A Legacy of Discipleship.

Steve Gentry

[0:00] Welcome to Village Church. [0:02] If this is your first time here, my name’s Steve. [0:04] I’m one of the pastors here at Village Church. [0:06] As always, I’m thankful and grateful [0:08] to see all of you this morning. [0:10] If you have your Bibles, go ahead

[0:11] and open them to Philippians chapter two. [0:13] We will be there starting in verse 19 this morning. [0:17] And we’re going to do something, [0:19] this is kind of a text that many people overlook, [0:22] but this morning we specifically are going to kind of [0:25] hone in on why this text is important.

[0:27] But before we do that, I do want to say Happy Mother’s Day. [0:31] I have a mother. [0:32] That’s how I’m alive. [0:34] And so, and I’m thankful for her. [0:36] I have a wife that’s a mother, [0:37] and that’s how my children are alive,

[0:39] so I’m thankful for her. [0:40] But I’m always aware on holidays like Mother’s Day [0:44] that for some of you, maybe it isn’t this joyous moment. [0:48] Maybe you’ve got some baggage that you carry, [0:52] whether it be because you had what you thought [0:54] was not as good of a mother as somebody else had,

[0:58] or whether or not maybe you can’t be a mother. [1:01] And so this morning, the greatest gift [1:03] that I want to give to all of you [1:05] is that I’m going to specifically focus in [1:08] on the gospel of Jesus Christ. [1:10] And you say, oh, so we’re not gonna get

[1:12] a sermon all about mothers. [1:13] Well, no, because that’s not where [1:14] the text is gonna take me this morning. [1:16] But nor is that my normal routine, [1:19] because I can teach you how to behave like a mom, [1:25] and leave out the gospel.

[1:27] And I don’t want to do that, [1:29] because that would be to your detriment. [1:31] But you cannot learn what it is to follow Jesus [1:35] and not be a good mother the same way [1:36] I can’t learn what it is to follow Jesus [1:38] and not be a good father.

[1:40] Can’t learn about Jesus and not be a good child. [1:42] You can’t learn about Jesus and then not be [1:46] what God has envisioned for you to be. [1:48] And so my gift to you, the mothers, [1:50] is that this is a sermon specifically about motherhood, [1:53] because this is about the gospel.

[1:56] And so what I hope that you receive today [1:58] is that no matter where you’re coming from, [2:00] no matter whether you come in here [2:02] and motherhood is idolatry to you [2:04] or whether you come in here and motherhood [2:05] is this kind of just baggage on your shoulders

[2:09] of regret, neglect, pain, whatever you come from, [2:13] my call to you is actually to find your hope [2:16] in Jesus this morning. [2:18] Find your hope in following Jesus. [2:20] Because when you follow Jesus, [2:22] you receive peace in all of those circumstances.

[2:25] You receive instruction as to how to live [2:27] in all of those circumstances. [2:29] And you receive the eternal hope that we have in Christ. [2:34] And so then secondly, I also want to tell you [2:37] that we’ve had a wonderful week here [2:38] and specifically this week, we’ve been spending

[2:40] a lot of time planning towards our Chester location. [2:44] As in the fall, we look to launch a location [2:47] of our church in Chester, a little further south of here [2:50] because we expand our ability to make disciples [2:53] who make disciples. [2:54] And this week has been an amazing week

[2:56] of just kind of casting vision [2:58] and planning towards exactly how that’s going to look. [3:02] And for you, I want you to understand [3:04] there has never been a better time [3:07] to join a serve team than right now. [3:10] And the reason for that is that we’ve never needed people

[3:13] to join the serve team more than we need them [3:15] to join the serve teams right now. [3:17] And so there’s kind of this thing that goes on here [3:20] is there’s no greater way to get connected [3:23] to other people than to join a serve team. [3:26] So I hear people come to me all the time

[3:27] and they say, man, I’m just, [3:28] I’m having a tough time connecting. [3:30] I don’t feel like I’m connecting with here at the church. [3:33] And so then I say, well, what serve team are you on? [3:35] Well, I’m not on one. [3:36] That’s why.

