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[Music] Welcome to everyone. It's good to be back in the house of our God this evening. For our call to worship, you can turn to Psalm 48. Psalm 48. I'll read the latter few verses, verses 9 to4. Psalm 48, beginning in verse 9. We have thought, oh God, on your loving kindness in the midst of your temple. According to your name, oh God, so is your praise to the ends of the earth. Your right hand is full of righteousness. Let Mount Zion rejoice. Let the daughters of Judah be glad because of your judgments. Walk about Zion and go all around her. Count her towers. Mark well her bull works. Consider her palaces that you may tell it to the generation following. For this is God, our God forever and ever. He will be our guide even to death. Amen. Well, please turn in your hymnbooks to Psalm 145D as in Delta. Psalm 145D. And we'll stand as we sing together. [Music] Lord my confessing. Ever will I bless my king. Still will thy praise proclaim. Honor great our God be to his majesty and reach age to age his work transitted age to age his power shall teach. We shall talk of all thy glory. All thy might and greatest well. King of my great story and the kings of wonder [Music] shall fail from every treasure by love and mercy. Words of love surpassing me. Words of mercy, passing by, full of kindness and compassion, slow to anor with love. God is good to all creation. All his words is good. My words shall bless me. He shall all thy saints adore. Kings of shall confess me and proclaim my sovereign. Well, let us pray. Our blessed and holy God, we thank you for the privilege to gather again in your house on your day with your people. We confess that you are the most high, that you are from everlasting to everlasting, the God who made the world, the God who governs the world, and the God who has redeemed his elect from it. And we bless you that you have blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus. And as we sing tonight, as we pray, as we look to Holy Scripture, may our hearts be drawn out in worship. Worship that is in spirit and in truth. And to that end, we pray you would send forth the Holy Spirit that he might lead us, that he might guide us, that he might aid us to approach you with that reverence and that awe that is fitting and appropriate for such a great God. And may we do so with great joy, with thanksgiving, counting ourselves blessed and given all the benefits that Christ has secured for needy sinners. We confess to you even now our sin and transgression. We know that we are called to let our conduct be worthy of the gospel. Yet we find that that remaining corruption in our own hearts. We see and do those things that we wish not to do. And the evil that we don't want to do, we find ourselves doing. So we thank you that we have an advocate with the father, even Jesus Christ the righteous. As the psalmist prayed, "For your name's sake, oh Lord, pardon my iniquity, for it is great. Please cleanse us in that precious blood." And for any and all who've come here tonight dead in their trespasses and sins. We pray that you would awaken them. We know that the voice of God is able to crush the cedars of Lebanon. We know that voice of God is able to crush the hardened hearts of sinners. So we pray that you would cause them to see their own sin before a holy God and see Christ and all of his offices to save even prophet, priest, and king. We pray for your blessing upon the life and uh the the health of our local body here both physically and spiritually for those struggling with ongoing challenges with the physical man. We just commend them to you and to the word of your grace and pray that you would bless them. give them help and strength to continue to persevere in the midst of affliction. And for all of us, God, as we face the various trials and temptations in this earthly life, give us the Holy Spirit that we may resist the these temptations and sins and that we by the spirit may put to deed uh death the deeds of the body so that we may live. We pray for your blessing upon the church in Suriri. We thank you for our brothers and sisters there. We pray for Pastor Porter as he preaches tonight. Give him grace. Give him strength. Give him help to make clear the the truth as it is in Jesus. Pray for Pastor Mike that as he finishes up his sbatical that you would refresh him and just revive him and cause him to return with great zeal and energy and continue in the work of the ministry that you've entrusted into his hand. Bless our brethren in Armstrong. We thank you for that local church and pray for Ryan and for Hunts and for Braum. Bless these brothers as they lead in the local church there. and may you do good and glorious things. Be with the brethren in Pinoa and in Medicine Hat and and up in Reginaina. We thank you for these association churches and pray that they would know the the the goodness of God in the midst of the congregation. Bless our brethren in Elderette and in Kisamu and Kenya. We thank you for these men set apart to labor in the word and doctrine. May they continue to know the power of the spirit as they preach the truth as it is in Jesus. We also pray for the persecuted church. We know there are many suffering for the cause of God and truth in this in this present evil age. And we thank you for them. We pray that they would be blessed by you, given encouragement and perseverance and strength to deal with all the issues they find find themselves in. And we think peculiarly of of Myanmar and the ongoing situation there. We pray for a ceasefire. We pray that there'd be stability in that political order. We pray especially for our brother Peter, for his family, for the orphans, and may you indeed be glorified in your care for them. And God, we ask that you would be gracious throughout the earth. We have great promises in scripture that the knowledge of the Lord will cover the earth as the waters cover the sea. We know that Jesus has all authority in heaven and on earth. And based on that, he says to go therefore and make disciples of all the nations. So Lord, bless the missionary enterprise. Bless the proclamation of your truth. May it run swiftly and be glorified. And may you save from every tribe and tongue and people and nation. And may you assemble a church that will ultimately be the church triumphant that will praise and honor you world without end. We thank you for your goodness to us. We thank you for your graciousness. We thank you that when sinners come to you through the son, they find eternal life and eternal joy. We ask that you would bless our time together now. And we pray in Jesus name. Amen. Will you can turn again in your hymbooks to Psalm 34C as in Charlie. Psalm 34C. We'll stand as we sing together. [Music] All the changing scenes of life in trouble and joy. The graces of my God shall steal my heart. [Music] I will lose till all I [Music] comfort. Oh, magnify the Lord with me. With me, exalt his name. When in distress to him I call to my resue. of God in temporal [Music] his love as he is. How blessed are you with his truth here and he will have nothing else to fear. Make you his service your delight. The world shall be his. [Music] >> Well, you can turn in your Bibles to Judges chapter 16 for our scripture reading this evening. The last section of the