WEBVTT 00:00:00.320 --> 00:00:13.640 So if you've not been here before on Sunday evening, we have been working our way through the book of Philippians, which is the letter from the Apostle Paul and his friend Timothy to the church in Philippi. 00:00:14.980 --> 00:00:27.800 And we have been learning that this letter is all essentially about self-sacrificial service, as in the giving of ourselves for the eternal well-being of others. 00:00:27.800 --> 00:00:39.420 So it's not just like giving up some stuff so that someone might have a slightly better life now, but it is sacrificing ourselves that other people might know eternity with the Lord Jesus. 00:00:40.240 --> 00:00:48.780 And obviously the great model of self-sacrificial service for the eternal well-being of others, as we were thinking about in Mark 8 and 9, is Jesus Christ. 00:00:48.780 --> 00:00:58.100 So chapter 2, verse 6, the Lord Jesus Christ, who being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage. 00:00:58.640 --> 00:01:06.079 Rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness and being found in appearance as a man. 00:01:06.180 --> 00:01:10.460 He humbled himself by becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross. 00:01:10.920 --> 00:01:13.400 So this isn't that Jesus made himself less than God. 00:01:13.799 --> 00:01:15.579 Jesus did not give up his divinity. 00:01:15.579 --> 00:01:18.539 He was in very nature God. 00:01:18.679 --> 00:01:29.019 Rather, the fact is that he didn't use his divinity in a way to overcome his humanity, but lived in full humanity, giving himself to death on a cross. 00:01:30.039 --> 00:01:31.620 Now, so that's where we've been up to. 00:01:31.719 --> 00:01:33.579 And we are now up to verse 19. 00:01:34.039 --> 00:01:38.079 And we're going to look at verses 19 to 30 from chapter 2. 00:01:38.200 --> 00:01:40.700 So let me read them to us as we begin. 00:01:40.700 --> 00:02:10.680 Paul writes, 00:02:10.699 --> 00:02:40.699 00:02:40.699 --> 00:03:10.699 00:03:10.699 --> 00:03:19.579 Now, one of the things about when you look at a passage like this in the Bible, you cannot say everything that needs to be said on the passage. 00:03:19.699 --> 00:03:23.219 Okay, that is impossible when you're preaching to say everything that could be said. 00:03:23.219 --> 00:03:34.039 So instead, what I want to try and do this evening is point out three different themes from you in the Bible and in order from this passage and in order to kind of keep your interest and to keep it going. 00:03:34.039 --> 00:03:39.479 I want us to imagine that we're back in school and we're going to three different lessons. 00:03:39.479 --> 00:03:44.219 And we are looking at Philippians chapter 2, 19 to 30 in three different lessons. 00:03:44.739 --> 00:03:46.899 And the first lesson, you know, the bell is gone. 00:03:47.439 --> 00:03:50.219 The first lesson that we're going to is geography. 00:03:50.219 --> 00:03:55.879 Now, of course, geography lessons are the high points of the school timetable. 00:03:56.099 --> 00:03:56.780 Isn't that right, Liz? 00:03:57.580 --> 00:03:58.819 Liz was a geography teacher. 00:03:59.360 --> 00:04:00.219 I did geography at university. 00:04:00.360 --> 00:04:03.240 Geography is the high point of academic study. 00:04:03.360 --> 00:04:07.900 So this is the tough double geography, the high point. 00:04:08.060 --> 00:04:08.180 Right. 00:04:08.219 --> 00:04:09.379 But we're going to look at this passage together. 00:04:09.379 --> 00:04:13.659 So what does a geography teacher want you to notice in Philippians chapter 2? 00:04:13.740 --> 00:04:14.539 What would they point out? 00:04:14.960 --> 00:04:25.719 Well, I think what they would say is that there's lots of movement in Philippians 2, verses 19 to 30, movement between Philippi and Rome, which is where Paul is in prison. 00:04:27.060 --> 00:04:32.740 So there's movement, both movement that has happened and movement that is planned for the future. 