[3:38] Because when you join a serve team, [3:40] specifically a Sunday morning serve team, [3:41] you cannot help but be confronted by other people. [3:45] You specifically have to talk to other people, [3:49] whether it’s the people on your team, [3:50] whether it’s people that you’re greeting,

[3:52] you will connect to other people. [3:53] Now, when you come to me after that [3:55] and you’re like, I joined a serve team [3:56] and I’m still not connecting with people, [3:58] well, that’s because your personality [3:59] probably needs to change.

[4:00] And so I can help you and coach you through that as well, [4:03] but that’s a totally different problem altogether. [4:06] But join a serve team because we are going to reach people, [4:10] we are going to make disciples, [4:11] and we need people to join the serve teams [4:14] that we have to better enable us to do that.

[4:17] And so if you’ve been here for an extended period of time, [4:19] and my consideration of an extended period of time [4:22] is more than two weeks. [4:23] So if you’ve been here for more than two weeks, [4:26] the time is now. [4:28] For some of you in two weeks, the time will be.

[4:32] But for most of you, the time is now. [4:33] Join a serve team, commit, serve consistently. [4:37] And if you’re already serving, [4:39] maybe God is going to call you to commit [4:41] to a few more Sundays every month to serve. [4:45] And that fits what we’re talking about this week

[4:47] because specifically, Paul takes us into a section [4:50] of Philippians where he’s going to talk about [4:53] what it looks like to be a disciple maker. [4:56] What it looks like to be the type of person [4:59] that has really what is the greatest need [5:02] for being a disciple maker,

[5:03] and that is that you have a life worth emulating. [5:07] Those three words are so vital [5:10] in the discipleship process. [5:13] Do you have a life worth emulating [5:16] in following Jesus Christ? [5:18] If you do, and I hope that you do

[5:20] because that is the goal of every follower of Jesus, [5:23] then you need to begin to make disciples. [5:28] You know, it’s one thing to believe [5:30] that the Bible is the word of God, [5:32] and it’s a wholly other thing [5:34] to seek to apply its content to your life.

[5:38] It’s one thing to believe that Jesus is God, [5:42] and it’s a wholly other thing [5:44] to submit to his lordship in your life. [5:47] It’s one thing to believe that discipleship [5:51] is vital to life, [5:55] and it is a wholly other thing to be a biblical disciple,

[6:00] because our lives actually show [6:03] what we believe through our practices. [6:07] And so we can easily academically agree [6:10] with a lot of facts, [6:13] just to make ourselves feel like [6:15] we’re a part of a certain team,

[6:16] or to make ourselves feel like, [6:18] well, we have this future hope [6:19] that I’m going to need later. [6:21] You’re not applying it now, [6:22] but I want it to be in place later [6:25] just in case I need it.

[6:27] And all that that requires is that you nod yes, [6:29] that you nod in agreement. [6:32] But what God is going to call us towards [6:34] in his scriptures and what he calls us to [6:35] over and over again is not just agree, [6:38] not just have this academic knowledge of something,

[6:41] but to actually begin to put into practice [6:44] what we say we rest our hope for all of our lives [6:48] and all of our futures on. [6:50] And so if you believe and you agree, [6:54] yes, Jesus is Lord,

[6:59] then the question that’s begged in light of today’s text [7:01] is are you putting that into practice? [7:05] And in Philippians chapter two, [7:07] starting in verse 19, the apostle Paul [7:09] actually gives us into an interesting section [7:11] that’s a little different than the rest of his literature

[7:13] because usually he ends with something like this, [7:15] and here he puts it directly in the middle of the text. [7:17] He begins to give us basically the resume of two guys, [7:21] Timothy and Epaphroditus. [7:23] One had a name that survived a lot of cultures, [7:25] one had a name that died with Greek culture,

[7:28] and it wasn’t Timothy’s. [7:30] And so if we go into the lives of Timothy and Epaphroditus, [7:34] we see these amazing lives of men [7:37] who agreed with the facts of the gospel, yes. [7:42] But Paul puts forward that they lived what they believed. [7:48] If we talk about Christianity,

