Messengers of Joy

Throughout history, there have been people who have stood out for their vision and self-sacrifice on behalf of future generations.  Small towns and great cities sometimes honor such people with parades and speeches. Even Jesus said there is no greater love than to lay down one's life on behalf of others. We call people who do such things "heroes," and rightly so.

In his thank you letter to the Philippians, Paul highlights two such men. He has just commended Timothy, saying "I have no one else like him, who takes a genuine interest in your welfare." Timothy's concern for them was extraordinary in that he had no personal relationship with them, yet was highly motivated on their behalf. Next, Paul speaks of Epaphroditus, a messenger they had sent with financial support for Paul and, who will now return to them with this letter:

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 distressed because you heard he was ill. Indeed he was ill, and almost died. But God had mercy on him, and not only him, 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. (Philippians 2:25-30)

Paul called him brother because they were both adopted into God's family by faith in Christ. He was a fellow worker who did whatever was needed for the ministry of the gospel. He was a fellow soldier in that he put his life on the line, not only  for the Philippians but for the message of Christ everywhere. As the messenger of the church in Philippi, he brought not only financial support but, also joy. It is this same (now deeper) joy that Epaphroditus will bring back to them. Everyone can stop worrying about him, and Paul exhorts them to receive Epaphroditus with joy and honor. As a soldier of Christ, he laid it all down for Christ on their behalf. He deserves a hero's welcome.

We cannot honor too highly those who lay down their lives for the message of joy in the Lord. Some go to other countries to do so and, others do so in their own communities. Take joy in their examples. They are not sitting by passively while the nation sinks into depravity. They are poking holes in the darkness with the sword of God's Word.

There is another inevitable homecoming. Each of us who follow Jesus will enter a gate. Beyond the gate, a throng of joyous people will welcome us. Above the crowd, there is One, even more radiant than the rest. He is eager to greet us and say "Well done good and faithful servant! Come, enter into your reward!"

Nothing else matters. Lay it all down for the joy of the Lord. Be salt and light; be messengers of joy. As we go out on his behalf, he is with us, even to the end of time.


Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. (Hebrews 12:2-3)


 

Being Confident

People come to me every day to find confidence. Some have lost it along the way due to apparent failures, lapses in courage, or circumstances beyond their control. Others seem to have never known it.

Confidence means many things. The secular therapist will ask an insecure client to list his accomplishments or to recount the compliments she receives from others. The idea is to remind them of the strengths and abilities they do possess. Lacking self confidence, they are focusing on the half empty part of themselves versus the full half. This critical focus, in turn, undermines their self confidence as they forget their assets.

Paul speaks of another kind of confidence in his brief statement in Philippians 2:

"And I am confident in the Lord that I will come soon." (vs. 24)

His release is beyond his control, and he chooses to believe "in the Lord" that he will be released soon. Lightner states that the phrase translated in the NIV "in the Lord" can also be interpreted as "Lord willing." It makes little difference, I think, because if the Lord wills it and it is in his hands, it will come to pass. Indeed, Paul's release must have occurred, since we know he was imprisoned again in Rome, where he wrote his last letter, 2 Timothy. This is in no way a contradiction of his earlier dilemna about whether he shouild live or die. In that schema he was weighing the hypotheticals, ending with a similar statement of confidence that he will remain on earth for a while in order to be of service to the kingdom of God.

So what kind of confidence is Paul referring to? It is not in his own ability to argue his case. So how can he state that he is confident about it? I believe Paul was so in tune with the Holy Spirit and God's will for his life (to further the Kingdom) that he had little (or no) doubt that he had more to do. Having seen God overcome circumstance after circumstance (in around and through suffering at times) for his mission, Paul was as certain of God's ongoing providence as he was that the sun would rise day after day.

What if our confidence truly rested in the Faithful One? We cannot be confident that things will always go the way we think they should. Nor can we expect that things will be easy or comfortable. But if we want what God wants and trust his means and methods (even when they make no sense to us) we can be sure that He will be glorified, come what may. He will open doors, part seas, prop us up and propel us forward as we lean into him. Of that we can be confident.

Faithful Friends

As I count the considerable and undeserved blessings of my life, faithful friendships inevitably make the top 10. These are people who understand reciprocity, the give and take of relationships. More importantly to me as time rolls on, they share the common bond of faith and purpose that motivates my life. They are not only faithful to me, but are also full of faith.