00:04:32.740 --> 00:04:48.860 So what I want you to do, either on your own or with the person next to you, if you want to cheat by asking them, is just to work through the passage and draw on your handout all the movement that you can see between Philippi and Rome. 00:04:49.360 --> 00:04:52.120 OK, let me give you one just as a clue. 00:04:52.699 --> 00:04:58.579 OK, Epaphroditus has been sent from Philippi to Rome. 00:04:59.259 --> 00:05:01.600 Yeah, he has been sent as a messenger. 00:05:01.600 --> 00:05:10.740 So you'll notice that he has been sent by them to Paul in order to give them a gift. 00:05:11.320 --> 00:05:13.000 And he almost died by doing it. 00:05:13.080 --> 00:05:14.060 Yeah, you notice that. 00:05:15.560 --> 00:05:17.600 Now, there's lots of other movement in the passage. 00:05:17.920 --> 00:05:20.640 So on your own or with the person next to you, you can talk about it. 00:05:21.220 --> 00:05:25.640 See whether you can draw all the movements to and from Philippi. 00:05:27.640 --> 00:05:28.840 Hopefully that's not too tricky. 00:05:29.260 --> 00:05:31.180 Go for it for a minute or two. 00:05:31.600 --> 00:05:38.340 OK, so sorry to interrupt you. 00:05:38.780 --> 00:05:40.160 I know you're probably not finished. 00:05:42.160 --> 00:05:43.080 But don't worry. 00:05:43.700 --> 00:05:47.780 The point of that exercise is just to try and get you to look at the passage and start working out what's going on. 00:05:47.840 --> 00:05:53.300 So let me let me work through the movements chronologically rather than the order in which they appear in the passage. 00:05:53.300 --> 00:05:56.860 Let me go through them chronologically as in the order in which they actually happened. 00:05:57.759 --> 00:06:01.860 So the first one is Epaphroditus has gone from Philippi to Paul in Rome. 00:06:01.860 --> 00:06:09.740 So the church in Philippi sent Epaphroditus with a financial gift to help Paul who is in prison in Rome. 00:06:09.740 --> 00:06:15.180 So the end of verse 25 tells you that they sent him to Paul to take care of his needs. 00:06:15.579 --> 00:06:18.120 The financial gift is mentioned in chapter four. 00:06:18.120 --> 00:06:30.139 The next movement planned is the return of Epaphroditus from Paul back to Philippi, presumably with this letter that Paul has written. 00:06:30.300 --> 00:06:32.060 So he's going to take it back to them. 00:06:32.060 --> 00:06:37.660 So Epaphroditus had a rough time of it and Paul is hoping to send him back. 00:06:38.699 --> 00:06:48.180 In addition, then, the next movement is that Paul wants, after he's seen a bit more about what's going to happen to him, he hopes to send Timothy to Philippi as well. 00:06:48.279 --> 00:06:54.879 So here's the next movement going from Paul back to Philippi is Timothy. 00:06:54.879 --> 00:07:05.639 This is going to be soon, according to verse 19, but Paul still has some concerns for his own well-being, which means that Timothy needs to stay with him for a little bit longer. 00:07:06.680 --> 00:07:19.899 Then the next movement, which you might have missed, but I think is there, is that Timothy is going to return from Philippi to Rome to see Paul or wherever Paul happens to be, to bring him news of the Philippian church. 00:07:19.899 --> 00:07:33.299 So Timothy goes from Paul to the church in Philippi to find out how they're doing and comes back to Paul to report back with news, presumably telling him how they responded to the letter that he sent with Epaphroditus. 00:07:33.300 --> 00:07:42.879 The final movement is there in verse 24, which is Paul is planning to go himself. 00:07:43.220 --> 00:07:49.620 Yeah, he is planning to go himself to see the Philippian church and he is confident in verse 22. 00:07:49.800 --> 00:07:54.500 And I am confident in the Lord that I myself will come soon. 00:07:54.500 --> 00:08:05.220 And I think that's five trips between Paul and Philippi, although Paul can't have a trip between himself and Philippi because technically he's there himself, isn't he, when he's there? 00:08:05.279 --> 00:08:09.000 Anyway, never mind. But what do we learn? What's the point of all this? 00:08:09.339 --> 00:08:13.939 You know, what is the point of this geography lesson and all of these different trips forwards and backwards? 