04-26-15 The Unique Journey of Epaphroditus

Scripture:  Philippians 1:3-6

A Pastor’s Prayer

        I thank my God every time I remember you.  In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

I thank my God every time I remember you.  How often do you pray for your Oikos? How often do you pray for your church leadership? How often do you pray for the unsaved?  More importantly than how often – simply: HOW do you pray for those people?  Do you begin each prayer for your parents/children/neighbors/pastor and ministry leaders/the unsaved BY thanking God for them?  If you do, then there is a guarantee that God is with you in your prayer: Psalm 22:3 “God inhabits the praises of His people.”  The other thing that happens – if the person you are praying for is not in your top 10 favorite people, when you thank God for them it is more difficult to see them in a bad light that you might otherwise do.  Mostly it says that they have value to you.  I thank my God every time I remember you.

Paul takes it beyond thankfulness - In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy.  If you are thankful and have joy when you are praying for people, that means they not only have value but that you have a love for them and are glad they are in your life.  WHY does he have that joy?  because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now,  As a pastor, it does my heart good to reflect on those who have partnered with me in ministry and those who do so even now.  I am not talking about those who also do ministry in the same location – I am talking about those who partner with me – who have a desire to fulfill the same vision – that brings more joy to the work of a pastor than just about anything – when you know there are people pulling hard on the oars with you going in the same direction.

Beyond thankfulness and joy Paul speaks a word of faith: being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.  The day of Jesus Christ is the second coming of Jesus – when he returns to rapture His church.  Confident that God is working in ministry partners and will not grow tired, will not sleep, will not lose interest, will not become overwhelmed, will not be distracted, will not lose energy, will not stop working in you until the work he called you to is finished.  That means there is an end to what we do here – but not till he has completed it!!!

If we look at others this way we naturally grow into Paul’s verses at the beginning of chapter 2 - Philippians 2:3-4   Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. 4 Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.

          Paul illustrates what all of this looks like through the most unlikely character.  A name that Sunday School and Bible study students will say, “Yes, I think I know who that is” when really they don’t, they just know they have heard it at some point in the bible.  That name is Epaphroditus.  I want the people of this church to always remember the name of Epaphroditus and more importantly, know who he is and what he did.  His name is only mentioned twice in ALL of scripture and both times by Paul in his letter to the church at Philippi – or the book of Philippians.  It is important, in this case not to say his name is in the book of Philippians, rather in Paul’s letter to the church at Philippi because that context is important as to who Epaphroditus is.

          Often, people in the pew love Peter, Paul and Mary – the big names.  Pastor’s love people like Epaphroditus. As much as we need the big personalities to cast vision and rally the troupes, it is the Epsphroditusies of the world that get the work done.  With big personalities come big conflicts as well.  Epaphroditus type people are the ones who rarely argue for an idea, they are good listeners and quiet encouragers – mostly they are workers and have little care for encouragement or approval because they live out Colossians 3:22-25   Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything; and do it, not only when their eye is on you and to win their favor, but with sincerity of heart and reverence for the Lord. Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. 

Let’s look at the Unique Journey of Epaphroditus

Philippians 2:25-30

But I think it is necessary to send back to you Epaphroditus, (Who is writing this? PAUL! Then “E” is with Paul. And who is Paul writing to? The church at Philippi – so “E” is form the city of and part of the church in Philippi. BACKGROUND CHURCH AT PHILIPPI After Paul and Barnabas split ways, Paul took Silas and: Acts 16:9-12  During the night Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and begging him, "Come over to Macedonia and help us." After Paul had seen the vision, we got ready at once to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.  From Troas we put out to sea and sailed straight for Samothrace, and the next day on to Neapolis. From there we traveled to Philippi, a Roman colony and the leading city of that district of Macedonia. And we stayed there several days.