With what might at first be a personal aside (we are tempted to skim over) Paul speaks of such relationship when he refers to Timothy and the Philippian church:

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 that 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... (Philippians 2:19-23)

Paul speaks so highly of Timothy as he "has proved himself" a true partner in the gospel who has a genuine interest in the well-being of others (not just himself). It is absolutely biblical, if we follow Paul's example, to evaluate relationships in such a manner. This proving, of course, goes way beyond saying the right (flattering) words when it suits us. We prove ourselves by staying the course of the furtherance of the gospel even when it seems no one is looking. There is no room for facades or divisiveness in it. We honor one another out of reverence for Christ. (Ephesians 5:21)

I love the realistic undertones of these verses. Even Paul knew the loneliness that comes with the realization that such friends are a rarity in this world (I have no one else like him...everyone looks out for his own interests, not those of Jesus Christ). Nevertheless, his overarching message in this letter is one of relentless joy, as he focuses on the true friend in the Lord that he does have in Timothy.

If we bring this passage home to our hearts, we might evaluate, first, the quality of friendship we offer others. Honestly, whose best interest are we invested in? What is our common mission (recreation, ego, competition, or the gospel)? As we look around in our lives, who can we be thankful for? Do we thank God for them? Do we thank them?


God, please, make me such a friend to others. Help me to notice those in my life who follow hard after you, shoulder to shoulder, for the sake of your Kingdom. Amen

Something to Boast About

Boasting is everywhere. Last weekend, as Billy Crystal puts it, there was a huge gathering in Hollywood, where millionares gave one another gold statues. Hollywood is a rather easy target for conservative Christians, but what about the country music industry (indeed the Christian music industry), and even local artists (wherever you may be)? It is all to easy to fall into self congratulatory patterns. I am reminded of 1 Corinthians 13 which states, among other things, "love does not boast." Jesus' words, in contrast to  his currently politically correct repackaged image, were harsh on the matter: "How can you believe if you accept praise from one another, yet make no effort to obtain the praise that comes from the only God?"(John 5:44) This kind of self-congratulatory praise is not in accordance with the love of God which is freely given, freely recieved and freely passed on to others. A self-oriented focus is an enemy of intimacy with God and others (even if the focus is negative).

All that being said, it may come as something of a surprise in Philippians 2 that Paul comes out and says that he longs to boast. After all, he is the same apostle who penned the words "love does not boast." As is often the case in Scripture, there is a time for everything...even boasting!

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 as you hold out the word of life--in order that I may boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor for nothing. (Philippians 2:14-16)

Paul's labor, which he goes on to describe as an offering, was on their behalf and to the glory of Jesus. Yet, he is motivated to boast that these labors created lasting ripples for the Kingdom. As he states elsewhere, every soldier wants to please the one who enlisted him. He was enlisted by Christ on the road to Damascus. He longs to hear--well done, good and faithful servant, come enter into your reward.

I think it is safe to conclude that it is not a selfish thing to think in terms of eternal rewards. Whatever they are, they are tossed at the feet of Jesus anyway. But the words well done are ours to keep even as we remember it is God who works in us, both to desire and to do the good works he has prepared for us.

There is another aspect here that needs mention. Those who came before us and invested in us deserve our best--they count on us to do everything without arguing or complaining and to shine like stars holding out the word of life--so that their labors on our behalf will not be in vain. So much rides on our attitudes, and Paul focuses on the eternal ramifications of them here. Jesus will tell many "performers" to go away because he never knew them (there was no loving abiding relationship, only deeds). Here, Paul focuses on the heart of the matter: Christlike humility and love flowing through us for the benefit of others. As we serve others and see this heart duplicated in them, we definitely have something to boast about!



I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.  3 John 1:4

Shine Like Stars

I have always understood the label, "movie stars." It was created a couple of decades before I was born (go ahead, young ens, laugh). If you are ready to move on, here's the point. Hollywood invented the phrase to encourage worship of certain actors. If the public worshipped them, the reasoning went, they would be eager to gobble up each new movie in which the stars were featured. There were newsreels shown in the theatres before the features, and actors faces emerged from a dark background framed by stars. They were supposedly so far above the rest of people, and it was almost implied they were, ironically, heavenly.