00:08:13.939 --> 00:08:27.160 Now, we're going to say more about this, but I hope at the very least you can see that all of this traveling backwards and forwards shows you that Paul's assumption is that relationships are a really important part of the Christian life. 00:08:27.740 --> 00:08:32.700 Relationships not just in the church, but relationships between churches, their missionaries and pastors. 00:08:34.000 --> 00:08:42.620 Church in Paul's imagination here, the church in Philippi and him is a gathering, not an event. 00:08:42.620 --> 00:08:47.899 Right. So it is the gathering of a group of people, not an event that is put on. 00:08:48.600 --> 00:08:53.620 If church is a gathering of people, then there is no substitute for being there. 00:08:54.659 --> 00:08:57.340 Right. It's fascinating, isn't it? Think about this. Right. 00:08:57.740 --> 00:09:00.659 Paul is writing under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. 00:09:00.879 --> 00:09:07.759 Paul is writing a section of scripture which is being transported from him to the church in Philippi. 00:09:07.759 --> 00:09:18.379 Right. It's a portion of scripture which, according to 2 Timothy 3, 16, is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness that the man or woman of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. 00:09:19.340 --> 00:09:25.559 So Paul is sending like the best written letter that you could ever write. 00:09:25.679 --> 00:09:28.799 This is the highest point, really, of letter writing. 00:09:28.799 --> 00:09:33.459 Because this is under the inspiration of the Spirit. It is able to train and equip people for the Christian life. 00:09:34.539 --> 00:09:37.159 But even though he's done that, still he wants to go. 00:09:37.759 --> 00:09:39.599 It's no substitute for being there. 00:09:40.319 --> 00:09:42.199 You can't gather by letter. 00:09:42.959 --> 00:09:49.740 And so at great cost and a huge sacrifice and a time where movement is easier than it has been, but certainly not as easy as it is today. 00:09:50.339 --> 00:09:53.879 Paul sends people and receives people and goes himself. 00:09:53.879 --> 00:10:02.220 I don't know whether you've thought about this about church, but it is worth just being clear, isn't it, that there is no substitute for turning up. 00:10:03.740 --> 00:10:10.740 Paul's assumption, with all of this traveling backwards and forwards, is that there is no substitute for turning up. 00:10:12.039 --> 00:10:16.820 You can't say, you can't say, I went to church online. 00:10:16.820 --> 00:10:23.580 Okay, because any more than Paul could say, I went to church by letter. 00:10:24.580 --> 00:10:27.440 Because there's no substitute for gathering. 00:10:28.140 --> 00:10:29.740 You know, our live stream is great, isn't it? 00:10:29.740 --> 00:10:35.860 It gives an opportunity for people who are unable to attend to get something which is better than nothing. 00:10:36.660 --> 00:10:38.580 But it isn't a substitute for the real thing. 00:10:38.580 --> 00:10:46.460 And that's not because we've not invested enough in it, but because Philippians 2, 19 to 30, there is no substitute for turning up. 00:10:49.340 --> 00:10:51.360 So the geography bell has now gone. 00:10:51.940 --> 00:10:54.240 We're going to move down the corridor to the next lesson. 00:10:54.820 --> 00:10:58.280 We've learned about all the comings and goings, but the next lesson is psychology. 00:10:59.800 --> 00:11:00.879 Okay, so you go to psychology. 00:11:00.960 --> 00:11:05.300 I've never studied psychology, so I don't actually know what happens in a psychology lesson. 00:11:05.299 --> 00:11:06.819 My suspicion is very little. 00:11:08.479 --> 00:11:10.299 I know some people here have studied psychology. 00:11:10.419 --> 00:11:11.299 That's perhaps the truth. 00:11:12.259 --> 00:11:16.000 But okay, in psychology, the teacher gets out Philippians 2 again. 00:11:16.599 --> 00:11:19.059 She's not so much interested in the geography of the passage. 00:11:20.120 --> 00:11:24.359 You know, that kind of detail of investigation is beyond the psychology department. 00:11:24.539 --> 00:11:26.799 Instead, they want you to notice the emotions of the passage. 00:11:27.419 --> 00:11:29.639 They want you to think about how people are feeling. 