Samson narrative or the Samson cycle. Judges chapter 16. I'll begin reading in verse one. Now Samson went to Gaza and saw a harlot there and went into her. When the Gazites were told, Samson has come here, they surrounded the place and lay and wait for him all night at the gate of the city. They were quiet all night, saying, "In the morning, when it is daylight, we will kill him." And Samson lay low till midnight. Then he arose at midnight, took hold of the doors of the gate of the city and the two gate posts, pulled them up bar and all, put them on his shoulders, and carried them to the top of the hill that faces Hebron. Afterward, it happened that he loved a woman in the valley of Sorak, whose name was Delilah. And the lords of the Philistines came up to her and said to her, "Entice him and find out where his great strength lies and by what means we may overpower him that we may bind him to afflict him. And every one of us will give you 1100 pieces of silver." So Delilah said to Samson, "Please tell me where your great strength lies and with what you may be bound to afflict you." And Samson said to her, "If they bind me with seven fresh bowrings, not yet dried, then I shall become weak and be like other men any other man." So the lords of the Philistines brought up to her seven fresh bowrings not yet dried, and she bound him with them. Now men were lying in weight, staying with her in the room. And she said to him, "The Philistines are upon you, Samson, but he broke the bow strings as a strand of yarn breaks when it touches fire." So the secret of his strength was not known. Then Delilah said to Samson, "Look, you have mocked me and told me lies. Now please tell me what you may be bound with." So he said to her, "If they bind me securely with new ropes that have never been used, then I shall become weak and be like any other man." Therefore Delilah took new ropes and bound him with them. And said to him, "The Philistines are upon you, Samson." And men were lying in weight, staying in the room. But he broke them off his arms like a thread. Delilah said to Samson, "Until now you have mocked me and told me lies. Tell me what you may be bound with." And he said to her, "If you weave the seven locks of my head into the web of the loom." So she wo it tightly with the batten of the loom. And said to him, "The Philistines are upon you, Samson." But he awoke from his sleep and pulled out the batten and the web from the loom. Then she said to him, "How can you say I love you when your heart is not with me? You have mocked me these three times and have not told me where your great strength lies." And it came to pass when she pestered him daily with her words and pressed him, so that his soul was vexed to death, that he told her all his heart, and said to her, "No razor has ever come upon my head, for I have been a Nazerite to God from my mother's womb. If I am shaven, then my strength will leave me, and I shall become weak and be like any other man. When Delilah saw that he had told her all his heart, she sent and called for the lords of the Philistines, saying, "Come up once more, for he has told me all his heart." So the lords of the Philistines came up to her and brought the money in their hand. Then she lulled him to sleep on her knees and called for a man and had him shave off the seven locks of his head. Then she began to torment him and his strength left him. And she said, "The Philistines are upon you, Samson." So he awoke from his sleep and said, "I will go out as before at other times and shake myself free." But he did not know that the Lord had departed from him. Then the Philistines took him and put out his eyes and brought him down to Gaza. They bound him with bronze feathers, and he became a grinder in the prison. However, the hair of his head began to grow again after it had been shaven. Now the lords of the Philistines gathered together to offer a great sacrifice to Deeon their god and to rejoice. And they said, "Our God has delivered into our hands Samson, our enemy." When the people saw him, they praised their God, for they said, "Our God has delivered into our hands our enemy, the destroyer of our land, and the one who multiplied our dead." So it happened when their hearts were merry that they said call for Samson that he may perform for us. So they called for Samson from the prison and he performed for them and they stationed him between the pillars. Then Samson said to the lad who held him by the hand, "Let me feel the pillars which support the temple so that I can lean on them." Now the temple was full of men and women. All the lords of the Philistines were there. About 3,000 men and women on the roof watching while Samson performed. Then Samson called to the Lord, saying, "Oh Lord God, remember me, I pray, strengthen me, I pray just this once, oh God, that I may with one blow take vengeance on the Philistines for my two eyes." And Samson took hold of the two middle pillars which supported the temple. And he braced himself against them, one on his right hand and the other on his left. Then Samson said, "Let me die with the Philistines." And he pushed with all his might. And the temple fell on the lords and all the people who were in it. So the dead that he killed at his death were more than he had killed in his life. And his brothers and all his father's household came down and took him and brought him up and buried him between Zora and Echel in the tomb of his father Manoah. He had judged Israel 20 years. Amen. Well, we often hear about Samson and we hear that he was a man governed by his lusts. He was a man that was a bit of a savage. He was a brute. He was a beast. He certainly was a brute and a beast when it came to killing Philistines. But I think he's had a lot of bad press. If you go back to chapter 13 and verse 24, it says, "The spirit of the Lord began to move upon him." And then in chapter 14 at verse 6, "And the spirit of the Lord came mightily upon him." 14:19 then the spirit of the lord came upon him mightily and then in chapter 15 at verse 14 then the spirit of the lord came mightily upon him four times in scripture we read that this man had the spirit of the lord upon him to function in a capacity that was pleasing to god almighty now this particular incident verse or chapter 16 the first part verse one says Samson went to Gaza and saw a harlot there and went into her now the bible doesn't whitewash men's sins the bible tells tells us about David's adultery and David's conspiracy to commit murder. The Bible tells us about Peter's denial of our blessed Lord and Savior. So, the Bible doesn't whitewash sin, but we shouldn't charge men with sin when it's not clear that they did sin. I would suggest that this opening section is corresponding to Joshua chapter 2. When Joshua sends the spies to spy out the land of of Jericho, they go into Rahab the harlot. Nobody for a moment thinks that the spies had sexual congress with Rahab the harlot. I'm not sure why we accept that here with reference to Samson. I think there's a better than good case that can be made that it wasn't sexual congress at all, but it was strategy. When he picks up the city gates, when he stands facing Hebron, it is a challenge to his fellow Judahites to join him in the battle against these pesky Philistines. Now, Samson obviously as a man wasn't