[7:50] you might have a lot of thoughts that you could give. [7:53] You say, well, I think Christianity should be like this. [7:55] Well, I think the church should be like this. [7:57] Well, I think Christians ought to act like this. [8:00] And we all have different ideas, [8:02] most of them really dumb

[8:03] and most of them really, really wrong, actually. [8:07] But if you look from the gospel of Matthew [8:10] all the way to Revelation, [8:13] there’s one undeniable foundation [8:15] that’s threaded throughout all of scripture. [8:18] And that is the foundation that if Christianity

[8:21] is about anything in practice, [8:23] then it is about making disciples [8:27] because it’s the one thread that’s undeniable [8:29] throughout the whole of the New Testament. [8:32] And so Paul talks specifically about two guys [8:35] that he has discipled and he tells us their story.

[8:38] And here’s the way it begins in verse 19. [8:41] He says, I hope in the Lord Jesus [8:42] to send Timothy to you soon [8:44] so that I too may be cheered by news of you. [8:49] For I have no one like him [8:50] who will be genuinely concerned for your welfare,

[8:54] for they all seek their own interests, [8:57] not those of Jesus Christ. [8:59] But you know Timothy’s proven worth, [9:02] how as a son with a father, [9:04] he has served me in the gospel. [9:09] And so he starts with Timothy.

[9:11] And here’s the idea that I think Paul is trying [9:13] to get across with his purpose for sending Timothy, [9:16] but also his purpose for talking about [9:18] his relationship with Timothy. [9:19] And that’s number one this morning, [9:21] Christians make disciples.

[9:23] Christians make disciples. [9:25] If Christians are to be about one thing, [9:29] if you can say, what is the Christian life [9:31] to look like for me? [9:32] You cannot get around the undeniable reality [9:36] that Christians are commanded by God,

[9:40] are called by God and are example over and over [9:44] throughout specifically the New Testament. [9:46] But this is in the Old Testament as well. [9:48] A life of making disciples. [9:52] Jesus made this very clear in Matthew twenty eight. [9:54] If you’ve been here for any length of time,

[9:56] you’ve heard us talk about this text [9:57] and its extreme importance for the Church of Jesus Christ. [10:00] Jesus gathers his disciples for what’s really going to be [10:03] his farewell address with them. [10:06] And he tells them that I have authority over all things. [10:10] So how much authority?

[10:11] Well, all the authority in heaven, [10:13] all the authority on earth. [10:15] And it tells us this, [10:16] but some people kind of struggled with this notion, [10:18] but note that Jesus didn’t allow their struggle [10:21] to slow down his progress.

[10:24] Never let the struggle of someone else’s doubt [10:26] prevent your progress in discipleship. [10:30] As Jesus looks to them and he says, [10:32] since I have all authority in heaven and on earth, [10:35] because this is true, you go make disciples of all nations. [10:40] You make you baptize, you teach them to do everything

[10:43] that I’ve commanded you. [10:44] And as you do this, understand, [10:46] I’m going to be involved every step of the way. [10:50] At its simplest form, Jesus is looking at them [10:52] and he is saying, you are my disciples. [10:56] Now act like me.

[10:59] Go teach other people what it means that they need to follow me to you. [11:04] Go make what you are and what you are becoming.

[11:09] That is what it looks like to follow Jesus. [11:13] And so all of our notions, all of our ideas, all of our desires, [11:18] all of the things that we want Christianity to be about [11:22] if they cannot survive what Jesus is calling you to do here, [11:27] then they are worthless.

[11:30] Because most of us, our definitions and our desires [11:34] of what Christianity is going to be like [11:36] are based on my personality, with my desires, with my dreams [11:41] and what I naturally am good at. [11:45] Well, that’s not what it looks like to become a disciple of Jesus. [11:48] That’s what it looks like to become a disciple of you.

[11:50] And you are already doing you, so why would you need to grow in that? [11:55] What Jesus is actually calling us towards is something wholly different [11:58] where he says, you actually cease to disciple yourself [12:02] and you let me be. [12:06] What a disciple is all about.