When the apostle Paul talked about stars in his letter to the Philippians, he had something different in mind. Previous posts have laid out the outline of the letter so far (with tedious repetition). We gather that Paul's affection for the Philippians is deep, and that they have shared the ministry of the gospel together. He has exhorted them to adopt the same attitude as Jesus Christ, reminding them that one day every knee will bow before him. The fear and trembling produced by this inevitability should bring about a desire to work out (not for) their salvation. Now he specifically spells out how they are to do this:

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 as you hold out the word of life--

Certainly there is value in scripture memorization and even in posting verses online, but this passage, more than most, points to the importance of context. How often different verses are quoted from Philippians 2, and because they are out of context, we take them to mean one thing while context points to another. Working out our salvation is done in fear and trembling as we kneel before Jesus, and it looks like this: we do not complain or argue as we hold out the word of life. In so doing, we shine like stars in contrast to the crooked culture that surrounds us. Stop and think, have you ever heard the "fear and trembling" verse connected so directly to not arguing or complaining?

When I think of forgiveness or resisting the temptation to sit in judgment inappropriately (there is a time to judge and a time to let it go: 1 Cor. 5:12), I have often picture just this: I am on my knees before the throne of Christ alongside my offending brother. My brother and I are both in need of grace. Christ will judge, not me. There is freedom in remembering that he is God and that I am not.

Paul, somewhat surprisingly, points to the lack of arguments and complaints as evidence that our salvation is genuine. He further states that it will set us in clear contrast to the unbelievers around us. I am reminded of Jesus' prayer on the night of his betrayal that his followers would be one as he and the Father are one, and that the world will know that they are his followers by their love. (John 17:20-23)

And there is the challenge. It was Paul's measuring stick of true conversion and Jesus' dying wish. Let's be so focused on our true purpose here (to hold out the word of life) that nothing else is worth arguing or complaining about. Ask the Holy Spirit to make it so in your hearts and lives. And shine like stars.

 

Fear and Trembling?

Many of my dreams carry a theme of frustration. In the dreams I am at a music camp or at college or about to deliver a message at a local church. Something comes up and I realize I need to go find a necessary item: my instrument, my notebooks, or sermon notes. As I backtrack, I hit one new complication or detour after another. The flow of what I thought would happen and when is interrupted. I hit unexpected turns in the road to progress.

While I am sure that the Apostle Paul was deliberate in his approach to his letters, when he wrote to the Philippian church, his message seems to take an unexpected turn. He has declared his deep affection and appreciation for the Phlippians; he has expressed his faith that God will complete in them the work he has started; he has reminded them of all they have in Christ (comfort, compassion, tenderness, and love); he has challenged them to have the same humble, self-abasing attitude as Jesus (who stepped down from the throne of heaven to sacrifice his life for us). He points to the ultimate sovereignty of Christ...every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.

Then, an unexpected turn of phrase. Seemingly out of the blue (and in apparent contrast to most of what Paul writes about the gospel) he encourages them to "work out their salvation with fear and trembling." It is enough to cause the attentive reader to stop in his tracks. The full verse reads:

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. Philippians 2:12-13

In his typical style, Paul delivers the difficult news in a love sandwich. He addresses them as his dear friends. This, no doubt, reminded them of his earlier terms of endearment and of their history as partners for the gospel of Christ. He asks them to do as they should all the more when he is not there. This makes me think of "company manners" that some families adopt when an admired person visits. When the guest leaves, they resort to the cruder, ruder behavior that is their true norm. He admonishes them not  only to act the same in his absence, but to step it up in terms of their treatment of one another.

Paul does say they are to work out their salvation in fear and trembling; he does not say they are to work for their salvation. This is an extremely important distinction. Elsewhere in his writings he is very strong in his emphasis that salvation cannot be earned, that to attempt to earn salvation is to "fall from grace," and that those who bring such a different gospel are to be accursed. So, this absolutely cannot refer to works salvation. But it can refer to salvation works. That is, true salvation shows. We are to remember that we are saved by grace through the sacrifice of Christ, and we are to kneel, side by side at his throne. He alone is Lord. In his presence the appropriate response is the realization of his holiness and our fallenness--fear and trembling at the thought of being in the very presence of God. This stands in stark contrast to the prideful, self-centered approach the Philippians were taking in in their treament of one another their church.

Context is everything, especially in understanding difficult phrases. Earlier, Paul stated his confidence that God will complete in them the good things he has started. Now he concludes his exhortation by reminding them it is God who works in them, both to will (desire) and to do (act). I am increasingly conviced that the Christian life is not a series of increasingly difficult hurdles we have to clear in our own strength. Rather, it is learning the skill of submission: submission to Christ as Lord of all, submission to the will of the Father (in following the example of Jesus), and in submission to the Spirit who works within us. As we kneel before the throne of God in fear and trembling, we recognize his holiness and our need. Pride evaporates as we recognize who is God and who is not.



