Gratitude for Co-Workers

How are you at appreciating your co-workers?

• Is it difficult to respond in a kind way to a person who never returns your email’s, or takes credit for everything, or is really good at throwing people under the bus, but not taking ownership of mistakes?

• Or what about the person who eats your lunch…if you know who that is even.

• I read an article about a person who put Ghost peppers in their lunch to find out who was stealing their food at work…and the yells and screams from a few cubicles over well, they revealed it pretty clearly…

I am not sure there was a great amount of appreciation for each other at that moment. Appreciating your co-workers is not always easy…but what about when you are Co-Workers in the Gospel?

When we think about our yearly theme of Growing in Gospel Gratitude…we understand so much of this focus is on our relationships and how we think about other people….

• We have especially been thinking about Paul’s relationship with the Philippians as well as Paul’s relationship with Timothy as well as another person we will learn about today…a man named Epaphroditus as we consider…

Developing Gratitude for Co-workers

With that in mind please turn in your bible to Philippians 2:25–30, which is on page 154

Read Phil 2:25-30

With our time this morning let’s look at…

3 keys to viewing each other with gratitude

It all starts when we…

I. Think of each other in a Christ Centered way (v25)

Paul says…

Philippians 2:25 - 25 But I thought it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, my brother and fellow worker and fellow soldier, who is also your messenger and minister to my need;

As MacArthur points out…The name Epaphroditus means “belonging to,” or “favored by Aphrodite,” the Greek goddess of love (whom the Romans called Venus), indicating that, like Timothy, he was probably born and educated in Greek culture. The name was common and later came to mean “loving,” or “lovely.”^[1]

Another commentator points out….

Although Epaphroditus bore the name of a Greek goddess, he had the character of Christ, who took the form of a servant and was obedient to death (2:7–8). Paul’s preeminent desire to know Christ leads him to see the story of Christ reenacted in the service and suffering of Epaphroditus.^[2]

When we see one another sacrifice, put others needs above their own, endure without grumbling, working out their salvation, and sharing the plan of salvation with others…we want to focus our minds on gratitude for our co-workers….we want to think about one another in a Christ centered way….and we want to make it easy for others to think of us in a Christ centered way.

Epaphroditus made it easy for Paul to draw a line connecting the dots to Christ…

Let’s look at all the ways Paul talks about Epaphroditus. First, he says…

My Brother

If Timothy is Paul’s spiritual child…Epaphroditus is Paul’s spiritual brother…They have a kinship that is forged by their common partnership in the Gospel.

Paul also says he is my…

Fellow Worker

This is one of Paul’s favorite words…Sunergos…it is translated as Fellow worker. It is used 13 times in the NT, and 12 of those are by Paul…He uses it to describe men and women who are of the same mind, maintain the same love, are united in spirit, intent on one purpose…men and women who are partners in the Gospel who want above all for Christ to be proclaimed, for Christ to be exalted…even if it leads to their death.

Here are some of Paul’s fellow workers…

Romans 16:9 - 9 Greet Urbanus, our fellow worker in Christ, and Stachys my beloved.

Romans 16:21 - 21 Timothy my fellow worker greets you, and so do Lucius and Jason and Sosipater, my kinsmen.

Colossians 4:11 - 11 and also Jesus who is called Justus; these are the only fellow workers for the kingdom of God who are from the circumcision, and they have proved to be an encouragement to me.

1 Thessalonians 3:2 - 2 and we sent Timothy, our brother and God’s fellow worker in the gospel of Christ, to strengthen and encourage you as to your faith,

Philemon 23–24 - 23 Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, greets you, 24 as do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, Luke, my fellow workers.

Romans 16:3 - 3 Greet Prisca and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus,

Philippians 4:2–3 - 2 I urge Euodia and I urge Syntyche to live in harmony in the Lord. 3 Indeed, true companion, I ask you also to help these women who have shared my struggle in the cause of the gospel, together with Clement also and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life.