[12:09] You may say, so what are you saying? [12:10] Are you saying Christians are supposed to become like Jesus in their lives? [12:14] Yes. [12:15] To what you might retort, you might say, well, that’s a high calling. [12:18] Nobody’s perfect.

[12:22] So my least favorite things to hear, I hear it all the time. [12:26] It is the it is seen as like the golden way [12:30] of getting yourself out of obedience. [12:32] I will know one’s perfect. [12:34] How has the thought that no one else is perfect ever helped you?

[12:40] How has the statement nobody else is living up to the standard [12:45] ever helped you progress in any type of obedience? [12:48] And so what that is, that is an excuse for us to never get better. [12:53] But here’s the reality of what the gospel does for our lives. [12:57] The gospel actually redeems us from our sin [13:00] and gives us a capability that we never had before we trusted Jesus.

[13:05] And that is the capability to actually obey God. [13:11] The capability for us not just to modify our behavior, [13:14] but to begin to obey in such a way that it actually brings God glory, [13:20] that it actually puts us into an attitude of worship. [13:23] So with Christ, you have something that’s potential in you that you did not have without Christ. [13:29] You have the potential to grow.

[13:31] You have the ability to obey. [13:34] You are no longer condemned to this cycle of disobedience in your life [13:40] where you’re like a hamster running in a wheel, never getting anywhere. [13:43] In Christ, you have the potential to progress. [13:48] And that’s what Jesus is calling you towards in the Great Commission. [13:53] He’s saying grow, observe, make.

[13:57] You have this potential. [14:01] And he’s calling you to progress from consuming to reproducing. [14:08] So most of our definitions of discipleship, at least for ourselves, are about consumption. [14:13] Someone needs to pour into me. [14:16] Someone needs to give to me. [14:18] Someone needs to make for me.

[14:20] Someone needs to program for me. [14:22] That’s not discipleship. [14:24] That’s just you at the center of everyone else’s hopes and dreams. [14:29] And so you are your God in that scenario. [14:32] But Jesus calls us to something that the Apostle Paul is getting out about Timothy and Epaphroditus [14:36] in a few verses that he wants to be true of you.

[14:40] Note what he says about Timothy. [14:42] He says, I have no one in verse 20 like him [14:46] who will be genuinely concerned for your welfare.

[14:52] Saying something amazing about Timothy. [14:54] He’s saying Timothy has actually pointed into something very vital in the life of a discipleship. [15:00] His life is no longer about him. [15:03] His life is about others. [15:06] See, Timothy is genuinely concerned with other people. [15:11] And so you have to ask yourself, am I genuinely concerned with other people

[15:16] in the way that I view discipleship, or am I genuinely concerned with self [15:20] when it comes to discipleship? [15:22] Because so long as the greatest concern that you have is what you get out of it, you will never grow. [15:29] You cannot become like a Jesus who lays down his rights to absolutely everything that he could have [15:36] to sacrifice his very life for those whom he loves. [15:40] You cannot become like him while you are both, you are at the same time self-centered.

[15:46] Timothy was becoming like Jesus. [15:49] Timothy was genuinely concerned with others more than he was concerned with himself. [15:53] How do I know that? Because of the next text. [15:55] He says the opposite of Timothy is everybody else.

[16:01] He says they all seek their own interests, not those of Jesus. [16:08] See, there is something in Timothy’s life that you, Philippi, have not figured out yet, is what he’s saying. [16:14] Timothy has figured out that there is greater freedom in loving other people [16:18] than there is in loving and doing for self. [16:21] There is a greater freedom in living to give yourself to other people [16:25] than you could ever find in just living to give to you,

[16:29] living to get for you, living to do for you, living to build for you. [16:34] You say, Philippi, you need this. [16:39] And so I’m sending a guy that understands what real discipleship is actually about.

[16:48] You cannot go through life only consuming the services provided by other disciples. [16:57] And then say, I’m living the Christian life.

[17:02] That’s not how it works.

[17:05] Discipleship defines the Christian life. [17:10] Discipleship is the foundation of living the life of a follower of Jesus Christ. [17:17] And so how does that work? How do you tap in to that reality? [17:21] Well, Timothy and Epaphroditus were going to Philippi because the church could learn from them. [17:27] They had lives worth emulating. [17:29] And Paul is telling Philippi, you emulate these guys and you’ll be following Jesus.