00:11:29.639 --> 00:11:37.379 So just for a moment, on your own or with the person next to you, just jot down all the emotions that you can notice in Philippians 2. 00:11:37.439 --> 00:11:42.199 You might, instead of wanting to jot them down, you might just want to look at the front and just scribble on them or circle them. 00:11:42.259 --> 00:11:48.620 All the emotions that are felt in Philippians 2, 19 to 30. 00:11:50.539 --> 00:11:52.080 Have you had a chance to finish? 00:11:53.179 --> 00:11:57.220 Anyone want to shout out some of the emotions that they've seen in Philippians 2? 00:11:57.220 --> 00:11:59.220 Cheered. 00:11:59.740 --> 00:12:00.060 Cheered. 00:12:00.340 --> 00:12:00.700 Yes. 00:12:03.779 --> 00:12:04.220 Genuine concern. 00:12:05.259 --> 00:12:05.399 Yeah. 00:12:06.340 --> 00:12:07.399 Dedicated service. 00:12:08.139 --> 00:12:09.580 So dedicated service. 00:12:09.879 --> 00:12:10.000 Yeah. 00:12:10.100 --> 00:12:13.220 So are you talking about Timothy's dedicated service? 00:12:14.620 --> 00:12:14.720 Yeah. 00:12:15.379 --> 00:12:16.720 Or Epaphroditus's? 00:12:17.000 --> 00:12:17.200 Three. 00:12:18.360 --> 00:12:19.000 Distress. 00:12:19.139 --> 00:12:19.259 Yeah. 00:12:19.320 --> 00:12:20.080 We see some distress. 00:12:22.080 --> 00:12:22.720 Anxiety. 00:12:24.720 --> 00:12:25.240 Confidence. 00:12:26.680 --> 00:12:27.160 Honor. 00:12:27.220 --> 00:12:27.340 Yeah. 00:12:27.620 --> 00:12:27.899 Yeah. 00:12:29.980 --> 00:12:31.300 Sorrow upon sorrow. 00:12:31.860 --> 00:12:32.040 Yeah. 00:12:32.620 --> 00:12:33.800 We're all going at the same time. 00:12:35.000 --> 00:12:35.360 Joy. 00:12:37.080 --> 00:12:37.399 Yeah. 00:12:38.960 --> 00:12:40.879 Okay, let me just work through some of these with you. 00:12:40.980 --> 00:12:47.200 So I think firstly you see that Paul is wanting to be cheered by news of the Philippians in verse 19. 00:12:48.040 --> 00:12:52.540 This is what he hopes will happen when Timothy returns to him with news of how the Philippians are doing. 00:12:52.539 --> 00:13:01.539 So he hopes that the Philippians will receive his letter, that they will rejoice in it, and then news will come back to Paul from Philippi and he will be cheered by it. 00:13:01.539 --> 00:13:09.980 But Paul's emotions are to some extent tied up, aren't they, with the Philippian church and how the Philippian church is doing. 00:13:09.980 --> 00:13:21.200 In verse 27, Paul tells the Philippians that he wants to be spared, or that he was spared, sorry, sorrow on sorrow, when Epaphroditus didn't die, which is what he obviously thought might happen. 00:13:21.600 --> 00:13:22.580 It's fascinating, isn't it? 00:13:22.580 --> 00:13:31.180 Paul has written in the letter of Philippians, for me to live is Christ, to die is gain, but that doesn't mean he's blasé about the death of a friend or a fellow worker. 00:13:31.520 --> 00:13:34.379 Paul would have been heartbroken had Epaphroditus died. 00:13:35.440 --> 00:13:50.580 Next, in verse 28, Paul is sure that the Philippian church will be made glad by Epaphroditus' return to them, and Paul himself will be less anxious knowing that Epaphroditus is safely home and being a blessing to the church in Philippi that cares so much about him. 00:13:50.580 --> 00:14:01.820 Which probably explains the only instruction in the passage, which is in verse 29, for the Philippians to welcome Epaphroditus' home with great joy in the Lord and to honour him. 00:14:03.080 --> 00:14:07.500 Now, there's no shortage here, is there, of material on feelings. 00:14:08.280 --> 00:14:09.379 But what is the point? 00:14:09.879 --> 00:14:18.680 If geography shows you the point is turning up, right, psychology tells you the value of caring, being concerned. 00:14:18.679 --> 00:14:29.459 You see, the challenge of the Christian life is not so much to suppress our emotions or to deny our emotions. 00:14:30.539 --> 00:14:37.959 I think growing up, I went to a church when I was growing up that was, I need to be careful what I say, because they were lovely people and they loved the Lord. 00:14:37.960 --> 00:14:50.680 But there was a sense in which you sort of hung your emotions up with the coat at the door of church and then you walked in and pretended that you were absolutely unmoved by anything that you heard, sang or prayed. 