Pathway to Victory

Speaker 1

Hey podcast listeners, thanks for streaming today's podcast from Pathway to Victory.

Pathway to Victory is a nonprofit ministry featuring the Bible teaching of Dr. Robert Jeffress. Our mission is to pierce the darkness with the light of God's Word through the most effective media available, like this podcast.

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Now here's today's podcast from Pathway to Victory.

Speaker 2

Hi, this is Robert Jeffress and I'm glad to study God's Word with you every day. This Bible teaching program on today's edition of Pathway to Victory.

Speaker 3

And today, as we come to our conclusion in our study of Philippians, we're going to look at two men Paul singles out as heroes of the faith.

And we're going to discover what character qualities they possess that cause God to select them among others to use to achieve his purpose.

If you have your Bibles, I want you to turn back to Philippians chapter two.

Speaker 1

Welcome to Pathway to Victory with author and pastor Dr. Robert Jeffress.

You know, humility is one of today's most underrated and hard to come by virtues. Is it really possible to be truly humble?

Today on Pathway to Victory, Dr. Robert Jeffress opens to the Book of Philippians in which Paul singles out two of his closest friends as examples of genuine humility.

Now here's our Bible teacher to introduce today's message.

Speaker 2

Dr. Jeffress thanks David, and welcome again to Pathway to Victory. Today marks a milestone because we're concluding a month-long teaching series based on Paul's Letter to the Philippians. As such, I'm urging you to get in touch right away so that you can take advantage of two resources I've prepared on your behalf.

First, I'll draw your attention to a visual display of some of my favorite verses from Paul's Letter to the Philippians. This Scripture encouragement card is conveniently designed to be displayed on your refrigerator or on your desk so that you're reminded of key verses from the Book of Philippians. So while supplying this, I'd like to send you a complimentary copy of this encouragement card. You can find all the details by going to ptv.org.

Every day, there are forces working against us to steal our joy and to rob us of our contentment. But Paul's Letter to the Philippians gives us four secrets for maintaining joy no matter what comes our way. In addition to the Scripture encouragement card, I've written a book called *Outrageous Living Above Your Circumstances*. Joy is a choice we make every single day, and I want to introduce you to the path that leads to satisfaction.

When you give a generous gift today, be sure to request your copy of my book, *Outrageous Joy*. I'll give more details at the close of today's message, so be prepared to write down our contact information.

But right now, turn with me in the book of Philippians to chapter two. In this last study, I'd like to concentrate on Paul's affirmation to his spiritual mentors. I've titled today's message "One Heroes."

Speaker 3

People are important to God. Do you believe that? You know, one of the unfortunate byproducts of our belief system is what I call worm theology. You've heard it before. Oh, we are nothing but worms in the sight of God. Worm theology. Now, there's a measure of truth to that. It is true that apart from Christ, the best we can do is like a filthy rag to God. But we are still important to God. The fact that God was willing to send his son to die on a cross for you means you matter to God. He has a great deal of concern about you. Our importance to God is not only seen in our salvation, but it's also seen in the fact that God uses people like you and me to accomplish his purpose. That's why we're important to God.

Now, don't misunderstand. It's not that God needs us. Remember what Jesus said. Jesus said, if you don't praise me, I can make the rocks cry out and praise me. It's not that God needs us, but God has chosen to use us to accomplish his purpose in the earth. Romans 10:14. Paul asks, how shall they call upon him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear of him without a preacher? And that word preacher doesn't mean a paid professional like me. The word preacher simply means anyone who shares the gospel with another person. Paul is saying, how are people going to come to know Christ unless you share him with them? God uses people to accomplish his purpose.

And today, as we come to our conclusion in our study of Philippians, we're going to look at two men Paul singles out as heroes of the faith. And we're going to discover what character qualities they possess that cause God to select them among others to use to achieve his purpose. If you have your Bibles, I want you to turn back to Philippians chapter two for just a moment. Philippians chapter two. Let me remind you this is the climax of Paul's letter to the Philippians. He says in verse 5, "Have this attitude in yourselves, which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although he existed in the form of God, he didn't regard his equality with God a thing to be held onto, but instead he emptied himself and became obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross." Paul said, have that same attitude in you. What attitude? Well, the attitude of putting the interest of others above yourself. The attitude of being willing to submit your will to God's will. The attitude of being willing to sacrifice temporary pleasure for eternal gain. He said, emulate the example of Jesus Christ.

