Examples!

In our culture today, it is very hard to find true heroes. In our world, the media scrutinizes every public figure we have, so a good example can be hard to find.

In Philippians 2:19-30 Paul shares two examples of good role models for followers of Jesus.

The cool thing about these two examples is that they were ordinary people. We tend to think that God only uses extremely talented and gifted people.

The truth is, God uses ordinary people. One of the great gifts that God has given me is the gift of being ordinary. The reasons God enjoys using ordinary people are:

It glorifies Him

It turns man’s reason upside down

Philippians 2:19-24

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 takes a genuine interest in your welfare. For everyone looks out for his own interests, not those of Jesus Christ. But you know 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.

The first example Paul uses is Timothy.

Timothy had a servant’s mind.

Timothy cared for people. He was concerned about their needs. He was genuinely interested in their physical and spiritual welfare.

Timothy reflected the character of Jesus in his love and concern for others.

Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is loving others.

Timothy had a servant’s training.

Paul discipled Timothy and help him to grow in his knowledge and understanding of the person and word of God. He had trained him in how to serve God by serving others.

Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is allowing God to use others to grow you in your relationship to God and your service with God.

Timothy had a servant’s rewards.

Timothy had a joy. His joy came in serving.

Timothy served God.

Timothy served others.

Timothy served Paul.

Serving should be a joy, not a burden or a duty.

The reward was the joy Timothy had in doing what God calls us to do – serving.

Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is serving others with joy.

Philippians 2:25-30

But I think it is necessary to send back to you Epaphroditus, my brother, fellow 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 destressed because you heard 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. Welcome him in the Lord with great joy, and honor men like him, because he almost died for the work of Christ, risking his life to make up for the help you could not give me.

Epaphroditus, unlike Timothy, was a full Gentile. He risked his health and life to carry the missionary offering to Paul.

Epaphroditus was a balanced Christian.

He is referred to by Paul as:

My Brother

My Fellow Worker

My Fellow Soldier

Balance in the Christian life is important.

Balance means that we are:

Focused on the Main Thing

Not too Far to One Side or the Other

Not Majoring on Minors

Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is being balanced in following Jesus.

Epaphroditus was a burdened Christian.

Epaphroditus was concerned for others:

His Church and City

Fellow Christians

Paul

Epaphroditus knew the meaning of sacrifice and service.

Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is hurting over what Jesus hurts over.

Epaphroditus was a blessed Christian.

When we say that someone is blessed, we usually mean that person has received some kind of blessing.

Epaphroditus was being a blessing to others.

He was a blessing to:

Paul

His Faith Family

Us Today

The phrase “God bless America” needs to be changed to “America bless God.”

The focus of Epaphroditus was for his life to be a blessing to others.

Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is to be a blessing to others.

We need good examples of what it means to follow Jesus. Timothy and Epaphroditus are good examples of what it means to follow Jesus.

God has called us to be good examples. He wants us to show the world what it means to follow Jesus.

As Examples of Following Jesus, Raising the Roof and Removing the Walls

                                                   Joe                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         

Shine Like Stars

In John 8:12 & John 9:5 Jesus says that He is the Light of the World.

In Matthew 5:14 Jesus says that we as His followers are the light of the world. Being the light of the world is one of the few things that Jesus is that He tells us we are to also be.

How can we be the light of the world as Jesus is?

We need to see Jesus as the sun and we as His followers are the moon. We reflect the light of Jesus that is in us by the filling of the Holy Spirit. The light is Him in us, not a light we produce independently.

In Philippians 2:12-18 Paul shares how we shine the light of Jesus with our lives.

Philippians 2:12-13

Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed – not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence – continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to His good purpose.

We are to obey God.

We are to work out our salvation.

We are to look to God for the desire to God’s will.

We are to look to God for the ability to do God’s will.

Salvation is a work of God and we do not work for our salvation. Once we have experienced God’s forgiveness and experienced salvation, we are to work out how that will manifest itself in our daily living. One thing that enables us to do that is the truth that we have God giving us the desire and power to do what God wants.

Philippians 2:14-16a

Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe.

Paul begins to share how we can be the light of the world, or shine like stars in the universe.

We don’t complain or argue. We are not to murmur or talk behind others’ backs. We are not to try and create doubts in others.

We are to be blameless.

We are to be pure.

We are to live like children of God.

We are to be without fault.

We are to be free of spiritual fault or defect.

We are to be free from evil.

We are to reflect the truth of our Father.

We are to be above reproach.

We are to do all of this in an environment that is hostile and distorts the truth of God.

We are also to share God’s Word, the Word of Life, with others.

Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is living a life that shines like stars as we reflect the light of Jesus.

Philippians 2:16b-18

In order that I may boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor for nothing. But even if I am poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and service coming from your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you. So, you too should be glad and rejoice with me.

Paul then shares how the believers in Philippi shining like stars in the universe affected him. This is an example of how our living to reflect the light of Jesus will affect others

Paul was encouraged when he saw the lives of the Philippian believers.

Paul was challenged when he saw the lives of the Philippian believers.

Paul was gladdened when he saw the lives of the Philippian believers.

Paul was encouraged because he knew that what he had worked to accomplish among the people in Philippi was not useless but was producing disciples of Jesus.

Paul was challenged because it motivated him to serve Jesus and sacrifice for the Gospel.

Paul was gladdened because the cause of Jesus was being spread across the world by followers like the Philippian believers.

Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is encouraging, challenging and bringing joy to other believers.

The world is dark and the only way to overcome darkness is by shining light into it. Jesus is the Light of the world and we are to be showcases for His light. When we reflect Jesus’ light into the dark world we illuminate the love and truth of Jesus. 

As Shining Stars Raising the Roof and Removing the Walls,

                                              Joe

The Submissive Mind

One of the huge keys in following Jesus is being completely submissive to the person and will of Jesus.

Submissive means ready to conform to the authority or will of another.

In Philippians 2:5-11 Paul gives us four characteristics of a person with a submissive mind.

Philippians 2:5-6

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.

1. He thinks of others, not himself.

Remember: outlook determines outcome. If the outlook is selfish, the actions will be divisive and destructive.

Jesus’ outlook or attitude was unselfish.

Jesus was God and yet did not try to hang on to all the rights and privileges of being God. Jesus’ attitude was one that said, “I cannot keep My privileges for Myself. I must use them for others and to do this, I will gladly lay them aside and pay whatever price is necessary.”

Many of us try to reach beyond what God’s will is and we hurt ourselves and others. We are to focus on doing God’s will and helping others.

Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is making life about Jesus and serving others.

Philippians 2:7

But made Himself nothing, taking the nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.

2. He serves.

Thinking of others only in an abstract sense is insufficient; we have to do it in the real world.

Jesus thought of others and became a servant.

Jesus went from Lord to servant.

Jesus went from Master to slave.

When Jesus was born in Bethlehem He entered into union with humanity. He willingly humbled Himself that He might lift us up.

Jesus did not pretend to be a servant; He was not an actor playing a role. He actually was a servant.

Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is serving others out of love.

Philippians 2:8

And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to death – even death on a cross!

3. He sacrifices.

Jesus’ death is not the death of a martyr but the death of a Savior. He willingly laid down His life for the sins of the world.

The person with a submissive mind does not avoid sacrifice. He lives for the glory of God and the good of others, and if paying a price will honor Jesus and help others, he is willing to do it.

Sacrifice and service must go together if service is to be truly for the glory of Jesus.

Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is willingly sacrificing to honor and proclaim God to the world.

Philippians 2:9-11

Therefore, God exalted Him to the highest place and gave Him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

The goal of our existence is to glorify God.

Jesus humbled Himself for others, and God highly exalted Him; the result of this is glory to God.

Jesus’ exaltation began with His resurrection.

Men had done their worst to Jesus, but God exalted Him and honored Him.

Men gave Jesus names of ridicule and slander, but God gave Him a glorious name.

This exaltation that Jesus was given by the Father included sovereign authority over all creatures in heaven, on earth, and under the earth.

Every knee will bow to Jesus as Lord.

Every tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord.

To bow before Jesus now means salvation.

To bow before Jesus at the judgment means condemnation.

Our salvation is not just about us going to heaven.

Our salvation is about us being made to be like Jesus.

Our salvation is about bringing glory to God the Father.

The person with a submissive mind as he lives for others must expect to sacrifice as he serves others, but it will always lead to glory for God.

1 Peter 5:6 says, “Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time.”

The joy of the submissive mind comes not only from helping others and sharing in the fellowship of Jesus’ suffering but primarily from the knowledge that we are glorifying God.

Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is doing whatever it takes to bring glory to God.

Submissiveness will lead us to place others above ourselves.

Submissiveness will lead us to serve God by serving others.

Submissiveness will lead us to sacrifice.

Submissiveness will lead us to want to glorify God above anything else.

Submissiveness is not weakness.

Submissiveness is not being wimpy.

Submissiveness is being humble enough to serve others.

Submissiveness is loving God so much we want to glorify Him.

Submissively Raising the Roof and Removing the Walls

                                         Joe