perfect. The episode or the incident with Delilah shows that. But what really was his sin there? He was pressed. He was pestered. And he was basically worn down. If that's a sin of Samson, it's a sin common to probably every single man. My argument is is that he's no worse than anyone else and he's a lot better than a whole host of people. God used him mightily. That final section is not suicide. It is death in combat. He understood realistically. He was able to take out more Philistines by his death than in his life. And there he corresponds to our Lord Jesus Christ. Throughout the narrative, chapters 13- 16, Samson is typical. Samson prefigures, Samson preaches and points forward to the Lord Jesus Christ. In fact, all of the judges in the book of Judges in one form or another function in that capacity. They're saviors. They deliver their people from oppression. They deliver their people from bondage. They show us something of our Lord Jesus Christ. Well, let us pray. Our father in heaven, we thank you for the book of Judges. We thank you for men like Samson that you use mightily in the promotion of your glorious kingdom on earth. We pray, Father, that you would give us the kind of uh power of the spirit to do those things that you call us unto. Cause us to be faithful to walk in accordance with your Bible and to do all that we do for your glory and for your honor. And we ask this through Jesus Christ the Lord. Amen. Well, for our final hymn before the preaching, you can turn to 172. 172. Again, we'll stand as we sing together. You can turn in your Bibles to Philippians chapter 2. Philippians chapter 2. While you're turning there, I did see today that Pastor John MacArthur is looking like he's at the end. He's got pneumonia. He's in the hospital. Uh our text tonight calls us to esteem men like Apaproditis. So when I pray, we'll remember Pastor MacArthur and the church there in Southern California. So Apapraditis in chapter 2, specifically at verses 25 to 30, but I'll begin reading in verse 12. Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God who works in uh both works in you both to will and to do for his good pleasure. Do all things without complaining and disputing that you may become blameless and harmless children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation among whom you shine as lights in the world holding fast the word of life so that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain nor or labored in vain. Yes. And if I am being poured out as a drink offering on the sacrifice in service of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all. For the same reason, you also be glad and rejoice with me. But I trust in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you shortly, that I also may be encouraged when I know your state. For I have no one likeminded who will sincerely care for your state. For all seek their own, not the things which are of Christ Jesus. But you know his proven character that as a son with his father, he served with me in the gospel. Therefore, I hope to send him at once as soon as I see how it goes with me. But I trust in the Lord that I myself shall also come shortly. Yet I yet I considered it necessary to send to you Apapraditis, my brother, fellow worker, and fellow soldier, but your messenger and the one who ministered to my need since he was longing for you all and was distressed because you had heard that he was sick. For indeed he was sick almost unto death. But God had mercy on him, and not only on him, but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow. Therefore, I sent him the more eagerly, that when you see him again, you may rejoice, and I may be less sorrowful. Receive him therefore in the Lord with all gladness and hold such men in esteem because for the work of Christ he came close to death not regarding his life to supply what was lacking in your service toward me. Amen. Well, let us pray. Our Father in heaven, we thank you for the written word of the living and true God. We thank you that it's profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, and for instruction in righteousness. Who give us ears to hear and hearts to receive these things. And we think tonight of Pastor John MacArthur. We thank you for this man and his long and faithful ministry, great example to so many others, a great expositor. We just pray for him, for his wife, for his children and grandchildren that you would bless them in the midst of this trial, in the midst of this hardship and affliction as well. God, look with favor upon the church there in Southern California. May you give them grace. May you give them strength. May you give them perseverance in the midst of these things. Thank you, Lord Jesus Christ, that you ascended on high, that you led captivity captive, and that you have given gifts to men. And we see these men throughout the history of the church and your provision to be teachers, to be preachers, to be those who to handle accurately the word of truth. We bless you and we praise you for this brother's service. And we just bless you for all of your goodness to us. And we pray in Jesus' name. Amen. Well, in this particular part of the epistle, the Apostle Paul obviously is speaking some things that have to do with his own situation, but as well, he's speaking favorably of a couple of other men, Timothy and Apaproditis. And I think that in their own ways, they embody the things that Paul has exhorted the church to embibe in chapter 2, specifically at verses 3 and four. He says, "Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in loneliness of mind, let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interest, but also for the interests of others." He then gives us Jesus as the supreme example, an illustration of that in chapter 2 at verses 5 to 11. But then when he commends Timothy and when he commends uh Epapraditis, we see particular traits relative to those men or embodied by those men that are consistent with that that exhortation in chapter 2:es 3 and 4. So these were men that were special to the apostle Paul, men that he loved, men that he esteemed. And obviously the church in Philippi loved and esteemed Apaproditis as well because he was one of their own. So I want to look first at the return of Apaproditis in verses 25 to 28 and then secondly the exhortation concerning Apaproditis in verses 29 to30. But in terms of the return note first in verse 25 yet I considered it necessary to send to you Apaproditis. Turn to chapter 4 for just a moment. And as you turn there, remember this is one of the prison epistles of the Apostle Paul. When he's in prison at the end of the book of Acts, Acts chapter 28, the years are probably AD60-62, he writes Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Phileiman while he is in prison there. And so while he is in prison, the various brethren that he had, the various churches would send support or aid to to help him. The government didn't provide you three hots and a cot. They didn't provide you three hot meals and a TV and all those sorts of things that modern prisons avail. But no, if you wanted to eat, if you wanted to live, you had to be sort of dependent upon brethren, friends, relatives, and whatnot. So the church in Philippi does that with Paul. Notice in chapter 4:14, nevertheless, you have done well that you shared in my distress. Now you Philippians know also that in the beginning of the gospel when I departed from Macedonia, no church shared with me concerning giving and receiving, but you only. He commends the Philippians. He commends the churches of Macedon in 2 Corinthians chapter 8 when he's appealing to the church in Corenth to be generous and to be liberal in their giving. The Philippians didn't have a lot of money. They didn't have abundant resources. They didn't have trees with gold, you know, growing on them. They they just didn't have it. But they had generous and liberal hearts. So in verse 16, he says, "For even in Thessalonica, you sent aid once and again for my necessities. Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the fruit that abounds to your account. Indeed, I have all and abound. I am full, having received from Apaproditis the things sent from you, a sweet smelling aroma, an acceptable sacrifice, well pleasing to God." So the church in Philippi send via Apapraditis gifts and probably money to help alleviate the Apostle Paul in his prison sentence. Now most likely Apaproditis didn't travel alone. If he had money, if he had goods, if he had food, he wouldn't have been traveling alone. He would have had companions. So it seems to be the case that Apaproditis took ill on his way to Rome to go visit Paul. But he soldiered through. one of the companions that was with him returned to Philippi and told the church in Philippi that Apapraditis had gotten very sick on his way to Rome. So the church in Philippi had heard that he had gotten sick, but they had not heard an update concerning his health. There was no email. There was no text. There was nothing for them to know in terms of the particular situation of Apaproditis. So that's the backdrop. That's what's going on. That's why Apapraditis is concerned or distressed when he hears about the Philippians uh distress over him. So that's sort of the the the the reconstruction. I think that's pretty well accepted in the commentaries. There might be an odd detail here or there, but that's precisely what's happening here. Now, after having mentioned that he sent back Apapraditis to them, he then indicates Apaproditis's relationships to the Apostle Paul and to the church in Philippi. Notice to the Apostle Paul. So after he says I considered it necessary to send you Apap Apapraditis my brother fellow worker and fellow soldier. So those three terms he predicates of his relationship with reference to this man Apaproditis. My brother he doesn't mean his brother according to the flesh. Apaproditis is not a Jewish name. Apapraditis is a Greek name. It's not the case that they were brothers according to blood or flesh. They were brothers according to supernatural adoption into the family of God by the power of the Holy Spirit in effectual calling. So they're brothers in Jesus Christ. But then he goes on to say, "My fellow worker," which indicates that Apaproditis, not only being one sent by the church to bring gifts and perhaps money and food and whatnot to the Apostle Paul, was also a preacher, was also a teacher, probably their pastor. So he was a fellow worker of the Apostle Paul with reference to gospel ministry. He preached, he taught, he called sinners to faith and repentance. He sought to baptize. He he uh uh administered the Lord's supper. All the things that are unique to pastoral ministry. Apaproditis was one of them. But then he goes on to indicate that he is my fellow soldier. My fellow soldier. Now there's a sense wherein scripture envisions that all of the people of God are engaged in warfare are engaged in battle. If you turn for instance to 2 Corinthians chapter 10 this idea of battle this idea of the Christian life as warfare in general. 2 Corinthians chap 10 specifically at verses 3 and 4. For though we walk in the flesh we do not war according to the flesh. for the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds. Paul has no problem invoking this marshall or military language. He has no problem invoking these concepts and themes to indicate the nature of the Christian life. This isn't a walk in the park. This isn't a walk up to Bridal Falls. This isn't a trip to to to the to aquarium in Vancouver. This is warfare. This is battle. You have genuine enemies that want to destroy you and you need to be mindful of that. Now, of course, the weapons of our warfare are not carnal. We don't walk around strapped and ready to shoot everybody who looks at us in a cross way because we identify with Jesus. But there is this battle that rages on. But as well, notice in 1 Timothy chapter 1, 1 Timothy chapter 1. Again, I think these are more general references, but then we're going to hone in on the pastor or the elders in the context of the church as being involved in warfare. But note 1 Timothy 1:18. This charge I commit to you, son Timothy, according to the prophecies previously made concerning you, that by them you may wage the good warfare. And then perhaps one of the most noteworthy sections is Ephesians chapter 6. And you can turn there. Ephesians chapter 6. Again, the invocation, a military or marshall language to show the people of God what is at stake in their relationship to the Lord and to the world in which they find themselves. So, Ephesians 6:10, finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand against the ws of the devil. Note this explanatory phrase in verse 12. Note what he says and underscore or understand re uh rather the reality of the Christian life as warfare. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. This is probably harder for us to appreciate in the Western world because we've got it pretty good. There aren't bullets whizzing by us. There isn't deprivation. We have food. We have clothes. We have shelter. We have relative liberty and freedom. I mean, there's not machine gunners sort of converging on us while we're meeting here tonight. We have liberty to freely worship and to freely meet with our God and with one another. But nevertheless, this concept holds. It is the fact that we live in a world that is in opposition to the Lord God most high and to his Christ. It's a Psalm 2 1:3 kind of a world. Then notice Paul's exhortation in verse 13. Therefore, take up the whole armor of God that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having st uh done all to stand. And then he goes on to describe this this armor of God that we're supposed to dawn. Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shaw your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace, above all, taking the shield of faith, with which you will be you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one, and and take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God. There's an interesting thing I I I I just learned about that during the time of the Spartans, and it may have held longer past the Spartans. They were in the 400s 400 BC. But if you lost your helmet or your breastplate, you got in trouble. If you lost your shield, you could be put to death. Why? Because the helmet and the breastplate protected you. The shield protected your brethren. The shield was there for the benefit of those that you were locked arms with on the battlefield. So, not forgivable. you'd probably still get, you know, some sort of trouble if you lost your helmet. Don't don't be the guy that loses your helmet on the the battlefield or the the breastplate. But if you lose your shield, don't don't come back. That shows absolute disregard for your brethren. And it made me ponder this particular statement when he says, "Above all, taking the shield of faith with which you're uh will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one." I've always understood that, and this may be a public confession here, as my own private subjective faith. And as I'm wandering through the Christian life and there's these assaults against my own personal subjective faith, I need to take that shield and make sure that I'm not destroyed. Maybe, just maybe, the idea isn't my own personal subjective faith, but the objective content of the Christian faith. In other words, we stand together as a band of brothers. We stand together as fellow soldiers of our Lord Jesus Christ. If one person lets heresy in, guess what happens to the rest of us? We need to take that shield. We need to defend against those fiery darts that are launched against the Christian faith. Jesus is God from God, light from light, true God from true God. Jesus is begotten, not made, one in being with the Father, through whom all things were made. We are not to to capitulate to the various ravings in our own day that challenge Christian orthodoxy. So maybe that whole idea of the of that that shield is yes for us but yes for the brethren as well. But back to the main point Christianity is warfare. But notice then the Christian ministry as warfare. Look at 1 Corinthians chapter 9. And I don't think Paul is using it here specifically to illustrate that it is. But it is interesting that he uses this as a as a um argument to pay pastors. Verse three, 1 Corinthians 9. My defense to those who examine me is this. Do we have no right to eat and drink? Do we have no right to take along a believing wife as do also the other apostles, the brothers of the Lord and Cphus? Or is it only part Barnabas and I who have no right to refrain from working? Whoever goes to war at his own expense, who plants a vineyard and does not eat of its fruit, or who tends a flock and does not drink of the milk of the flock. So in in a passage dealing with, you know, pastoral remuneration, letting the minister eat, he invokes that imagery. Turn over to 2 Timothy chapter 3, I'm sorry, 2 Timothy chapter 2:3. Second Timothy chapter 2:3. He charges Timothy, you therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. And then he gives an emphasis on the fact that he must be devoted. He must be disciplined and he must be diligent. Notice the devotion is seen in verse four. No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier. With reference to discipline, he goes to the athletes. And also if anyone competes in athletics, he is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules. And then with reference to diligence, he points to the farmer. The hardworking farmer must be first to partake of the crops. Consider what I say and may the Lord give you understanding in all things. So in other words, he gives this general exhortation or specific exhortation rather in verse three. You must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. You must do it in a devoted way. You must be disciplined and you must be diligent, Timothy, in order to prosecute this particular task. Also verse uh Phileiman 2. Phileiman 2. Paul a prisoner of Christ Jesus and Timothy our brother to Phileiman our beloved friend and fellow laborer to the beloved Afia Archipus our fellow soldier and to the church in your house. So going back to Apaproditis, he's Paul's brother. He's Paul's fellow worker, but he's Paul's fellow soldier. Listen to John Gil on this concept of warfare, Christian life as warfare. He says, "The life of every believer is a warfare." He is always engaged in a war with sin and Satan in the world and is often called to fight the fight of faith to contend earnestly against false teachers for the faith once delivered to the saints to stand up for it and fast in it and is provided for with the whole armor of God with weapons of warfare which are not carnal but spiritual and mighty being enlisted as a volunteer under the great captain of his salvation Jesus Christ under whose banner he fights and is more than a conqueror through him. But though this is the common case and character of all the saints, it more especially belongs to ministers of the gospel who are set for the defense of it and at the front of the battle and are called to meet the enemy at the gate and endure hardness as good soldiers of Jesus Christ. And such and one was the apostle and he had other fellow soldiers and this person among the rest who are engaged in the same common cause with the same enemies under the same captain and would enjoy the same crown. So whatever we know about Apapraditis and the only place he's mentioned is here is in Philippians 2 and Philippians 4. He was a good man. If Paul speaks this well of Apaproditis, Apaproditis was a good man. As Paul spoke very well concerning Timothy in chapter 2 at verses 19 to 24, we glean, we infer, we imply Timothy was a good man. Timothy is all over the New Testament though in Epaphroditis isn't. So to Paul, he's a brother, he's a fellow worker, he's a fellow soldier. But then notice with reference to the church in Philippi, he's your messenger and your minister. Verse uh 25, but your messenger, this is the word apostle, but it's not being used in that technical sense. The word apostle has a specific denotation when it comes or connotation when it comes to the New Testament. It speaks of the 12 selected by Jesus as the apostles that would go out and teach and preach and make disciples of all the nations. But it has a broader sense where it means messenger. It means an envoy. It means a delegate. It means one sent by another. And that's the particular usage that we find here. He's your minister. You sent him. He sent this apostle to me. I'm sorry, the uh messenger. You sent this messenger to me. So again, there's a extraordinary sense. the apostles of our Lord, the 12. And then there's the ordinary sense, a delegate, an envoy, or a messenger. But he's also your minister. And notice when it comes to the apostle, he says, "The one who ministered to my need, the church as church couldn't travel to Rome." When when we see at the end of verse 30, to supply what was lacking in your service to toward me, some read into this that Paul's kind of complaining or rebuking them. Not even a little bit. Not at all. There's no problems. There's no sort of backdrop. There's no issue that the apostle is underhandedly trying to trying to get at them for. No, not not at all. The church as church couldn't leave Philippi and go to Rome and minister to the Apostle Paul. They had a minister. They had a messenger. They had an envoy. They had a delegate. They had a pastor. And they were going to send him to the Apostle Paul. The church sent gifts to Paul for his assistance. Gordon Fee makes this observation. In a culture where prisoners were not cared for by the state, but whose necessities for life, especially food, had to be supplied by friends or relatives, this is no small thing they've done. This is a blessing. This is good. Paul would die of hunger if he didn't have people that