[17:34] And that is where the barrier begins for many of you [17:37] because you don’t think you can learn from anybody else.

[17:42] You’ve been conditioned by this world to say, yeah, I’ve got it figured out. [17:46] If I admit that I need to learn from someone else that exposes weakness [17:49] and I don’t want to expose weakness, well, then you will always be weak.

[17:54] You will never grow. [17:56] You ever heard the phrase, you don’t know what you don’t know?

[17:59] Well, many of you don’t know what you don’t know and you will never know it.

[18:04] Because the minute someone has the audacity to challenge the way that you selfishly think [18:11] and pridefully think, you detach and think, how dare you think that you’re smarter than me? [18:17] Hey, here’s the key. They might be.

[18:21] And you may need to grow because of their influence in your life. [18:25] But when you detach in pride, in self-interest, because you think that you’re smarter than everyone else,

[18:34] you’ll never grow. [18:36] You will never experience the freedom of understanding what it is like to become more obedient to Jesus [18:41] than you are today because every room you walk into, you make it your mission to be the smartest person in that room.

[18:48] You can’t grow with that mentality. [18:51] You can’t grow without that type of humility. [18:55] And Timothy had that type of humility. [18:58] So how do you get that in your life? [19:01] How do you get the humility to become a disciple maker? [19:05] The great cultural expositor Francis Schaeffer puts it this way.

[19:10] He says the life of Christ is the life of a disciple. [19:15] He says, if you want to be a disciple, you cannot become that without looking at the cycle of Christ’s life, [19:23] but in the opposite direction of the way Jesus did it. [19:27] Jesus was rejected by others. [19:30] Jesus was killed by others. [19:33] And Jesus rose again to a new life in which he is Lord of all.

[19:39] He says that in this fashion, the disciple rejects self to accept Jesus. [19:47] The disciple denies self to kill sin. [19:51] And then the disciple rises to a new life of following Jesus. [19:57] Yes, this happens at the moment of faith, that rejection, that slaying and that new life. [20:05] But as a disciple of Christ, your focus never gets off of that. [20:09] You must remind yourself daily.

[20:11] I am to deny myself in order to Jesus. [20:14] I am to die to self in order to follow Jesus. [20:18] I am to rise to a new life defined by Jesus. [20:22] And that cycle is every single day for the follower of Jesus. [20:27] That’s what it means to preach the gospel to yourself.

[20:34] See friends, we must remind ourselves over and over throughout our lives [20:41] so that we never forget what it is that we are becoming so that we can grow. [20:49] Note what’s interesting about Timothy specifically here. [20:52] It’s also going to be true of Epaphroditus in just a moment. [20:55] But Paul doesn’t look to them and say, [20:58] guys, Timothy is coming.

[21:00] Listen to him because he’s got so much gray hair. [21:03] He’s so much older than you are. [21:06] He doesn’t look to the Church of Philippi and say Timothy is coming and he has so much fame. [21:11] I know you’ve already heard of him. [21:12] I know you’ve already been influenced by everything that he’s done. [21:15] Everybody knows who Timothy is.

[21:16] Be excited. [21:17] He doesn’t look at them and say, be ready for Timothy [21:20] because he is a physical specimen. [21:23] He’s amazing to look at.

[21:27] Doesn’t point to any of that. [21:29] He points to his faithfulness. [21:30] He points to his love. [21:32] He points to his character in following Jesus. [21:37] See, Paul only takes Timothy’s faithfulness into consideration. [21:42] One thread that I see happening in so many people’s lives is a focus on the age of the person discipling you.

