The Shepherds God Provides - Philippians 2:16b-30

Have you seen the TV program called “Antique Roadshow?” This PBS show features antique appraisers who help regular people discover the true value of their possessions. For instance, one episode is highlighted by a woman who had a small mahogany end table that she purchased at a yard sale. She said it was a moldy mess, but she liked the style and so she paid $25 for it, after talking the owner down from $30. I bet she felt proud, don’t you think? 

Well, she held onto the table for about 30 years, and she used it in her home, and when she came on the show, the appraiser took a look, and he noticed a label underneath the table revealing that it was made in the 18th century. The nice lady was more than shocked when the appraiser said that on a good day, the table could go for as much as $300,000. But he was off a little bit in his appraisal.When the table went up for auction at Sotheby’s, it sold for over $541,000. Some poor soul - literally poor - let this table go for 25 bucks!

Have you ever had something which you didn’t know the value of at that time, only later to find out it was worth much more than thought. In this passage from Philippians today, the apostle Paul wants the believers in that first century church to better appreciate the value of the leaders that God has provided. God calls these leaders the “shepherds” of the church. 

And even though it took place over 2000 years ago, the message is timeless, because pastors and church leaders are often undervalued and under-appreciated. Some professing believers even see these roles as unnecessary in their own lives. Some folks think they only need God, maybe some other Christians, maybe the Bible too.

But leaders provided by God are part of Jesus’ saving work. We saw a few weeks ago that salvation, in its fullest sense, is more than just the moment of conversion. All of God’s work in the life of a believer, from their election before the foundation of the world, to the receiving of immortality in eternity with God, makes up God’s whole work of salvation. 

This includes what the Bible calls “sanctification,” the setting apart by a believer to be transformed, to be made more like God. Paul writes that God will sanctify His people or make them holy “through and through.” And a key aspect of that work of God is accomplished through the shepherds He provides; through the pastors and elders of the church. 

This was the plan foretold by the prophet Jeremiah in the OT.  In Jeremiah 3, God declared, “I will give you shepherds after my own heart, who will feed you with knowledge and understanding.” In Jeremiah 23, God says, “I will set shepherds over them who will care for them, and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed.” The role of shepherd in the church is a God-ordained role, and no matter how important you are, no matter how successful or competent you are, you need the shepherds of the church.

So the leaders provided by God should be embraced, trusted and supported. But they should also be worthy of trust. The church needs good shepherds. Godly shepherds. So you should ask: what are the characteristics of good shepherds? How do the Scriptures describe shepherds of great value?

Paul speaks to that question in these verses.There’s an outline of the passage for you on pages 6-7 in your worship guide. Good shepherds do three things that we see here: they model great sacrifice for the people of God, they show genuine concern for the people of God, and they merit great honor from the people of God. 

Now, we left off last week in verse 16. Paul wants the church to continue “holding fast to the word of life.” To continue clinging to the gospel of Jesus each day. Why? Well, look again at verse 16: “so that in the day of Christ” that is, on the day of Christ’s return, on the Last Day, at the Final Judgment, the end of time as we know it, he goes on to say, “I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain.” Paul takes personal interest in the spiritual growth of these people and in their standing before God on the Last Day. Paul labored for their conversion and their sanctification.

Do you know the feeling when you work toward something, really give it all you have, only to find that your hard work amounted to very little or nothing at all? It was not enough for Paul for the Philippians simply profess faith in Christ. He wanted them to bear the fruit of true faith, to produce a life of true repentance.

And notice verse 17: He says, “Even if I am to be poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrificial offering of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all. Paul admits that he may possibly die for preaching the gospel. He might die for his faith and obedience to the call of God. In the OT, we see these “drink offerings” over and over. It was a common practice in that part of the world at that time to pour wine on an altar of sacrifice as an act of worship. 

Now when you pour it out, it’s gone. That’s it. Paul famously says to the church in Romans 12, “present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.” A life lived in obedience to God was and still is the sacrifice God calls for. Followers of Jesus should lay down their lives in the sense that we no longer live for ourselves.

We don’t worship Him by placing an animal without blemish on the altar in worship. We give our lives to God. And Paul says that his life, should he lose it, is like a drink offering poured out over their obedient, God-glorifying lives. Paul says if that happens, “I am glad and rejoice with you all. Likewise you also should be glad and rejoice with me.” The best thing a follower of Jesus can do is obey God. What a thrill and a comfort to know, deep within, that you have made the sacrifices God calls you to make in order to do His will! Good shepherds of God model this. They model great sacrifice.