were feeding him. He would die or perish in this prison cell if he didn't have the the faithfulness and the kindness of brethren, fellow workers, fellow soldiers that would would tend to him and look after him. And so Paul then says in verse 26 or verses 26 and 27 the reasons why he considered it necessary to send you Apaproditis. So I sent him to you. Here's who he is to me. Here who he is to you. And here's why I sent him. Verses 26 and 7. Here's the reasons why I dispatched him back to you. I mean Paul could have used another brother. Paul could have used an Epaphroditis. Paul could have leaned on him. Paul could have had help by him. Of course, it would have been good for the Apostle Paul to keep Apaproditis with him. But no, I I considered it necessary to send him back. Well, the first instance is or the first issue is the desire of Apapraditis. Notice in verses 26 and 27, his longing. He was longing for you all. This is the pastor's heart. He's longing to be back in his church. It's nice to go visit Suriri, but it's nicer to be back here. Or nice, I should say. Yeah, it's nicer. I don't know. There's something about being in your own church. It's good place to be. You love the brethren. You love the the the the situation. So, Apaproditis, according to Paul, since he was longing for you all, he has this desire to encourage them, not only specifically gospel ministry, but generally with reference to his health. They had heard that he was sick. They had heard that he might not make it to Rome. They heard that he was bad. And as Paul describes it in verse 27, he was bad. He was nigh unto death. And so the Apaproditis wants to get back there because he's longing to see them. Notice then his distress. Verse 26, since he was longing for you all and was distressed because you had heard that he was sick. I I think about that text sometimes. He was distressed because you heard that he was sick. I'd be distressed because I was distressed. I would be distressed because I was sick. I'd be distressed because I was nigh unto death. But Apapraditis is distressed because he knows the church in Philippi have heard this report about him, but they haven't seen his recovery. So this causes distress in his own heart. It's kind of that othersmindedness that the apostle enjoins in chapter 2 at verse 4. Let each of you look out not only for his own interest, but also for the interests of others. A fellow that's nigh unto death probably at no time like it. Do you have the right to kind of be thinking about your own situation, but he's thinking about the situation of the brethren. And then Paul explains or gives further details concerning his sickness in verse 27. For indeed he was sick almost unto death, but God had mercy on him, and not only on him, but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow. So the seriousness of his sickness was almost unto death. Now, we don't feel that the same way you'd feel that then. Gordon Fee again says, "A clause probably read much too casually by those of us who have the benefits of modern medical science. Far fewer people in antiquity recovered from death's door, right? You were not assured of coming back or rallying back or, you know, circling back if you were at death's door in the first century. Now, as the medical system continues on its path, we may visit that again, but at least right now, we can take Tylenol and aspirin and fight off basic infection and all that sort of a thing. It wasn't like that then. But intriguingly as well, note the healer of his sickness in verse 27. But God had mercy on him. This indicates that for the apostles, while they could be instruments that God used to affect a healing, it wasn't the apostles power. It wasn't the apostles prerogative. It wasn't the apostles to turn on or off at will. It was God who showed mercy. Zanki says the strength to perform miracles was not in the apostles power but God's who used them as his instruments when he wished. Notice it wasn't doctors that healed him. It wasn't friends that healed him. It wasn't Paul that healed him. God had mercy on him. It's a beautiful statement and it really works in terms of Paul's situation and Paul's condition. Notice the other beneficiary of God's mercy in verse 27. For indeed he was sick almost unto death, but God had mercy on him, and not only on him, but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow. You see how Paul interprets God's providence? It's a mercy to Epaproditis. It's a mercy to the church in Philippi, but it's certainly a mercy the Apostle Paul, lest I have sorrow upon sorrow. He's already in jail. He's already dependent upon the benevolence of friends and relatives and whoever to bring him necessities so that he can stay alive. He already knows sorrow to see his good buddy Apapraditis, his fellow his fellow worker and fellow soldier and brother in Jesus Christ die especially when Apapraditis was on the way to Rome to go visit Paul that would have provoked or produced a lot of sorrow on the apostle and he says God's mercy is palpable it's not only in the life of Apapraditis but it's also for me as well so the desire of Apapraditis in verses 26 and 27 here's another reason with reference to the church. Verse 28, he's given the reasons why he considered it necessary to send to you Apaproditis. He speaks specifically concerning Apaproditis's desire. In verses 26 and 27, now he speaks concerning the joy of the church. Verse 28, therefore I sent him the more eagerly that when you see him again, you may rejoice. It's going to be a delight to you. When you see pastor Apaproditis, the one you heard took hill took ill and was nigh unto death, when he pops up at the door of the church on a Sunday morning, you're going to be very happy. You're going to rejoice. There's going to be there's going to be glad hearts. And then the third thing is the sorrow or the state rather of the apostle Paul. Verse 28 at the end, and I may be less sorrowful. the sorrow connected to Paul's current state affair of affairs. Again, he's in a Roman prison with the possibility or potentiality that he could die at the hand of the civil state. He indicates that in 121, for to me to live as Christ and to die is gain. He's not just giving a motto text. It is a motto text. It's one we ought to shape our lives by. He's not giving us a fridge magnet in Philippians 1:21. He's talking about the reality that he may be put to death by the hands of the civil state. He doesn't know the the direction the empire is going. He doesn't know how it's going to be with reference to Nero. He doesn't know what's going to happen. I think he's got a confidence that he's going to be let out. He says as much when he speaks concerning Timothy, but things can change on a dime. He even uses the language here in chapter 2 that he might die. Notice in 217. Yes. And if I am being poured out as a drink offering on the sacrifice in service of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all. So there's that potential. There is sorrow in the heart of the apostle. All things being equal, of course he'd rather be free. All things being equal, of course he'd rather sit with brethren in their home and eat dinner. He's going to suffer. He'll take whatever comes his way. But if given the choice, Paul, do you want to languish in this prison cell or do you want