 

Therefore...Exalted!

Yesterday I saw a moving video and posted it on my facebook wall. It is the true story of two young brothers. The youngest has CP, and the parents were apparently told to institutionalize him. His prognosis at birth was that he would be bedridden and non-responsive. His big brother had a better idea, taking him along for the ride on kids races. Older brother's motivation was just to see little brother smile. And he did...a lot! When the media got ahold of this, it went all the way to Sports Illustrated as a cover story, and the brother's were named Sports Kids of the Year. Big brother's serving attitude was amazing. Essentially carrying the equivalent of his own weight in a cart behind the bicycle, big brother willingly came in last for his younger brother. Therefore, he was exalted, and younger brother too.

The apostle Paul reminded the Philippians of a similar story. Jesus, existing as God, left his lofty position to dwell among us as a man. Appearing as a human, he emptied himself and humbled himself in obedience to the will of the Father for our sakes. Now comes his "therefore":

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. Philippians 2:9-11

Jesus first appearance here on earth was as a servant. He came to seek and save the lost. He had no home, much less a palace. The "hosannas" he did hear were short-lived, followed within days by intense cries of "crucify him!" His life and ministry, apparent failures, lead to a martyr's death. And then, in the throws of blinding grief, a discovery--the empty tomb.

Beyond the triumphant resurrection from the grave, the best is yet to come. As Paul puts it, the end of the story will be the worship of everyone on earth, in heaven and "under the earth." For our purposes, this "vision" should bring us great hope and joy.

But there is another message here. The passage is so familiar we might miss it. There is only One exalted above every name. There is only one Name to which every knee will bow. There is only one Lord.

Some day, every knee will bow to him. For those of us who know him, why wait? Give him the worship he deserves. Move off the throne of your heart any and all (things, concerns and people) who compete with him there. There is room for only One. Wash his feet with your tears...he will turn them to peace and never-ending joy!


Then I turned and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne...In a loud voice they sang:

"Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!" Rev. 5:11-12

 

Humble Like Jesus

When you read short bios of now famous people, frequently you stumble upon the idea that the celebrity came from humble beginnings. In other words, the beginnings of their lives were not that impressive; no one would think twice about them. Nothing about their environment or heritage caught anyone's attention. Humble is like that...it does not say, "Hey, look at me!"

In Paul's letter to the Philippian church, he calls them to have the same attitude as Jesus, being grounded in his comforting love, tender compassion, and unified in spirit. Doing nothing out of vain conceit, they are, in humility, to consider others better than themselves. They are to look not only to their own interests, but also to the interest of others. (2:1-5)

The attitude of Christ is then described: being God, he did not cling to his status but "made himself nothing," that is, he emptied himself, taking the very nature of a servant in the form of a human:

And being found in appearance as a human, he humbled himself and became obedient to death--even death on a cross! (2:8)

The truth is, the life of Jesus sometimes flies in the face of what we consider a humble man. There, I said it. No disrespect intended, of course. The fact is, Jesus made some pretty astounding statements: No one comes to the Father except through me; I will return to judge the world; I am (God). He repeatedly put the religious authorities in their place, and spoke with an authority that would today be considered dogmatism. He knew who he was (is). Yet his humility is seen in his submission to God the Father, to fulfill his will (for our sakes), living a perfect life and sacrificing that life for us on the cross.

If we follow his example, if we have his attitude, we will find our identity in him. Far from putting ourselves down (as some understand humility), we will find and fulfill our unique role in the Kingdom, not to gain praise or approval of people, but as servants. Remembering that we are human (not gods), we will humble ourselves and become obedient to God. In losing our lives, we find them. And with our lives in him, we encounter the joy that comes from an eternal perspective--our small sacrifices are a blip on the radar screen of eternity.

Becoming Nothing

As far back as I can remember, parents and mentors have encouraged me to "make something of myself." It is one of those things people say without thinking through the implications.  Of course, the well-intended statement was supposed to challenge me to set some goals and achieve them. In so doing, it was implied, I would become "something" as opposed to "nothing." We all do it. I frequently ask kids questions like, "What do you want to be when you grow up?" How would we react if the person we are asking said, "Thanks for asking. When I grow up, I want to become nothing."