00:14:50.820 --> 00:14:56.000 That was what it felt like to me, being a Christian, was it was all very doer, you know. 00:14:56.740 --> 00:15:02.340 So we sang songs to the same sort of tune and we pretended that we weren't really emotional people. 00:15:02.340 --> 00:15:04.960 Now, that is not Paul's version of the Christian life, is it? 00:15:05.660 --> 00:15:08.860 We are emotional people and we bring those emotions with us. 00:15:09.180 --> 00:15:14.720 The challenge of the Christian life is to feel the right thing in the right way in response to the right thing. 00:15:15.080 --> 00:15:26.780 Our problem emotionally is that we feel the wrong way in response to the wrong things or any other combination of that, feeling the right feeling at the wrong time, whatever it might be. 00:15:26.779 --> 00:15:28.980 And Paul shows us here how to navigate it. 00:15:29.100 --> 00:15:38.799 Paul shows that the appropriate use of emotions in the Christian life is some senses tied up in the perseverance and well-being of our brothers and sisters in Christ. 00:15:39.559 --> 00:15:50.679 In other words, the key to being an emotionally healthy church is to care mostly about people and especially the spiritual well-being of people. 00:15:50.679 --> 00:15:59.839 So it would be wrong to care more about the way things are done than the people who are doing them. 00:15:59.959 --> 00:16:00.779 Do you understand that? 00:16:01.379 --> 00:16:10.859 The point is in the church is that we care mostly about the people in the church and how they are doing spiritually than we do the way things are being done. 00:16:11.219 --> 00:16:12.979 That doesn't mean that the way things are done doesn't matter. 00:16:12.980 --> 00:16:21.800 But actually to care little for the wandering believer or to care little about a person who has gone cold on the Christian life is actually wrong. 00:16:22.600 --> 00:16:23.600 We should grieve. 00:16:23.759 --> 00:16:26.899 We should care when we hear news of people falling away. 00:16:27.700 --> 00:16:34.539 In our highly individualistic culture, we're taught, aren't we, not to get this kind of involved at this level in community or with one another. 00:16:34.539 --> 00:16:45.240 But here, get this for the big shock of the evening that Paul is not a 21st century Londoner and he would gain your eye on the tube if he was there with you. 00:16:45.399 --> 00:16:52.759 He would talk to you and he would ask you how you were doing because he was not a kind of isolated Londoner. 00:16:53.639 --> 00:16:56.439 He would be genuinely sad when things go badly for you. 00:16:57.120 --> 00:16:59.319 He would be concerned for how you're doing spiritually. 00:16:59.320 --> 00:17:04.460 Why is Paul's emotional state tied up with the perseverance of the Philippian church? 00:17:04.500 --> 00:17:06.120 Is it because he is unhealthy? 00:17:06.259 --> 00:17:07.779 No, it's because he's Christ-like. 00:17:08.779 --> 00:17:11.200 Jesus Christ is the one who wept over Jerusalem. 00:17:11.779 --> 00:17:13.660 He's the one who wept at the grave of a friend. 00:17:14.440 --> 00:17:20.539 He's the one who was angry at the superficial spiritual cover-ups of the Pharisees and the harsh burdens they placed on others. 00:17:20.960 --> 00:17:25.900 He was full of compassion for the weak and the broken, the lost and the hurting, the repentant and the needy. 00:17:25.900 --> 00:17:31.700 And the point of this psychology lesson is so should you and I. 00:17:32.340 --> 00:17:33.500 We should care deeply. 00:17:33.700 --> 00:17:35.400 Geography, turn up. 00:17:36.200 --> 00:17:38.660 Psychology, care deeply. 00:17:39.340 --> 00:17:40.600 The bell's gone, right? 00:17:41.100 --> 00:17:43.880 Final lesson of the day, economics. 00:17:45.040 --> 00:17:45.600 Economics. 00:17:46.600 --> 00:17:47.840 Anyone ever studied economics? 00:17:48.460 --> 00:17:49.680 Anyone ever been to an economics class? 