Do you get the impression that Paul loves and appreciates his Gospel Co-Workers…

Paul’s view of the Gospel is that it is most important….This is how Paul views those who are partnering in the ministry of the Gospel with Him…

Do you have this sort of Gospel focus in your life, where you have a great appreciation and affection toward others who also are working and focusing on the spread of the Gospel.

This is important, as this mission is not easy…in fact…Paul describes Epaphroditus as a….

Fellow Soldier

The reality is we are not just building a deck together…we are in a spiritual war together that has real cost.

This is a battle that almost Cost Epaphroditus his life…and Paul is going to show that it is not just words when he said to Live is Christ and to die is gain,

When he said earlier in Philippians…Paul wants with all boldness that Christ would be exalted in his body, whether by life or by death…He meant it and he ultimately gave His life to proclaim Christ.

Soldiers understand they are not just giving of their time and energy, but they may be laying down their life for the cause they are fighting for.

There is a band of brothers, a band of sisters…a bond that is forged in battle…where you are not just coming together for convenience or entertainment, you are coming together because you truly believe this mission is worth your life…

And so you want to deny yourself, take up your cross and follow Christ with others who view Christ the same way….you want to fight beside others who are not just in it for themselves, but they put others first because of Christ, because He emptied himself and went to the cross to lay down His life and gain the ultimate victory over sin and death.

That is the message we are fighting to proclaim…and often we have to fight our own desires for ease, comfort and selfishness…

We at times have to fight and take a stand for the freedom to proclaim the gospel…or fight and make sure the truth of the Gospel is clearly communicated so that a false Gospel is left unopposed and is then allowed to deceive people to trust in their own righteousness.

It really is all about serving others and that is what Epaphroditus personified, that is what the Philippian were to Paul…His partners, and those who wanted to Serve Paul…

Paul refers to Epaphroditus as…

Your Messenger

It is important to point out that Epaphroditus was sent by the Philippians to minister to Paul and help Paul as He ministers to others…

Philippians 4:18 18 But I have received everything in full and have an abundance; I am amply supplied, having received from Epaphroditus what you have sent, a fragrant aroma, an acceptable sacrifice, well-pleasing to God.

Paul view’s other believers who are focused on the mission as people that bring glory and honor to Christ…He refers to Titus this way as well as other messengers from the churches…

2 Corinthians 8:23 - 23 As for Titus, he is my partner and fellow worker among you; as for our brethren, they are messengers of the churches, a glory to Christ.

Is that how you view other believers?…as messengers that are to Go with the good news of the gospel for the glory of Christ. Is that how you view yourself when you leave here on Sunday…to be a messenger sent into the community to proclaim Christ…

He also says that he was a …

Minister to my need;

1. Just as Christ is a bond servant, obedient to the point of death, so Epaphroditus served Paul even though he was sick to the point of death…

1. Paul is thankful for Epaphroditus…this man was lovely to Paul, because this man reminded Paul of Jesus Christ…

Paul give Epaphroditus 5 titles…he is clearly seeking to show honor to Him.

• Why does Paul choose to think about Epaphroditus and write about him this way and with such appreciation…well there are a few reasons.

• First…it may be that the plan was for Epaphroditus to stay on with Paul…so Him returning could be viewed as a failure…and Paul wants to stress that it is not that he abandoned his mission, it is that he almost died and there was a concern of how that would impact His church family.

• Secondly, Paul says He wants to send Timothy, there is no one like timothy…and instead he sends Epaphroditus…He wants to make sure they receive Him and think about Him in a Christ centered way…He is not Timothy…but he is a fellow Worker and he should be received accordingly.

• Sometimes it is easy to place visiting speakers, or pastors you watch on YouTube above those who quietly minister and care for the needs of the flock.

• Epaphroditus is not flashy…but He is lovely because he points others to Christ…

• I think it reinforces the importance of thinking about each other in a Christ centered way, rather than thinking about people well only if they make the decisions you agree with or the decisions you desire…

• Paul addresses sending Timothy, but Emphasizes how thankful He is for Epaphroditus and how the Philippians should be thankful for their co-worker as well and not grumble because of who Paul chose to send back with his letter.