During those several days, Lydia and her household became Christians, A woman who made money for her masters by prophesying bugged Paul enough that he called the spirit out of her, thus losing money for her masters who had the officials arrest Paul and Silas and throe them into jail and told the jailer to guard them closely. In jail in the stocks Paul and Silas sang some praise and worship songs and an earthquake rocked the jail and freed the prisoners and as the jailer was about to take his life  Paul stopped him and said we are not leaving – ultimately the jailer and his household became Christians.  The church in Philippi was the first church planted in Europe, the only church to serve as an example to others, the only church to support Paul financially, the only church that seemed to bring Paul joy without all the problems the other churches had – much like Epaphroditus himself. Who – getting back to his unique journey was: my (1) brother, (2) fellow worker and (3) fellow soldier, who is also (4) your messenger, whom you sent to take care of my needs. 26 For he longs for all of you and is distressed because you heard he was ill. 27 Indeed he was ill, and almost died. But God had mercy on him, and not on him only but also on me, to spare me sorrow upon sorrow. 28 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. 29 Welcome him in the Lord with great joy, and honor men like him, 30 because he almost died for the work of Christ, risking his life to make up for the help you could not give me.

Philippians 4:15-18

in the early days of your acquaintance with the gospel, when I set out from Macedonia, not one church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving, except you only; 16 for even when I was in Thessalonica, you sent me aid again and again when I was in need. 17 Not that I am looking for a gift, but I am looking for what may be credited to your account. 18 I have received full payment and even more; I am amply supplied, now that I have received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent. They are a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God.

The Unique Journey of Epaphroditus

We are not the church at Philippi – it had its own Unique place and part in the history and work of the church of Jesus.  FirstB has its unique work – equal in value to that of the church in Philippi.  Some think church is a place to go to. NO-Church is the work of God in the world – life saving - eternal life proclaiming – gospel illuminating – work of God and we are participants in it, just like Epaphroditus.

BUT, we are not Epaphroditus, we are individuals, equal in value to the work of God in the world.  But the characteristics of Epaphroditus are something we all can ascribe to  - Work as though we are working for the Lord – don’t argue and complain – don’t grow weary – don’t just give yourself to the Lord but live yourself to the Lord.  Stop going to Church – be the church. Live out your unique way of being for Christ in the work of His ministry for His kingdom’s sake!

Philippians 1:3-6    A Pastor’s Prayer

I thank my God every time I remember you.  In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

04-19-15 The aliens are coming!

Scripture:   Leviticus 19:33-34

The midnight ride of Paul Revere: “The aliens are coming! The aliens are coming!”

Don’t mistreat the alien; Do good by the alien; God acts this way toward you alien

Exodus 22:21

        “Do not mistreat an alien or oppress him, for you were aliens in Egypt.”

Power Point - THE UNIQUE JOURNEY OF GOD’S PEOPLE

1876 BC Joseph's father and brothers settled in Egypt

c1600 BC The Israelites were enslaved by the Egyptians

1526 BC Moses was born

THE EXODUS

1446 BC The Exodus of the Israelites from Egypt

1444 BC Spies were sent into Canaan

1406 BC Moses died and Joshua became leader.

Repeat Exodus 22:21

 “Do not mistreat an alien or oppress him, for you were aliens in Egypt.”

The Good Samaritan – Kid’s drama last week

Leviticus 19:33-34

 “When an alien lives with you in your land, do not mistreat him.  The alien living with you must be treated as one of your native-born. Love him as yourself, for you were aliens in Egypt. I am the Lord your God.”

          Do you know what it is like to be an alien? Maybe you moved to a new neighborhood and new school when you were in the 4^th grade. Or a new job after 15 years in the same place.  You are an introvert and married into a family of extroverts and Thanksgiving is like another world.  You have rarely gone to church and decided you should try it and you feel like an alien. My first Sunday in Sunday School. How should we treat the alien?  We should be like super heroes of welcoming – and not just to the people who are like us or the people we think we will like:

VIDEO: IronHead (The slightly Selective Superhero)

https://youtu.be/oxfabFnfV2A

Matt 5:38-48 (the Message)

"Here's another old saying that deserves a second look: 'Eye for eye, tooth for tooth.' Is that going to get us anywhere? Here's what I propose: 'Don't hit back at all.' If someone strikes you, stand there and take it. If someone drags you into court and sues for the shirt off your back, giftwrap your best coat and make a present of it. And if someone takes unfair advantage of you, use the occasion to practice the servant life. No more tit-for-tat stuff. Live generously.