to go over to the Joneses tonight for dinner? Well, I'd like to go to the Joneses tonight for dinner. I mean, come on, who wouldn't? So, the apostle gives those reasons as to why he is sending Epaphroditis back to them. And then that brings us finally to the exhortation concerning Apaproditis in verses 29 and 30. Note first the exhortation in verse 29. Receive him therefore in the Lord with all gladness and hold such men in esteem. Receive him with all gladness. This is a happy occasion. This is a good thing. This is a blessing and a benefit. Your pastor is back. He was nigh unto death. He's no longer nigh unto death. And now he's back to preach in the pulpit and minister to the flock of God. Now in terms of the general application, notice what he goes on to say. Receive him therefore in the Lord with all gladness and hold such men in esteem. In other words, Apaproditis like men, men that function in a brotherly capacity, men that are fellow workers, and men that are fellow soldiers. Esteem. This isn't unique to the book of Philippians. You can turn to the book of Hebrews. Hebrews chapter 13. Hebrews chapter 13 verse 7 remember those who rule over you. It's not the civil authority as he goes on to say who have spoken the word of God to you whose faith follow considering the outcome of their conduct. Then in verse 17 obey those who rule over you and be submissive for they watch out for your souls as those who must give account. Let them do so with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you. There's an exhortation there by the apostle to the church on how to deal with their pastors. Turn over to 1 Thessalonians chapter 5. 1 Thessalonians chapter 5 verse 12. We urge you, brethren, to recognize those who, excuse me, labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you and to esteem them very highly in love for their work's sake. be at peace among yourselves. I I think it's an argument that has an allergy. You got a good doctor, you typically esteem him. You got a good lawyer, you typically esteem him. You got a good finance guy, you typically esteem him. You know, it's unfortunate that these things need to be said and that Paul would have to encourage the church in Philippi to esteem men like that. But such is life. And I think there's an example in the life of Gideon. If you turn back to Judges chapter 8, Judges chapter 8, I'm not saying Gideon was a pastor. He wasn't an elder in a church, but he was a leader in Israel. And there is some sort of correspondence, even if it's slight leader in Israel. And he was treated poorly. Look at 8:28. Thus Midian was subdued before the children of Israel so that they lifted their heads no more and the country was quiet for 40 years in the day of Gideon in the days of Gideon. Now Gideon didn't end well, okay? He just didn't. The ephod the idolatry thing. I I'm not here to, you know, give an apologetic for for Gideon and everything he did. But I will say this, for a man to judge Israel and to do so for 40 years and for that 40 years there to be peace in that land, it's amazing that you know even Saul I, you know, Saul was definitely no godly king, but he didn't get everything wrong. You don't administer a kingdom and vanquish enemies and expand territory if you're only ever a No, these guys though ethically and spiritually had, you know, bad reports. Nevertheless, in terms of doing their job, Gideon reigned for 40 years or judged Israel for 40 years and it was it was quiet. You we've been reading judges. How often is it quiet with reference to Israel? I mean, they're magnets. every skirmish, every battle, every oppressor, every Midianite, every every Canaanite, they're all coming down on Israel. 40 years Gideon managed. Now, again, I'm not suggesting he ended well in terms of his spiritual state or condition before God. I'm not putting him in hell either. But notice in verse 34, it says, "Thus the children of Israel did not remember the Lord their God, who had delivered them from the hands of all their enemies on every side. Nor did they show kindness to the house of Jerobel or Gideon in accordance with the good he had done for Israel." That's a negative comment, just as negative as the comment is in 34. It's bad for them to forget Yahweh, but it was bad for them to forget Gideon. He had done them genuine good. He had benefited them. He had helped them. He had he had kept peace and and quiet for a period of 40 years. Listen to Davis. Davis says, "Not only did Israel forget Yahweh, they forgot Gideon, too. Had they treasured Gideon and his work, they would have dealt loyally with Gideon's family." The writer places much emphasis on Israel's ingratitude toward Gideon, alluding to it in his introduction in Jotham's address. Notice in 9:16-20 and in there and in the theological explanations again in chapter 9 when we ignore the instruments of God's grace we demean the giver of that grace. I think that's a powerful statement. I think it does flesh out in what Paul says concerning Apapraditis and men like him. I'm not doing this so everybody will say thank you Pastor Butler. It's good to have you back tonight. That that's not it at all. Remember we're in a new phase. we're going forward. I'm going to go the way of all flesh. Hopefully, you know, a few more years left in me. But you got to treat brethren right. You got to treat brethren the way the Bible says to treat brethren. And if the Apostle Paul says, "Hold such men in esteem." And if God gives you a man or men that are apaproditis like brothers, workers, soldiers, fighting the Lord's battle, not perfectly. Okay? Again, disavow yourself of this notion that whatever pastor we have must be perfect. Again, read the book of Judges. Samson wasn't as bad as they say he was, but he wasn't perfect either. No one's perfect ever. Apaproditis had his issues. Apaproditis had his remaining corruption. Apaproditis and Timothy and Paul. Ask Apaproditis, ask Timothy, and ask Paul. They would all say the same thing. Yeah, we got our issues. But with reference to the the the command by the apostle Paul, if the the ascended Christ gives gifts to his church, the church receiving that gift has a responsibility to esteem those gifts because as David says, to not do so is to demean the very giver of the gift. Other words, Jesus, we don't really care about what you are doing or what you have done here. We're going to just go ahead and forget all about it. So, I think this is a very important exhortation for the church in general. But then note the reason. Why does he say esteem, receive him with gladness and esteem men like him? He gives the reason in verse 30. Because for the work of Christ, he came close to death, not regarding his life to supply what was lacking in your service to me. I would suggest the statement is a comparative statement. I don't think it means he didn't consider his own life at all. Of course, he did. whatever the nature of his illness was. It's hard not to be consumed with yourself when you're dying, right? I mean, I'm not I've even been in that position. I've had a cold and it's hard not to be consumed with myself. It's a comparative statement. I don't think he means he never ever thought about himself ever regarding his life. That that would mean that the doctor or anybody that would help him say, you know, do no, not regarding my life. I don't think that's it. It's a comparative statement. He valued the service of Christ even over his life. There might be a parallel in Matthew 16:25. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. Pretty sure that's the text Zanki has in mind when he comments on our on our passage. Just as he who disregards Christ and his work for love of the present life looks after himself poorly in eternity, so conversely they do the best job of looking after their lives in eternity who prefer to lose this life rather than abandon Christ and his work. So it's a comparative statement. I would suggest as well it's a comprehensive statement. Look again at verse 30. because for the work of Christ. If I asked you, what does a fellow worker do? I already said it earlier. Preaching, teaching, sacraments. But it's more expansive than that. It's more comprehensive than that. Timothy, I'm sorry, Epapraditis taking gifts, strapping them to his back, putting them on his belt, loading them on his donkey, however he did it. When he was taking that stuff to Paul, he was doing the work of Christ. And in Paul's description in Philippians chapter 4, he use uses priestly language when when he talks about you know uh Apaproditis ministering to him. This is priestly language. The work of Christ is preaching and teaching in sacraments. But the work of Christ is traveling, you know, 20 hours in difficult situations and conditions to bring a loaf of bread to the Apostle Paul who without that loaf of bread may die because the Roman guards aren't going to give him a loaf of bread. The work of Christ is a comprehensive statement here. It's a it's a blessed description of what's going on. And then I would suggest that this statement is consistent. So again, because for the work of Christ, he came close to death, not regarding his life. This is the heartbeat of Paul. Philippians 1:21, for to me to live as Christ and to die is gain. This is the the Lord Jesus Christ in Philippians 2:8, he humbled himself to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Why? For the glory of God and for the salvation of others. All three of these men exemplify in them two four let each of you look out not only for his own interest but also for the interests of others and they do so by putting others first and in this instance with Apaproditis with with the apostle Paul it was Christ the priority was Christ for Christ the priority was the will of God the father so again the apostle does not rebuke them at the end but rather he is encouraging them he knows the church as church can't travel that distance to bring them a loaf of bread they sent a pastor Aphroditis to do that task. Well, I just want to make two quick observations and then we'll go. The first is the kindness of the church in Philippi. The kindness of the church in Philippi. I already mentioned in 2 Corinthians chapter 8, Paul says they were poor. They didn't have money. They they didn't, you know, have bank robbers or great business. They they just didn't have it. But what they did have was generous, liberal, cheerful heart uh large hearts full of benevolent love. And if you look back at Philippians chapter 1, the apostle was mindful that there are those out there that hold him in contempt. They do not like Paul. They don't like Paul at all. Notice in 1:15, "Some indeed preach Christ even from envy and strife, and some also from goodwill. The former preached Christ from selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing to add affliction to my chains. Boy, what a group of guys that is. You know the apostles in prison and instead of coming around and rallying around and seeking to help him, you want to add affliction to his chains. You want to pour a bit of salt in his wound. How about a bit of lemon juice, Paul? We just really want to make sure you're suffering. That's not the church in Philippi. The church in Philippi finds out the apostles in prison. Then they send Apaproditis. Apapraditis knows that the apostles in prison. He's on his way to Rome. He gets sick almost to the point of death and continues on. And I would suggest secondly the real world experience of the Apostle Paul. Sometimes we just kind of think Paul was a theology machine. You know, he just sat in that prison cell churning out God inspired letters. He did do that. But you had real life scenarios. He's sorrowed. He suffered. He's in prison. He's dependent upon others. He's got friends that get sick, even nigh unto death. He's got churches that that are for him 100%. Others, yeah, they're it's tough. He's got those out there preaching Christ with good will, with with hearts of, you know, righteousness. He's got others out there that that can't stand him that that want to add afflictions to his chains. See, for the Apostle Paul, he wasn't elevated above this present evil age. He didn't occupy sort of a third space. He wasn't in heaven, but he wasn't on earth. No, he had the same issues, the same challenges, the same hardships, the same friends who got sick, the same friends who died, the same friends that we have in our lives and the sorrows and the afflictions and the hardships and the trials. I think Paul exemplifies for us pressing onward and throughward when it comes to life in a present evil age. We need to understand his maxim, his principle, his motto. For to me to live is Christ and to die is gain. Everything is secondary. That's exemplified with reference to Apapraditis. His priority not regarding his own life. Why? Because of the work of Christ. His purpose was to minister, was to do good for those who were hurting. Ministry is real world, real life. You cannot ever separate it from the difficulties and the hardships associated with life in a in an evil age. The apostle Paul was a real man functioning in a real capacity writing really the word of God and giving valuable sound counsel to all the churches subsequent to the first century church and we do well to listen to him to heed his instructions and his exhortations. Well, let us pray. Our father in heaven, we thank you for your word. We thank you for these good examples of godly men in Timothy and Apaproditis. We see it as well in our beloved apostle Paul. And we know ultimately we're to look unto the Lord Jesus Christ. We're to let this mind be in us which was also in him. Help us in this uh endeavor to glorify you in the way that we conduct ourselves with one another. We pray that the Lord of the harvest would raise up more laborers. That Christ, you would give more gifts to your church. that you would cause them to be men as described here in Philippians chapter 2, faithful and persevering in the work of Christian ministry. Bless all the pastors that are faithfully engaged in that task in this local community throughout this country and to the uttermost parts of the earth. God, may you smile upon them. May you bless them. May you prosper their way in gospel labors. And we ask this through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Well, stand with me and we'll sing by closing uh close by singing the doxology 568. [Music] Praise him all creatures here. [Music] Praise him above the heavenly host. Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen. >> The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen. We'll please be seated for a brief time of meditation.