Paul was a student of human nature, though he knew most of us would read this great example of Jesus and say, well, sure, he could do that. He was the Son of God. He was perfect. But Paul, you don't understand what I go through every day. How in the world can I be expected to do that? So beginning in verse 19, Paul is going to single out two men that the Philippians knew very well, who illustrated what it is to subject your will to the will of God. First of all, we meet in verse 19, a man named Timothy, who above all was an example of unselfish service.

Now let's look at the situation that occasioned Paul's saying this. Look at verse 19 with me for just a moment. Paul says, "But I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you shortly so that I may also be engaged, encouraged, when I learn of your condition." Remember, Paul was in prison. He was under house arrest, and Timothy was with him. And he said, now I'm hoping as soon as the outcome of my trial is known, I'm going to send Timothy back to you. I've heard about the problems in the church at Philippi. I want to send Timothy to you. Why is it that Timothy was selected by Paul for this mission of going back and taking care of the problem in Philippi? Why did Paul enlist Timothy to begin with in missionary service?

I want to point out two characteristics of Timothy that made him an example of unselfish service. First of all, Timothy had a singular focus in his life. He had a single focus in his life. Look, if you would, at verses 20 and 21. Paul says about Timothy, "For I have no one else of kindred spirit who genuinely will be concerned for your welfare, for they all seek after their own interests and not those of Christ Jesus." You can almost hear the disappointment in Paul's voice as he writes these words. He says, as I'm looking for somebody to use in this important vision, I look around and I don't have that many. There aren't that many people who are sold out to Jesus Christ? And isn't that true today? Look around you. How many people do you see who would say, I'm willing to follow Jesus Christ regardless of the cost? Most Christians, sure, I'll follow Jesus unless it cost me a date or a promotion, unless it cost me some rank or place of privilege, then forget it. Paul said, that's what I see all around me. Later on he would write, "Demas has forsaken me because he loved the things of the world more than he loved the things of God." But Timothy had a singular commitment. Where did he learn this? Now remember, he's only a teenager. It means that his mother and grandmother taught him early in life one of the most important lessons parents you can ever instill in children. And that is, it's going to cost you something to live as a Christian. To become a Christian is free. To live as a Christian is costly. If you're going to be a Christian, it's going to cost you something. Hear me, parents. The most important lesson you can teach that Christian son or daughter is it's going to cost you to become a Christian. It's better they learn that lesson early in life than have to learn it later on. Timothy learned the lesson well, and because of that, Paul chose him for this place of service. He had a singular focus.

Not only that, but he had a proven track record. That's another reason Paul chose him. Look at verse 22. "But you know of his proven worth, that he served with me in the furtherance of the Gospel, like a child serving his father." Timothy was no novice convert. After he was saved on the first missionary journey, Paul didn't invite him at that point to join the journey. He waited until Timothy had matured in his faith. You know, frankly, many of the problems that are in so many churches today can be traced to a violation of this principle. Many churches are too quick to put men and women into service before they're ready. They're novices. They're not ready to serve as a teacher of the word. They're not ready to serve as a deacon or an elder. They may not be ready to serve as a pastor, but they take a novice convert, they put them in, and there's a problem.

I remember reading years ago about an entertainer. You all would know his name if I mentioned it. He had supposedly a dramatic conversion experience and he wanted to travel around the country sharing his testimony. And his pastor wisely advised him, said, don't do that just yet. You get discipled. By somebody get into the word of God, then you can go share with others. He ignored his pastor's advice. He went on the speaking circuit. Soon he ended up divorcing his wife. He ended up becoming disillusioned with other Christians and eventually he fell away from the faith. His pastor was interviewed about the entertainer's departure from the faith and the reporter said, what happened to so and so? And this is what the pastor said. He said, his problem was his branches went out further than his roots went deep. And when that happens, you're destined to topple. That was not the case with Timothy. He matured in his faith. He had a proven track record, and that's why Paul enlisted him.

Now, I want you to notice something interesting in verses 23 and 24. You see another key of Timothy's spiritual maturity in these two verses. The reason Timothy was so mature was he had the right mentor in the apostle Paul. Look at verses 23 and 24. Paul said, "Therefore I hope to send Timothy immediately as soon as I see how things go with me. And I trust in the Lord that I myself also shall be coming shortly." Paul said, I don't know what the outcome of this trial is, but I hope I can send him to you shortly. As far as that goes, I don't know what's going to happen to me, but I hope things will turn out well. Paul said, I'm not a prophet. I'm not a soothsayer. I can't read the tea leaves. I don't know whether I'm going to live or die. I don't know whether I'm going to be in a position to let Timothy come back or not. But guess what? My happiness doesn't depend upon the outcome. I'm trusting in the Lord. That's the sign of real material maturity, folks. The ability to retain your joy in spite of an uncertain future.