The reality is that there was a great deal of care for one another across the board…

• Paul cared for the Philippians, the Philippians cared for Him…Paul cared for Epaphroditus, and Epaphroditus cared for the Philippians…it is a great imagery of what it looks like to have the attitude of Christ where you look out for others interests and not your own, and you have fellowship, and affection, and compassion in Christ for one another….

We too want to…

II. Cultivate a genuine care for each other (v26-27)

It helps us to hone in on the care for one another emphasized in this text.

Philippians 2:26–27 - 26 because he was longing for you all and was distressed because you had heard that he was sick. 27 For indeed he was sick to the point of death, but God had mercy on him, and not on him only but also on me, so that I would not have sorrow upon sorrow.

Just think about…

Epaphroditus care for the Philippians

1. You really do not hear a whole lot about Epaphroditus in the bible…he is one of those below the radar servants who does not get a lot of Ink, esp. compared to Timothy….

1. Can you imagine what it would be like to deliver the Letter saying…Timothy is not coming right now…Here is my second choice…

1. We do not get any indication that Epaphroditus cared at all about that….what does he care about…He cares about the Philippians.

1. He was longing for them…he wanted to see them, to be with them, to minister with them.

1. He was distressed because of the impact his sickness was having on the Philippians.

1. He knew them, He ministered with them, and on their behalf…he genuinely cared about them.

Then think about…

The Philippians care for Epaphroditus

1. We don’t have a record of what the Philippians thought when they heard of him being sick, but he is from their church, he was a leader in the church, they sent Him with a mission…he is an extension of them serving Paul…

1. It seems very clear that He was concerned about what they were going through processing His sickness.

1. Paul foreshadows the rejoicing he expects them to have when they see him.

Paul’s care for Epaphroditus

1. Paul said that God had mercy on Him…when a person is really sick people say, He is in God’s hands now…well, life and death is always in God’s hands, and we are in God’s hands even when we are feeling well…

1. …but when someone comes back from that close to death it is particularly evident that God showed mercy as it was very clearly progressing toward death and there was a reversal that made it especially evident that God has shown mercy through his life being preserved.

Don’t you love How Paul also says that God had mercy on me so I would not have sorrow upon sorrow.

1. It seems that it follows that the double sorrow would be Paul missing Epaphroditus and Paul processing the Philippians missing Epaphroditus…

1. I was right around this part of the sermon on Tuesday when I got word that Mark Cochran died..

1. It was hard to hear, but it affected me just like I am sure it affected you…what was going on in my day or my week gave way to thinking about Marks Family, and praying for them and thinking about the sorrow they are going through…and the reality is that Mark being with Jesus is a wonderful thing, and yet the sorrow of Marks family is a real and visceral thing….

1. When you have sorrow and you kids have sorrow…well you have sorrow on sorrow…

1. We often have sorrow, not for ourselves, but when we think of others suffering…and that is a good godly sorrow that will never go away until all death and suffering are done away with.

When you think about our passage…When you think about everyone’s genuine care for each other…

Just consider how everyone in the text is not thinking about themselves…Consider how everyone has a concern for others even as they process the reality of death…this personifies to Live is Christ and to die is gain…but it also consider others more important than yourself…

It recognizes that death does not control us, but that there is great sorrow when someone we love suffers and dies…There is grieving, lamenting…and in a letter marked with Joy…Paul does not hide the reality of sorrow that comes from living this side of heaven and processing the reality of death.

• but notice that no one is focused on and consumed by their own suffering, but the focus is on the suffering of others…everyone is focused on others in a genuine way…

If in your home, if everyone is focused on serving each other, caring for each other…there is so much love, mercy and grace…and the house is filled with Christ-likeness…but, when everyone lives for themselves and looks out for their own interests, the house is a wasteland of selfishness where no one has joy.

So too the church should be a place where you don’t think about yourself….but you think about the person sitting next to you and you care about them more than you care about yourself because you have adopted the attitude of your savior…and we do this….so that the world may know us by our love for one another and not our love for ourselves.