00:17:49.759 --> 00:17:50.400 Wow, okay. 00:17:51.019 --> 00:17:52.340 Jen has been to an economics class. 00:17:52.339 --> 00:17:57.579 I have never studied it, or I did economic geography, but anyway, I don't really know very much about economics. 00:17:57.639 --> 00:17:59.980 And that's going to come through in this final lesson. 00:18:00.419 --> 00:18:03.839 But as you arrive in the class, you take your seat. 00:18:04.559 --> 00:18:10.899 The teacher is not interested in Wednesday's coming up budget, but they're interested in Philippians 2. 00:18:11.000 --> 00:18:17.740 And what they want you to do is look through Philippians chapter 2 and make a profit-loss calculation for what's going on. 00:18:17.740 --> 00:18:23.620 What in Philippians 2 is highly valued and what is considered loss? 00:18:24.099 --> 00:18:27.059 Now, we're not going to do this in groups because we don't quite have time. 00:18:27.420 --> 00:18:30.819 But what I want to show you is that there are two different perspectives, if you like. 00:18:31.180 --> 00:18:35.279 There are two different kinds of economics going on in the passage. 00:18:36.099 --> 00:18:40.059 Version 1 of the economics is the profit-loss statements of Paul's missionary team. 00:18:40.160 --> 00:18:40.819 Do you notice that? 00:18:40.819 --> 00:18:51.919 In verse 21, Paul's mission team consider profit to be their own interest and loss to be the interest of Christ. 00:18:52.139 --> 00:18:52.259 Okay. 00:18:52.779 --> 00:18:54.000 What matters most? 00:18:54.079 --> 00:18:54.799 What is a profit? 00:18:55.359 --> 00:18:56.579 My own interest. 00:18:56.779 --> 00:18:57.879 What is a loss? 00:18:58.139 --> 00:18:59.220 The interest of Christ. 00:18:59.659 --> 00:19:07.279 Therefore, I will not see the interest of Christ against my own personal needs. 00:19:07.279 --> 00:19:14.259 So I'm happy to serve, but as long as it doesn't cost me my own personal needs. 00:19:15.039 --> 00:19:16.859 That's economics version 1. 00:19:18.259 --> 00:19:21.920 They're essentially self-interested, aren't they, even in their pursuit of Christian ministry. 00:19:22.079 --> 00:19:24.500 I think those verses are meant to be a shock to you. 00:19:24.559 --> 00:19:28.980 It's there in black and white, but it's incredible, isn't it, that there are people on Paul's core missionary team, 00:19:28.980 --> 00:19:37.440 converted believers who live by this version of Christianity, this economic model of Christianity, 00:19:37.440 --> 00:19:43.599 which says that they will make no personal cost because they look out for their own interest and not those of Christ Jesus. 00:19:43.599 --> 00:19:44.240 Verse 21. 00:19:44.940 --> 00:19:50.360 The second economic model, though, is the profit-loss calculations that Timothy and Epaphroditus make. 00:19:50.359 --> 00:19:58.319 So Timothy, we're told, stands out in Paul's team because, verse 20, he is concerned for the welfare of the Philippian church, 00:19:58.500 --> 00:20:01.199 genuinely concerned, above himself. 00:20:02.000 --> 00:20:09.099 He swaps it around, yes, so he puts himself in the loss column and the welfare of the Philippian church in the gain column. 00:20:09.099 --> 00:20:17.519 I am in profit, says Timothy, when the Philippian church are doing well, even when I am at personal loss. 00:20:17.519 --> 00:20:19.460 Self-interest is a loss. 00:20:19.879 --> 00:20:21.400 Welfare of the Philippians is a profit. 00:20:22.539 --> 00:20:24.440 Epaphroditus was working from the same model. 00:20:25.000 --> 00:20:28.940 He made the same calculation with regard to Paul's receipt of the Philippians' gift. 00:20:29.839 --> 00:20:34.500 Epaphroditus, and this is mind-blowing, isn't it, he so puts himself in the loss column, he says, 00:20:34.920 --> 00:20:40.220 it doesn't matter if I die as long as Paul is encouraged. 00:20:41.180 --> 00:20:42.119 Incredible, isn't it? 00:20:42.119 --> 00:20:47.879 Now, there's a big clue here that Timothy and Epaphroditus are right and everyone else is wrong, 00:20:47.959 --> 00:20:50.219 which is in verse 21, which we've looked at, isn't it? 00:20:50.239 --> 00:20:54.259 For everyone looks out for their own interests and not those of Jesus Christ. 