There are some of you right now who are struggling with keeping your joy. There is some unknown out there in your immediate future. If that's true of you today, I want you to listen to some words I came across from A.W. Tozer that might be a comfort to you. He said, "Most of us go through life praying a little, planning a little, jockeying for position, hoping, but never being quite certain of anything and always secretly afraid that we'll miss the way. This is a tragic waste of time and never gives rest to the heart. There is a better way. It is to repudiate our own wisdom and take instead the infinite wisdom of God. Our insistence upon seeing ahead is natural enough, but it's a real hindrance to our spiritual progress. God has charged himself with full responsibility for our eternal happiness and stands ready to take over the management of our lives the moment we turn in faith to Him. Here is the promise of God's word. I will bring the blind by a way that they knew not. I will lead them in paths that they have not known. I will make darkness light before them and crooked things straight. These things I will do for them, and I will not forsake them." Timothy and Paul stake their lives on that promise, and because of that, they're mentioned as heroes of the faith.

Now, there's another man that Paul singles out to the Philippians who's worthy of praise as well. And we find his name mentioned in verse 25. His name is Epaphroditus. Epaphroditus. And he's an example of unusual courage. Let me just say a word about his situation. Remember, it was Epaphroditus, he was the leader of the church at Philippi, who volunteered to take this love offering to Paul, who was 800 miles away in Rome. And it was a risky venture to travel that far to be associated with a nomenclature criminal like Paul. But Epaphroditus signed up for duty. Look at verse 25. Paul says, "But I thought it necessary to send back to you Epaphroditus, my brother and fellow worker and fellow soldier, who is your messenger and minister to my need, because he was longing for you all and was distressed because you had heard that he was sick."

Apparently, what had happened is this. While Epaphroditus was in Rome, he became ill. Perhaps he contracted the dreaded Roman fever, we don't know. But he became seriously ill. And Paul knew that when word reached Philippi that their leader was sick, they would become distressed. So Paul said, I'm sending him back to you. In fact, look at verse 27. "For indeed, Epaphroditus was sick to the point of death. But God had mercy on him, and not on him only, but also on me, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow. Therefore, I have sent him all the more eagerly in order that when you see him again, you may rejoice and I may be less concerned about you." This is an amazing insight into the Apostle Paul.

Now, think about it. Paul's under arrest. He doesn't know whether he's gonna live or die chained to a different Roman guard every six hours. Now, if you were in prison, what would you be thinking about? How am I going to get out of here? And if I can't burrow my way out of here, what lawyer can I hire? Who will get me off? That would be my obsession, not Paul. Look at what he's concerned about. He's concerned about those Philippians. He said, I'm going to send Epaphroditus back to you, even though he was helping me. I'm sending him back to you because I'm concerned that you're going to be worried about him. I'm worried that you're worried. That was the Apostle Paul. He cared about those Philippians. But he also knew that if Epaphroditus came from this aborted mission, if he came back early, some would criticize him. Some would say, "Epaphroditus, you wimp. Why didn't you just suck it up and stay in Rome with the Apostle Paul?" So look at what he says in verse 29. "Therefore, you receive Epaphroditus in the Lord with all joy and hold men like him in high regard because he came close to death for the work of Christ, risking his life to complete what was deficient in your service to me. You honor him, Philippians. He was willing to risk it all in order to do for me what you were not in a position to do. He risked his life."

I want you to underline that phrase, "risking his life" in verse 30. This phrase is the translation of a Greek word. It's the only time this word is used in the Greek New Testament. But the concept was used throughout the first century to risk your life. There was a term in the first century church, the Greek term, "the parabolani." Parabolani. Literally, it meant the riskers and people who were willing to risk their life for the sake of the Gospel. They became a part of this group known as the parabolani, the riskers. Epaphroditus was a parabolani. Priscilla and Aquila, that first-century couple. Paul singles them out in Romans 16 and said they risked their neck for the sake of the Gospel. The Apostle John in the Revelation talks about those people saved during the tribulation who will be willing to give their life because they did not love their own life, even to the point of death. They were parabolani. They were the riskers. God honors people like that. People who are willing to gamble it all away, risk it all for the service of Christ. That's the kind of person God uses.