          43 You're familiar with the old written law, 'Love your friend,' and its unwritten companion, 'Hate your enemy.' I'm challenging that. I'm telling you to love your enemies. Let them bring out the best in you, not the worst. When someone gives you a hard time, respond with the energies of prayer, for then you are working out of your true selves, your God-created selves. This is what God does. He gives his best — the sun to warm and the rain to nourish — to everyone, regardless: the good and bad, the nice and nasty. If all you do is love the lovable, do you expect a bonus? Anybody can do that. If you simply say hello to those who greet you, do you expect a medal? Any run-of-the-mill sinner does that.

          48  In a word, what I'm saying is, Grow up. You're kingdom subjects. Now live like it. Live out your God-created identity. Live generously and graciously toward others, the way God lives toward you.”

          Jesus is for ALL people:   John 19:20-21  Many of the Jews read this sign, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and the sign was written in Aramaic, Latin and Greek.

          What are we to do then?     Matthew 28:19-20   “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

I was a foreigner to Jesus! I was in sin and living in a different country than him.

Joshua and Caleb and 10 others were sent out to explore the promised land – 10 said giants in the land – Joshua and Caleb said there is milk and honey & Giant Grapes.

Numbers 14:26-35

The Lord said to Moses and Aaron: "How long will this wicked community grumble against me? I have heard the complaints of these grumbling Israelites. So tell them, 'As surely as I live, declares the Lord, I will do to you the very things I heard you say: In this desert your bodies will fall — every one of you twenty years old or more who was counted in the census and who has grumbled against me. Not one of you will enter the land I swore with uplifted hand to make your home, except Caleb son of Jephunneh and Joshua son of Nun. 31 As for your children that you said would be taken as plunder, I will bring them in to enjoy the land you have rejected. But you — your bodies will fall in this desert. Your children will be shepherds here for forty years, suffering for your unfaithfulness, until the last of your bodies lies in the desert. 34 For forty years — one year for each of the forty days you explored the land — you will suffer for your sins and know what it is like to have me against you.' I, the Lord, have spoken, and I will surely do these things to this whole wicked community, which has banded together against me. They will meet their end in this desert; here they will die."   [Don’t stay on your journey – intersect others and show them the way]

Exodus 22:21   “Do not mistreat an alien or oppress him, for you were aliens in Egypt.”

04-05-15 It’s time to get up!

Scripture:    Romans 10:16-18

     Jesus – My son – it is time to get up!  Jesus did not say, oh just 10 more minutes OR I don’t want to go to school today, OR Ah Dad, I don’t want to go to church today.

When God the Father told Jesus to get up early that Easter morning – He got up!  He did not walk out of the tomb – he got beemed out, evaporated and rehydrated out, back to the futured out – Somehow, when God said Jesus get up he got up and got out but not through the stone door.

Matt 27:57-28:7

     As evening approached, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who had himself become a disciple of Jesus. Going to Pilate, he asked for Jesus' body, and Pilate ordered that it be given to him. Joseph took the body, wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, and placed it in his own new tomb that he had cut out of the rock. He rolled a big stone in front of the entrance to the tomb and went away. Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were sitting there opposite the tomb. The next day, the one after Preparation Day, the chief priests and the Pharisees went to Pilate. "Sir," they said, "we remember that while he was still alive that deceiver said, 'After three days I will rise again.' So give the order for the tomb to be made secure until the third day. Otherwise, his disciples may come and steal the body and tell the people that he has been raised from the dead. This last deception will be worse than the first."  "Take a guard," Pilate answered. "Go, make the tomb as secure as you know how."  So they went and made the tomb secure by putting a seal on the stone and posting the guard.

After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb. There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it.    His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow.  The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men.  The angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified.  He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay.  Then go quickly and tell his disciples: 'He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.' Now I have told you."