[21:48] Do you know where that actually comes from? [21:49] See, I know that in your heart you think that is a good thing to long for, but it’s not. [21:55] That’s actually pride. [21:57] See, elsewhere in Scripture, Paul actually had to coach Timothy through the reality that people were looking down on him [22:04] because he was so much younger than everybody else in the church [22:08] and he was having a problem with them respecting him because he would go to them and they would be like,

[22:12] Timothy, I’m older than you. [22:13] Why would I listen to you? [22:15] But over and over, Paul sends Timothy in, the younger guy, to actually make disciples [22:21] because Paul knows that when you want somebody that’s older than you to make you into a disciple every single time, [22:27] the reason that you want that is because you think it’s audacious to think anyone your age or younger [22:33] might be further along in the road of following Jesus than you are.

[22:36] It’s pride. [22:39] It’s not a fruit of the Spirit. [22:42] It’s pride. [22:44] Because you refuse to think somebody that’s younger than you may know more than you. [22:49] But yet, Paul sends Timothy, the younger guy. [22:55] See, because discipleship only takes one thing into consideration.

[22:58] Life worth emulating.

[23:01] Discipleship takes one thing into consideration. [23:04] A life worth emulating because of faithfulness to the gospel of Jesus Christ. [23:08] Therefore, the question you have to ask is, do you want to be discipled? [23:12] If yes, then the key is not to look on the exterior. [23:17] The key is not to look where the rest of the world would look. [23:19] The key is to look at one thing.

[23:22] Find the most faithful person to Jesus and emulate that person.

[23:28] That’s what you do. [23:31] But many of you, you’re just looking for somebody that has a lot in common with you, [23:34] speaks the same love language as you, dresses the same way that you do, [23:37] likes the same music that you do, has the same hobbies as you do, [23:40] likes the same leisurely activities that you do, and is just a few years older than you. [23:45] You know what you’re looking for?

[23:46] Yourself in 20 years.

[23:50] That’s what you’re looking for. [23:51] How foolish is that if you actually want to grow in being like Jesus. [23:55] You don’t want somebody that’s older than you necessarily. [23:58] Now you may find that person, if they’re like Jesus, you simply need to have one standard. [24:02] Is this person faithful to the gospel of Jesus in their lives? [24:07] The number two, discipleship is proved in the way that you live.

[24:10] Discipleship is proved in the way that you live. [24:13] Note what he says in verse 22. [24:14] Let’s not go past that yet. [24:15] He says, you know Timothy’s proven worth. [24:21] Some of you hate that idea.

[24:24] I ain’t got none to prove nobody.

[24:27] Actually, you do. [24:29] You have a lot to prove to a lot of people.

[24:36] Paul looks at the church of Philippi and he says, [24:39] If you’re wondering why I’m sending Timothy, wonder no more. [24:43] You know the guy. [24:45] He’s legit. [24:47] You think, how did Philippi know he’s legit? [24:48] Because Paul is saying, Timothy had obviously been there, and Timothy had proven his faithfulness to the church of Philippi.

[24:55] Timothy had proven that he walked the walk and didn’t just talk the talk. [25:00] Timothy had proven that he genuinely believed in the gospel. [25:02] Timothy had proven that he cared about them. [25:03] Timothy had proven that he was a follower of Jesus, passionate about the things of Jesus Christ. [25:09] Timothy had proven who he was. [25:13] And what was Paul’s standard of what he had proven?

[25:15] Well, he gives us that in Philippians 2, 3, through 4. [25:18] He’d already laid this down. [25:19] He says, don’t do anything out of selfish ambition or conceit, [25:22] but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. [25:24] Let each of you look not only to his own interest, but to the interests of others. [25:28] He said, Timothy has proven that he’s not full of selfish ambition.

[25:33] Timothy’s proven that he will sacrifice for the vision of Jesus. [25:38] Timothy has proven that he cares more about others than he cares even for himself. [25:43] He’s genuinely concerned for your welfare. [25:47] He had proven it.

[25:50] See, Timothy and Epaphroditus had a track record of rejecting the self in order to care more for others. [25:59] They were passionate about the interests of Jesus. [26:02] They wanted to make disciples. [26:05] And you say, well, what do I have to do to prove myself?

[26:13] Commit. Commit. [26:16] With consistency. With time. [26:20] See, you prove yourself with time and consistent behavior. [26:23] The whole in many people’s attempt at discipleship is that you think that it is to be tried, [26:29] and if it doesn’t go a certain way or make you feel a certain way for a certain amount of time, you quit.

