edify one another, be kind one to another, forgive one another, preferring one another, admonish one another, greet one another, serve one another, and exhort one another. Our relating to one another requires spiritual enabling!
2. PACING
Serving God is a marathon, not a sprint. Timothy’s opportunities for the Lord expanded after much time of faithful service was proven. Some believers have mistakenly concluded that we should skip over practical training in the Word and that rest is sinful. It is actually sinful not to take time for proper rest and training! It was because of Timothy’s faithful early years of training that greater opportunities to serve the Lord came his way.
3. TIMING
We tend to want instant Christianity, but we must grow sensitive to God’s leading. We must be careful not to lag behind as well as not to rush ahead!
4. SACRIFICING
Help is warranted when the other cannot help himself – this is why the Philippians sent Epaphroditus. Notice there is no mention of Paul asking for them to send Epaphroditus? It is important to keep our eyes and ears open to the needs of others and “show up” when needed.
Through the years there have been gifted professional basketball players that the public has cheered on to victory. Names like Julius Erving (Dr. J), Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Kobe Bryant, and LeBron James come to mind when one thinks of some of the greatest players of all time. On occasion, some of these players have played a game believing they were the only one who could “make the shot” or “win the game.” However, as good as they were at their peak, they would not be able to play the game all by themselves. Because, as we all know, basketball is a team sport!
The church is called forward as a “team!” We all have our part to play on the team and function as God intended the church to function. When we insist on stubbornness, selfishness, pride, jealousy, or resentment we will not function the way God intended. We will then have a hard time finding our target because we are too busy worrying about ourselves. We need to aim to serve the Lord together. May we sharpen our focus on the target of serving others together to glorify God.