When you see people functioning consistently like that…well we are to give honor to whom honor is due…we are to…

III. Hold Gospel partners in High Regard (v28-30)

Philippians 2:28–30 - 28 Therefore I have sent him all the more eagerly so that when you see him again you may rejoice and I may be less concerned about you. 29 Receive him then in the Lord with all joy, and hold men like him in high regard; 30 because he came close to death for the work of Christ, risking his life to complete what was deficient in your service to me.

Paul is sending Epaphroditus because he is concerned about the Philippian Church, and even though He could help Paul…Paul thought it best for Him to return and focus on serving Christ back with the Philippians…and he says they are to…

Receive him then in the Lord with all joy

Paul wants their joy to constantly be tied to the Lord, not just a good outcome…not just that He is alive, but that God showed mercy…and that they receive him in the Lord…

We recently had our missionary Seth and Darla Curtis here visiting ABFs and sharing what God is doing in and through them…and I was so thankful hearing about how they were received from our church and there was joy that we get to be a part of what the Lord is doing in the DR of Congo.

I was so encouraged hearing Seth talk about how the church often connects the folks from the city and those who live in shanties outside the city….Just the joy of how the Gospel Brings together people of every background and people from different economic situations…even on a different continent.

And then hearing how they are seeking to train pastors to know their bible and have good doctrine and not place ones trust simply in religious tradition…

there is just a joy that comes from the reminder that the Gospel ministry around the world is also the gospel ministry we are embarking on right here….wanting to bring people together in Christ and wanting to make sure we teach sound doctrine and not have a man centered approach to life or to God.

There are so many people in our church and around the world who just want to serve like Epaphroditus…quietly, faithfully and sacrificially….

Paul says we are also to

Hold men like him in high regard;

I am so encouraged how our church family responded to the special offering for the Ukrainian refuges…and just wanting to partner with Bill and Naty Tully our missionaries and also by Extension through Naty’s Father…as well as Missionaries like David and Felicia Lee

Just thinking about people who risk their lives for Gospel ministry is something Paul thought of highly and it is something believers throughout history have valued.

When you connect people to Christ and their testimony and mission is all about the proclamation of Christ…then to honor them is to honor Christ and to recognize How Christ is working in and through them.

Lastly we must….

Recognize the risk of Gospel Ministry

Notice how he came close to death for the work of Christ…risking his life to come alongside Paul and serve Him on behalf of the Philippians.

Paul is not rebuking the Philippians, when we says the word deficient, just that the whole Philippian church could not be there with him, but that Epaphroditus risked His life to be there and that Epaphroditus himself was part of the Philippians gift to serve Paul.

Epaphroditus was a suffering servant who pointed to the ultimate suffering servant.

Christ was obedience to point of death and Epaphroditus came close to death for the work of Christ…He did not die at that point, but this highlights that he had the same attitude that was in Christ Jesus…and we are called to have that same attitude...

but the reality is there is great risk in doing that and having that attitude…it means you are putting your life in a precarious position.

The word risk here has the idea of willingly placing yourself in a position of danger.

Our Missionaries do that on a regular basis and one day we may need to do that in a more and more dangerous environment…but the key point is that serving Christ means you are going to put everything of value, including your life beneath the value of knowing Christ and making Him know…

Those who do that are to be held in high regard…in fact this whole idea goes back to what Jesus said in Matthey 16…

Matthew 16:24–25 - 24 Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. 25 “For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.

Lets Pray.

Lord, help us to…have gratitude for each other as co-labors for the cause of Christ…

Help us to…

1. Think of each other in a Christ Centered way as Brothers and sisters, fellow workers, soldiers, servants, Gospel Partners…

1. Help us to…Cultivate a genuine care for each other that flows out of our common love for You that binds our hearts together…Help people to know us by our genuine love for one another.

1. Help us to value Christ above our own lives…Help us to Hold Gospel partners in High Regard

1. Help us to not seek to protect our lives for our comfort, but to lose our lives for your Glory.

^[1] MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (2001). Philippians (p. 202). Moody Press.

^[2] Hansen, G. W. (2009). The Letter to the Philippians (p. 200). William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company.