[26:38] And you wonder, well, why isn’t anybody listening to me?

[26:42] I’ll be perfectly honest. [26:45] Because you’re a quitter. [26:47] That’s why. [26:49] Because when the going got tough, what did you do? [26:52] You quit.

[26:55] That is not a life worth emulating.

[26:59] That is not what Jesus does.

[27:04] And so your lack of consistency where discipleship is concerned has not proven your worth. [27:11] It has shown maybe this person isn’t the one I want to fashion my life after. [27:16] And so you can’t make disciples. [27:19] See, friends, that’s a consumer. [27:21] It’s selfish ambition that quits when things get harder. [27:25] You see, discipleship and disciple makers genuinely care.

[27:31] And that is seen in their time and in their investments over a long period of time. [27:38] Do not try discipleship and disciple making on like an outfit in a dressing room. [27:44] And if it doesn’t feel quite right in a certain place, you just walk back and put it on the rack and walk away. [27:51] But often that’s exactly what many of us treat discipleship like, but it doesn’t work that way. [27:58] Inconsistent discipleship is disobedience.

[28:02] Did you know that? [28:04] Inconsistent discipleship is sin. [28:07] If you only put forward effort towards being and making disciples when it is convenient for you, [28:14] then you are not following Jesus. [28:16] And that’s the epitome of self-ambition. [28:19] That’s selfishness.

[28:20] And it’s that simple. [28:22] In that system, it’s all about you. [28:24] Every part of discipleship according to Jesus, though, is about self-sacrifice in order to worship God and love others. [28:31] Your inconsistency is disobedience. [28:35] But Paul speaks of Timothy and Epaphroditus in terms of their value to the church because of their proven worth. [28:43] He says, these two guys are of great value to you.

[28:48] They are worth listening to. [28:51] They are worth following. [28:52] See, that’s different than most of us think about the church. [28:56] See, most of us, when we think about the church, we think about the value that the church adds to us. [29:01] See, that’s a consumer.

[29:04] It’s like you’re considering a home loan. [29:07] What a value is it to me? [29:10] But that’s backwards. [29:11] That’s not the way the scripture points discipleship in the life of the church to be. [29:15] He doesn’t say, how much value does the church add to you? [29:17] No, he looks to Timothy and Epaphroditus and he says, consider the value that they add to the church.

[29:22] See, you need to begin to think through the value that you add to the church. [29:28] Because when you think about the church adding value into your life, you will be disappointed time and time again. [29:33] And that is why you are never satisfied with discipleship. [29:36] Because you have it backwards. [29:38] Disciples don’t look for value in the church. [29:40] Disciples look to add value to the church.

[29:44] Disciples don’t look for what they can get. [29:46] Disciples look for what they can give.

[29:49] Disciples look for how they can serve.

[29:53] See, what’s the hope here? [29:56] Is that what Paul is pointing out with Timothy and Epaphroditus in just a moment. [30:01] Is that they were his legacy. [30:05] Paul had a legacy of discipleship. [30:08] When we think about legacy, we think about parenting. [30:11] And the text tells us that that’s very true for what Paul is talking about.

[30:15] He says, Timothy is a son to me. [30:18] He is a father. [30:19] He has served me in the gospel. [30:21] Elsewhere we see and we learn that the relationship that Timothy and Paul had was unique even in discipleship. [30:28] Paul functioned in Timothy’s life as an earthly adopted father. [30:34] And so Paul is literally speaking to a guy that he has the affection of a parent to a child with.

[30:41] And he is bragging about his child. [30:42] He is saying, my son is a disciple of Jesus Christ. [30:47] And that’s an amazing way for us to think about what discipleship is because the legacy that we look to leave in this world, [30:54] specifically if you are a parent, I think you understand this better than anyone else, [30:56] it’s wrapped up really in the way that we see our babies, our children. [31:00] We think that’s our legacy.

[31:01] That’s what I’m leaving into this world. [31:03] That’s the greatest hope I have of making a mark in this world is being their parent. [31:06] And if you don’t have that view and you are a parent, repent. [31:09] Have that view.