Having just exhorted us to have the same attitude as Christ, who was God in his nature, Paul elaborates on the attitude we are to imitate. In spite of his Godhood, Jesus made himself "nothing." Of course, this is meant to point to the status of God-Creator in comparison with man-servant-human. Jesus willingly stepped down from the throne of heaven to become a man, a servant in the likeness of a human being:

"Who (Jesus), being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness." Philippians 2:6-7

Interestingly, Paul repeats the phrase "very nature" to reflect the contrast of Jesus Christ being in very nature God...taking the very nature of a servant. This theological phenomenon is known as the kenosis of Christ, using the Greek word here translated "made himself nothing" and meaning, literally, to empty oneself. Like many other theological ideas, there are more questions than answers here about exactly what that might mean. Was Jesus then, as a human, only human? When he forgave sin and commanded the wind and waves, was he doing so as a man, as God, or as God-man? Interesting as these questions are, to follow their threads too far is to stray from the meaning and implications of what Paul is teaching us.

Apparently the Philippians, like the rest of us, were aware of status and social-climbing (or the religious version of it) and needed to be reminded to follow the example of Christ who slept in the fields, washed the disciple's feet, and obeyed the will of God the Father--all the way to the cross. In our very nature, we compare ourselves to others and compete to come out on top. We are driven to "make something of ourselves." We are saved by grace, adopted children of the King, indwelt by the very Spirit of God, yet we live as those who have something to prove, something to earn.

What if we took Paul's admonition to heart and imitated the attitude of Christ by "becoming nothing?" We all have a part in the Kingdom; each person has a role. It is people who assign more prestige to some parts than others. Apart from Christ, we are indeed nothing. United to Christ we can bear abnndant fruit, not because we are something, but because we branches are grafted into the Vine, Christ. What if we viewed the exercise of our gifts, whatever they are, as acts of a servant--a servant of the King and a servant of others for the sake of the Kingdom? There would certainly be less room for prideful or envious comparisons. Guess what, I am nothing, and so are you. Rather than competing to be gods (little "g") lets embrace our nothingness together, and be found in our very nature servants. It's what pleases the King and, ironically, it is in becoming nothing that we find our identity and our home in Him.

Christ's Very Nature

I can remember lazy summer afternoons lying on a blanket in the grass, gazing at clouds. Faces, animal shapes, castles and feathers emerged, morphed and vanished. In the 70's there was a popular song about the illusions of clouds. The theme of the song was the illusions of love and life. Things are rarely what they seem, from clouds to life to love. We only think we know them, but in fact we are acquainted with how they seem. The problem is, the illusions are ever-changing and we may not grow to understand them at all from personal experience, unless we look deeper into their nature.

Having just challenged the Philippians to cultivate the same attitude as Christ Jesus (literally, to be like-minded with him), Paul goes on to remind them of his nature:

Who being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped... (Philippians 2:6)

Like the clouds over the Sea of Galilee, Jesus appeared to be many things to those who saw him. But to those who truly came to know him, he was something else entirely "in his very nature." This is where the biblical version of Jesus differs from the perspectives of many in the world today. The Bible never describes Jesus as (merely) a good man, as a great moral teacher (only), or as a pallid monk. Bold in his words and actions, Jesus asserted about himself that he exists eternally, that he is the only way to the Father, that he and the Father are one and the same. New Testament writers say that he existed before creation as one and the same as God, that all things were created by him, that all things continue to be held together by him, and that he is coming back to judge the world. See  John 1:1-4; 14 and Colossians 2:9.. An ordinary man who made such claims would be a liar, a lunatic, or a devil from hell "(C.S Lewis).

Such a One, eternally existing, all knowing, all powerful, looked upon the world and the human race. He saw both as broken, lost and, unless he intervened, without hope. As Paul wrote elsewhere, this is how we know the love of God, that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. His position on the throne as God (and as a mystery of the triune God, next to God the Father) was less important to him than redeeming everything, including you and me.

This realization carries powerful implications for us, in light of the command to have the same attitude. We like our rights and we love our positions. We want to hold onto what we have. If another gets credit for what we have done, we are offended. We see certain jobs or people as being beneath us. It might even be called the American Dream, to compete and win, to come out on top, and to get what is due us. Paul would say, "Wake up!" Jesus, who was really God, did not hold onto what was rightly his. He did whatever was needed to submit to God and to redeem people.

What if we really were like-minded with Jesus? How would this change the way we walk through our days? In what areas/relationships would we be willing to loosen our grip  for the sake of the gospel? Let's ask the Holy Spirit to show us and to empower us to act, as Jesus did, for the good pleasure of the Father.