It is interesting to think about how creation came into being – God spoke and creation came into being. That means that even the potential of creation had the ability to hear. Jesus, dead as he was had the ability to hear (ok, the bible doesn’t say HOW Jesus was raised from the dead but it seems to be God’s modus operandi.) What I am saying is that unless we can first hear from God, there is no way we can do what God is telling us to do.  We cannot receive blessing or instruction or power if we can’t hear him.  Living a Spirit-filled God empowered life begins with listening to and hearing what God has to say.  Our Unique Journey cannot be the one God has planned for us if we can’t hear him.  Luke 4:16-21   Jesus went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. And he stood up to read.  The scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written: "The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed,   to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor."   Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him, and he began by saying to them, "Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing."   Romans 10:16-18   But not all the Israelites accepted the good news. For Isaiah says, "Lord, who has believed our message?"   Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ.

          So, Jesus somehow heard God say “It is time to get up!” and he got up and out of the tomb – that is the Unique Journey of Easter.  Scripture is filled with resurrection stories – there are several people in the Old and New Testament that were raised form the dead – most notably, also out of a tomb – was Lazarus.  Somehow dead Lazarus heard Jesus say, Lazarus – it is time to get up (ok Lazarus, come forth)  But there is an OT resurrection story that seems just too impossible to believe. It is found in Ezekiel 37…

For over 100 years, God’s people had been sealed in the tomb OR had been in Egyptian captivity. God brought them into the Promised Land, and gave them a land and a King, and made them a nation. BUT … they turned against God, and God allowed them to go into captivity once again.

Nebuchadnezzar and his Babylonian army invaded Israel. They had reduced Solomon’s Temple to ashes, and had taken many of the Jewish people back to Babylon as captives. This is the condition that Ezekiel is in. The nation of Israel is DEAD. BUT … God has something to say if the people have ears to hear.

Ezekiel 37:1-14

The hand of the Lord came upon me and brought me out in the Spirit of the Lord, and set me down in the midst of the valley; and it was full of bones. 2 Then He caused me to pass by them all around, and behold, there were very many in the open valley; and indeed they were very dry. And He said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?”

So I answered, “O Lord God, You know.” Again He said to me, “Prophesy to these bones, and say to them, ‘O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord!  Thus says the Lord God to these bones: “Surely I will cause breath to enter into you, and you shall live.  I will put sinews on you and bring flesh upon you, cover you with skin and put breath in you; and you shall live. Then you shall know that I am the Lord.”’

So I prophesied as I was commanded; and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and suddenly a rattling; and the bones came together, bone to bone.  Indeed, as I looked, the sinews and the flesh came upon them, and the skin covered them over; but there was no breath in them.

Also He said to me, “Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may live.”’  So I prophesied as He commanded me, and breath came into them, and they lived, and stood upon their feet, an exceedingly great army.

Then He said to me, “Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. They indeed say, ‘Our bones are dry, our hope is lost, and we ourselves are cut off!’ Therefore prophesy and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “Behold, O My people, I will open your graves and cause you to come up from your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel.  Then you shall know that I am the Lord, when I have opened your graves, O My people, and brought you up from your graves.  I will put My Spirit in you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land. Then you shall know that I, the Lord, have spoken it and performed it,” says the Lord.’”

What do we hear from this story on this Easter Sunday?

1) GRABBED BY GOD      “The hand of the Lord was upon me”

In the Message – this prophecy starts off  God grabbed me.

What are the things that grab you?  What do you hear and then respond to?

· Are you grabbed by a fresh passion to live a life sold out for Jesus?
· Are you grabbed by God’s Presence in your times at church?
· Are you grabbed by God’s heart for the lost, the broken, the hurt, the lonely, the hungry, the naked and the thirsty?
· Are you grabbed by God’s power, refiring your faith in the power of God, the power of prayer, the power of the Holy Spirit?
· Are you grabbed by God’s Word, to wrap itself around your mind, infuse itself into your thinking and direct the unique journey of your life?
· Are you grabbed by God’s Challenges. Do you refuse to live cursed by mediocrity, surrounded by self-imposed limitations and adopting a victim mentality?
· Are you grabbed and changed by a changeless God?
· Are you grabbed by God’s love, his acceptance, his valuing of you and rest fully in the fact that your identity, your purpose and your unique journey is fully found in Him?