The shepherds of the church should not appear to be self-serving. They should not be all about self-preservation. They should not be concerned with self-promotion. The shepherds must lead the way in a life of sacrifice. Because, think about it, how can a man encourage others to do something that he won’t do himself?

Paul then launches into this promo of sorts for his protege Timothy. I’ve said before that the Philippians, in their trials, wanted Paul to send Timothy to help them. And Paul hoped to send him eventually, but the problem was, Timothy was just about all Paul had left to encourage him during his imprisonment. Remember, Paul wrote this letter from jail. He was jailed for preaching the gospel.

The Philippians loved and respected Timothy, and rightly so. Notice verse 20, Paul says, “I have no one like him, who will be genuinely concerned for your welfare. [21] For they all seek their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ.” There were false teachers swarming around that church, just as they swarm in the world, and even in our city, today. 

It was those false teachers, Paul says back in chapter 1, who proclaimed Christ out of envy, rivalry and selfish ambition. They labored to build a kingdom, but not the kingdom of the Lord Jesus. They labored for a man-centered kingdom.

And so, they taught a man-centered gospel. They led man-centered worship. They stroked the ears of people with a worldly message masquerading as Christ-glorifying, or they preached the gospel but their motives are self-centered. They want to be seen as important. 

Paul instructed Timothy not to be that way. Look at verse 22, Paul says, “But you know Timothy’s proven worth, how as a son with a father he has served with me in the gospel. Paul wants to send Timothy, and he wants to be set free so he can join as well. Both men cared deeply for these people. Good shepherds show genuine concern for the people of God.

There’s a story of an elderly woman who always went to a certain post office in her town because the employees there were so friendly. She went to buy stamps before Christmas one year and the lines were long. Someone pointed out that she didn’t need to wait in line because there was a stamp machine in the lobby. And she said, “I know, but the machine won't ask me about my arthritis.”

God’s people don’t only need sermons and songs and elements of worship. They need care. Sometimes that means a shepherd will need to stick out his neck, put himself in harm’s way, say or do the difficult thing. Of course, this is what all Christians should do for one another. Good shepherds model it. Good shepherds lead the way with genuine concern.

And for that reason, and others, good shepherds merit great honor. While Paul could not send Timothy like the Philippians wanted, he does send back Epaphroditus. But you can tell that Paul wants the church to give Epaphroditus the respect he deserves.

Do you know the phrase “familiarity breeds contempt”? The idea is that knowing someone well means losing respect for them. Paul and Timothy were on a bit of a pedestal in the minds of the Philippians believers. Epaphroditus was just one of them. Not that they didn’t love him, but did they really appreciate what they had in him? Isn’t it true that you don’t know what you have until it’s gone? Think about all the things we took for granted before the quarantine!

Look at how Paul describes Epaphroditus in verse 25. He calls him, “my brother and fellow worker and fellow soldier, and your messenger and minister to my need.” Epaphroditus had fallen ill on the journey, but he survived. Paul was glad, and he knew they would be as well. 

Notice what Paul then says in verse 29, “So receive him in the Lord with all joy, and honor such men, for he nearly died for the work of Christ, risking his life to complete what was lacking in your service to me.” In other words, anything that might have been lacking in the gift and encouragement the Philippians sent was made complete by them sending Epaphroditus to deliver it.

I thought here of our practice of delivering meals to folks during times of trial. If you ever receive a meal from someone in the church during a difficult time, and they bring it to you, it’s like a double blessing. You get the meal, and you get to see the face of this person who loved you and cared enough about you to prepare and bring the food. 

Each of you should think about this. Your presence and your smile and your kind words are a tremendous blessing to those who suffer. People need encouragement. We should all be intentional toward one another in this. Epaphroditus encouraged Paul, he risked his life to minister to Paul, he nearly died in the process, and Paul says, “so receive him in the Lord with all joy, and honor such men.” Good shepherds merit great honor from the people of God.

The apostle Peter said this to the shepherds of the churches, 1 Peter 5, “I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder...shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly; [3] not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock. [4] And when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.”

Who is that good shepherd who modeled the greatest sacrifice, who showed the greatest concern, and who merited the greatest honor? It is the Lord Jesus Christ, the chief Shepherd. You see, the shepherds God provides look to Jesus as they lead. They find their righteousness not in their ability to lead, but in Jesus Christ alone. 

You know, anything that God calls us to do has already been done to perfection by the Lord Jesus. It’s my job to point that out for you. And this week, it wasn’t hard to see. “The Lord is my shepherd.” Have you confessed to him that you are a sinner in need, that he might lead you? He stands, ready to save, full of pity and full of power. Receive him by faith. And humbly accept the means by which He leads you.

Let’s pray together.