00:20:54.619 --> 00:21:02.279 It's amazing here, isn't it, that Paul says that the welfare of the Philippian church is the interest of Jesus Christ. 00:21:02.279 --> 00:21:12.879 Paul is saying here that Timothy and Epaphroditus have the right economic model because it's the same model as the model that Jesus Christ uses. 00:21:13.720 --> 00:21:22.379 It's the same, looking out for others is the same as putting the interests of Christ ahead of your own interests. 00:21:22.980 --> 00:21:24.579 In other words, this is the pinch of it. 00:21:24.579 --> 00:21:29.359 Self-concern is not Christ's concern. 00:21:29.899 --> 00:21:34.579 Self-concern is not Christ's concern, not because Christ is not concerned with you, 00:21:34.919 --> 00:21:43.159 but rather because Christ's concern for you is that you and every other Christian is more interested in others than you are in yourself. 00:21:43.159 --> 00:21:50.839 That is, Christ's concern for you is that you and me are more interested in others than we are in ourselves. 00:21:51.759 --> 00:21:54.539 Now, I want to suggest that fits in with the whole message of the letter, doesn't it? 00:21:54.980 --> 00:21:59.639 Jesus Christ is the great example of this self-sacrificial service for the eternal well-being of others, 00:21:59.679 --> 00:22:02.759 which we said at the beginning is what Philippians is all about. 00:22:03.199 --> 00:22:05.699 He left the glories of heaven at great cost to himself, 00:22:06.960 --> 00:22:11.319 sacrificing his life on the cross for the eternal well-being of others that we might be saved. 00:22:11.939 --> 00:22:16.579 And his desire is that we too live like that, putting our own desires in the loss column 00:22:16.579 --> 00:22:19.579 and the spiritual welfare of others in the profit column. 00:22:21.740 --> 00:22:24.019 Now, Anthony, don't worry, we'll be finished in a minute. 00:22:24.019 --> 00:22:25.019 If you just... 00:22:26.019 --> 00:22:27.359 That's it. Thank you. 00:22:27.740 --> 00:22:27.980 Right. 00:22:28.579 --> 00:22:30.799 There's always some smart kid in the class, right? 00:22:31.400 --> 00:22:35.319 He puts their hand up just before the lesson finishes, which is really annoying. 00:22:35.740 --> 00:22:41.160 And they say, listen, this economic model is all very well, Mr. Economics Teacher, 00:22:41.160 --> 00:22:43.779 but if we live like this, we're going to be bankrupt. 00:22:44.560 --> 00:22:52.100 I cannot put my self-interest in the loss column and other people's welfare in the profit column without going bankrupt, right? 00:22:52.099 --> 00:22:58.500 If I keep spending myself for others, what will stop me from going bankrupt? 00:22:58.779 --> 00:23:04.719 What will stop me losing all money and all credit and just crashing and burning? 00:23:05.659 --> 00:23:09.500 Well, this is what stops bankruptcy in that economic model. 00:23:09.500 --> 00:23:17.599 It is this, that Jesus, at great cost to himself, has poured into our account the blessings of his righteousness and salvation. 00:23:18.539 --> 00:23:25.059 There is, in this economic model, a stream of mercy and grace that becomes a flood, 00:23:25.500 --> 00:23:28.400 overwhelming our ability of our account to contain it. 00:23:28.400 --> 00:23:32.100 It overspills from us to others. 00:23:32.920 --> 00:23:38.120 So holding back is pointless and, in a weird way, prevents you from enjoying more of what Christ has. 00:23:38.660 --> 00:23:43.900 We pour out grace and mercy and kindness and concern into the lives of others 00:23:43.900 --> 00:23:49.160 out of this overflowing, never-ending spring of generosity, which is ours in Christ Jesus, 00:23:50.000 --> 00:23:52.380 knowing that any sacrifice that we make for the sake of others 00:23:52.380 --> 00:23:56.000 can never match what has been given to us in the Lord Jesus Christ. 00:23:56.000 --> 00:23:58.119 You can never drain the account. 00:23:58.319 --> 00:23:59.279 That's the point, isn't it? 00:23:59.859 --> 00:24:03.019 So here is Christian economics, if you like. 00:24:03.180 --> 00:24:09.279 So it puts my self-interest in the loss column, the welfare of others in the profit column, 00:24:09.480 --> 00:24:14.759 but it is poured into by the overwhelming generosity of the Lord Jesus Christ. 