Many of you are familiar with the name Eric Liddell. Eric Liddell was that Scotchman who refused to race on Sunday. He was a gifted athlete, a gifted runner, but in the 1924 Paris Olympics, he refused to race on Sunday because of his Christian commitment. But as you know, he went on to win the 400-meter dash. His life story was the basis of that Academy Award-winning movie, "Chariots of Fire." And if you remember the movie, you remember the last frame of the movie contains these words: "Eric Liddell, missionary, died in occupied China at the end of World War II. All of Scotland mourned." You see, exactly one year after Eric Liddell won the Paris Olympic gold medal, he became a missionary in China. He traveled throughout China on bicycle and by foot, sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ with anyone and everyone that he could. But when Japan invaded China in 1943, Eric Liddell was arrested. He was termed a national enemy, and he was interred along with 1800 prisoners in a prison camp, 150 yards by 200 yards. Big. But that didn't stop Eric Liddell's ministry. While he was in that prison camp, he taught the word of God. He led the prisoners, the men, women, and children in songs. One of the little boys that was interred in that camp with Eric Liddell was a man named David Mitchell. When David Mitchell was grown and released from prison, he wrote these words about the influence that Eric Liddell had on him and the other inmates. He said, "None of us will forget this man who was totally committed to putting God first. A man whose humble life combined muscular Christianity with radiant godliness." Just several months before he would have been freed, Eric Liddell died in that prison camp of a brain tumor. Eric Liddell was a national hero. But more than that, he was a hero of the faith. Why? Because he had a singular focus. Like Timothy, his one goal in life was to please God. And like Epaphroditus, he had unusual courage. He was able to risk it all for the sake of the gospel.

It would be very easy for me to close the message right now without asking the hard question. God may not be calling on you to give up your physical life, at least not yet. But what risk are you willing to take because of your commitment to Christ? What gamble? What risk is God asking you to make out of obedience to him? For some of you, God's asking you to give up a comfortable relationship that you know is outside God's will for your life. You're risking perhaps being alone in order to be obedient to him. Some of you, God is speaking to you about your need to take that first step to free yourself from that habit or that addiction that has you enslaved. You're risking going without that temporary pleasure that that addiction provides. But God's asking you to take that risk out of obedience to Him. Some of you, God's asking you to risk, to give up your financial security. You've accumulated all this money, but God's been speaking to you about a gift you need to make. He's asking you to take the risk and invest in His Kingdom's work. For some of you, God's asking you to go ahead and take the risk and speak to that friend, that family member about their need for Jesus Christ. You don't know what their response is gonna be, how they're gonna react to you, but God's asking you to take that risk for his sake. God's calling you today to be a risker, for whoever seeks to save his life shall lose it. But whoever loses his life for the sake of the Gospel shall find it.

Speaker 2

As your pastor and radio Bible teacher, I can tell you that presenting this study of Paul's letter to the Philippians has been a source of joy for me, and I truly hope and pray that it's been an encouragement to you as well. On this final day in the series, let me urge you to take action on what you heard over the last few weeks. Take your next steps in this journey toward a joy-filled life.

Earlier, you heard me describe a book I've written for you. It's titled *Outrageous Living Above Your Circumstances*. Taking one chapter at a time, I'll guide you through the biblical steps for finding peace and contentment like you've never known. When you give a generous gift to support the ministry of Pathway to Victory, you're invited to request your copy of *Outrageous Joy*. Along with the book, I'll also include a Scripture encouragement card containing several of my favorite verses from Paul's letter to the Philippians.

In closing, I'll remind you that I'll be hosting what could be your next vacation from 5-6-15. I would love for you to join us on our Pathway to Journeys of Paul Mediterranean Cruise. This isn't just a vacation; it's a spiritual journey that will transform your faith and create unforgettable memories. Imagine worshiping on the same seas that Paul sailed on. Along the way, we'll explore stunning islands and soak in breathtaking views. I can't wait to share this experience with you, so join me for this adventure that will impact your life forever. All the details can be found at ptv.org. Now here's David to tell you more.

Speaker 1

Thanks, Dr. Jeffress. You're invited to request your copy of *Outrageous Joy* when you contact Pathway to Victory with a generous gift. As an added bonus, we'll also include the *Standing on the Promises of God* scripture card. Call 866-999-2965 or go online to ptv.org now. When your gift is $75 or more, we'll also send you the entire *Living Above Your Circumstances* teaching series on both audio and video discs. But time is running out to take advantage of this offer, so get in touch right away. To request the teaching set, call 866-999-2965 or go online to ptv.org. You could also contact us by mail. Here's that address: P.O. Box 223609, Dallas, Texas 75222. Again, that's P.O. Box 223609, Dallas, Texas 75222.

I'm David J. Mullins inviting you back next time for a message called *Getting Over Grief*. That's coming up Friday here on Pathway to Victory. Pathway to Victory with Dr. Robert Jeffress comes from the pulpit of the First Baptist Church of Dallas, Texas.

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We hope you've been blessed by today's podcast from Pathway to Victory.