How do allow yourself to be grabbed by God?

Before anything else, you must what?  LISTEN!  Can something DEAD hear?

2) Can these Bones Live?

Ezekiel is faced with a seemingly hopeless situation.  God asks him a very interesting question. “Son of man, can these bones live?”

     Ezekiel looks out over the carnage. Bones are lying everywhere. Not all nice and neatly arranged. They had been ravaged and torn apart by wild animals. Then they had been exposed to the elements for any number of years.  The bones of individual bodies were scattered everywhere.
     Ezekiel ponders His answer. Of course had it been anyone else asking the question, the answer would have been obvious.
     Ezekiel’s first thought was probably what yours and mine would have been. Are you joking?
     These bones have been lying here for years.  What do mean, “Can they live?”
     Then Ezekiel remembered who was speaking to him.  The LORD – Yahweh – The self-existent one.
Then he gives his wise answer…“O Lord GOD, you know”
     He answered that way because as far as he could see, the situation was plainly and desperately HOPELESS.
     And yet, in faith, he recognized that NOTHING IS HOPELESS WITH GOD.
God, this situation is in your hands.
     The God of the Impossible
     NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE WITH GOD.
     When Sarah was 90 years old and God told her that she would bear a son, He reminded her…Gen 18:14 Is anything too hard for the LORD?…
     God reminded Jeremiah…Jer 32:27  I am the LORD, the God of all flesh: is there anything too hard for me?
     The angel Gabriel reminded Mary…Luke 1:37 For with God nothing shall be impossible.
     Jesus encouraged His disciples…Matt 19:26 …With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.
     Maybe there is some area of your life that you would describe as being a valley of dry bones.

1) Maybe it’s your marriage.
2) Your finances – debt
3) Your dreams
4) Family Relationships
5) Your health
6) Your attitude
7) Your Faith and your Spiritual Journey
8) The call of God on your life

Can these bones live

Only you know Lord.
If you right now have a valley of dry bones in some area of your life: the word of the Lord for you right now is

Ezekiel 4:4-6

        Again He said to me, “Prophesy to these bones, and say to them, ‘O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord! Thus says the Lord God to these bones: “Surely I will cause breath to enter into you, and you shall live. I will put sinews on you and bring flesh upon you, cover you with skin and put breath in you; and you shall live. Then you shall know that I am the Lord.”

The breath of God, the wind of the Holy Spirit came upon the disciples right after Jesus was resurrected and ascended into heaven.     Acts 2:5-33   Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven.  When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard their own language being spoken.  Utterly amazed, they asked: “Aren’t all these who are speaking Galileans?  Then how is it that each of us hears them in our native language?  Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome (both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!” Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, “What does this mean?”

Some, however, made fun of them and said, “They have had too much wine.”

Peter Addresses the Crowd. Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: “Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say. These people are not drunk, as you suppose. It’s only nine in the morning! No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:

“‘In the last days, God says,  I will pour out my Spirit on all people.  Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams.  Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy. I will show wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below, blood and fire and billows of smoke.  The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord.  And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’

“Fellow Israelites, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know. This man was handed over to you by God’s deliberate plan and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross. But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him. David said about him:  ‘I saw the Lord always before me.  Because he is at my right hand,  I will not be shaken.
Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest in hope, because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead, you will not let your holy one see decay.   You have made known to me the paths of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence.’ Fellow Israelites, I can tell you confidently that the patriarch David died and was buried, and his tomb is here to this day. But he was a prophet and knew that God had promised him on oath that he would place one of his descendants on his throne. Seeing what was to come, he spoke of the resurrection of the Messiah, that he was not abandoned to the realm of the dead, nor did his body see decay. God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of it. Exalted to the right hand of God, he has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear.”