00:24:14.940 --> 00:24:20.680 So I can continue to consider myself loss compared to your welfare 00:24:20.680 --> 00:24:26.320 because Christ is pouring himself into me and through me and through others into you. 00:24:28.000 --> 00:24:36.500 A good friend of mine and her husband went to Turkey in the early noughties 00:24:36.500 --> 00:24:38.580 in order to do student ministry. 00:24:38.820 --> 00:24:43.299 The two of us had worked together with Christian students in the UK 00:24:43.299 --> 00:24:47.059 and at the end of our kind of time on staff together, 00:24:47.059 --> 00:24:48.759 we all sort of split up in different directions. 00:24:48.919 --> 00:24:51.319 I went to train for Christian ministry in a church in South London. 00:24:51.960 --> 00:24:53.039 They went off to Turkey. 00:24:53.659 --> 00:24:58.019 And at the time, there was quite a lot of trouble in Turkey 00:24:58.019 --> 00:25:03.799 and they came very close to a very difficult situation 00:25:03.799 --> 00:25:06.859 in which their lives were in grave danger. 00:25:06.859 --> 00:25:10.419 And I was speaking to a friend at church about it 00:25:10.419 --> 00:25:14.279 and I was describing what was going on and the danger that they were in. 00:25:14.839 --> 00:25:17.899 And this friend said to me, Christian friend, he said, 00:25:18.359 --> 00:25:20.919 is it really worth it? 00:25:22.079 --> 00:25:27.599 Can we really as Christians ask people to make that kind of sacrifice 00:25:27.599 --> 00:25:28.439 for the sake of the gospel? 00:25:28.939 --> 00:25:30.419 Is it really worth it? 00:25:31.179 --> 00:25:34.439 And Paul would say, it's always worth it. 00:25:34.440 --> 00:25:38.660 It's always worth it because Christ is pouring into us 00:25:38.660 --> 00:25:40.539 an abundance of self-giving love. 00:25:40.720 --> 00:25:43.759 And the more we pass it on, even at great cost to ourselves, 00:25:44.259 --> 00:25:48.400 even at the cost of our lives, the more we enjoy it. 00:25:49.180 --> 00:25:51.400 Because Christ has given himself for us 00:25:51.400 --> 00:25:54.160 so we can give ourselves to others in self-giving love. 00:25:54.259 --> 00:25:56.160 That's Christian economics. 00:25:56.340 --> 00:25:58.140 Geography, turn up. 00:25:58.920 --> 00:26:00.600 Psychology, care. 00:26:01.440 --> 00:26:03.240 Economics, sacrifice. 00:26:04.440 --> 00:26:04.940 There you go. 00:26:05.720 --> 00:26:08.759 The three lessons of Philippians chapter 2. 00:26:08.860 --> 00:26:09.380 Let me pray. 00:26:10.019 --> 00:26:11.200 And then we'll sing to close. 00:26:13.259 --> 00:26:14.900 Heavenly Father, we want to pray 00:26:14.900 --> 00:26:17.420 that you would help us to learn the lesson 00:26:17.420 --> 00:26:19.380 of the value of turning up. 00:26:20.519 --> 00:26:22.940 Lord, we want to recognize the great blessing it is, 00:26:23.000 --> 00:26:25.720 even this evening, to be here in one another's presence. 00:26:25.720 --> 00:26:27.799 And we thank you for each person here. 00:26:28.440 --> 00:26:30.140 We want to pray that you would help us 00:26:30.140 --> 00:26:31.759 to learn the value of caring. 00:26:31.759 --> 00:26:34.039 That you would help us to learn what it is 00:26:34.039 --> 00:26:36.220 to be tied up with one another's well-being 00:26:36.220 --> 00:26:40.119 so that we are cheered by good news of spiritual growth, 00:26:40.220 --> 00:26:43.160 that we are concerned and anxious to see people 00:26:43.160 --> 00:26:44.460 persevere with the Lord Jesus. 00:26:45.559 --> 00:26:47.379 And we pray, please, too, that you would teach us 00:26:47.379 --> 00:26:49.140 this lesson of Christian economics, 00:26:49.140 --> 00:26:52.279 that to sacrifice is to gain Christ. 00:26:52.279 --> 00:26:54.359 We pray, please, Lord, that we might continue 00:26:54.359 --> 00:26:57.319 to live lives of self-sacrificial service 00:26:57.319 --> 00:26:59.160 for the eternal well-being of others, 00:26:59.500 --> 00:27:00.779 for your glory. 00:27:01.599 --> 00:27:01.980 Amen. 00:27:02.399 --> 00:27:02.740 Amen. 00:27:02.740 --> 00:27:02.920 Amen.