[31:13] Timothy gave his all to being and making disciples. [31:19] And Paul said, I couldn’t be prouder. [31:21] Could you imagine what would happen if your children thought that all your passions for them were connected to their discipleship? [31:29] Could you imagine? [31:31] The revolution that would not have in this world, but it would have specifically in the local church.

[31:36] Are you more concerned with the legacy of your children as disciples? [31:41] Are you more concerned with the legacy of their worldly success?

[31:48] And before you answer too hastily, two things take into consideration. [31:52] What would your children say? [31:54] And secondly, what do their schedules say?

[31:58] See, don’t pretend there isn’t a choice to make there. [32:02] Seriously, you don’t have to make that choice. [32:04] I’m trying to have it all. [32:05] Well, if you say that, I can tell you right now you’re failing. [32:09] There is a choice to make. [32:12] Stop pretending there isn’t a choice to make between discipleship and worldly success through your children’s eyes.

[32:20] Because most are choosing worldly success over discipleship. [32:25] Even within the church, most parents would rather their children experience earthly gain that has nothing to do with following Jesus. [32:33] I know this because you fill their margins with things that aren’t eternal and you sacrifice the environments that would grow them into being disciples.

[32:47] Friends, I tell you, do not let your legacy in parenting be things that do not make more disciples.

[32:57] We must have the vision of Paul. [33:00] We must have a vision for discipleship above everything. [33:04] In many senses, we must own our distinctions in this world as Christians. [33:09] We’re very tempted to push our distinctions off. [33:11] No, parents, we must own our distinctions. [33:14] We must raise our children revolutionarily different than those who do not follow Jesus.

[33:19] So that our next generation will have a legacy and something to offer this world rather than them being consumed and obsessed with the trinkets. [33:28] That will not even make it to the grave. [33:32] Your children need discipleship more than they need anything.

[33:39] And yet, often times on the buffet of parenting, discipleship is the last item on the menu. [33:45] Do you know what always gets sacrificed?

[33:48] The last item on the menu.

[33:51] We’ve got it backwards. [33:54] Paul understood the legacy that he needed to leave as a follower of Jesus Christ was a legacy of discipleship. [34:03] There should be no greater hope for your children. [34:05] So what do you do? [34:06] Number three, disciples invest in discipleship. [34:11] Disciples invest in discipleship.

[34:14] This is a very simple statement, but the idea behind it could actually change your life.

[34:22] You must care about discipleship to be a disciple. [34:26] You think, duh, yeah, of course. [34:30] But here’s the key, what do you care about then, follower of Christ?

[34:36] You say, what do you mean I care about discipleship? [34:38] Do you? [34:39] See, the way that you actually learn what a person cares about is you look at the cares of their every day. [34:45] So, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, even into Sunday. [34:49] What’s on the forefront of your concern? [34:52] What’s on the forefront of what absorbs the most of your time, your effort, your energy, your stewardship of finances?

[35:01] What consumes all of your time? [35:04] What consumes your anxieties? [35:08] That is what you actually care about.

[35:11] That is what you’re actually focused on. [35:14] But in this text, Paul cares more about discipleship than anything else. [35:21] Note how he continues. [35:22] He says, I hope therefore to send him, verse 23, as soon as I see how it will go with me. [35:28] And I trust in the Lord that shortly I myself will come also for I have thought it necessary to also send you a Aphroditus, [35:37] my brother, fellow worker, fellow soldier, your messenger, minister to my need.

[35:42] There’s his five-point resume. [35:45] For he has been longing for you all and has been distressed because you heard that he was ill. [35:51] Indeed, he was ill near to death, but God had mercy on him, and not only on him, but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow. [35:59] I am more eager to send him therefore that you may rejoice at seeing him again, and that I may be less anxious. [36:07] So receive him in the Lord with all joy, and honor such men.

[36:17] Honor such men. [36:21] For he nearly died for the work of Christ, risking his life. [36:26] And here’s where he says the one real negative thing about Philippi in the entire book. [36:31] So for he nearly died for the work of Christ, risking his life to complete what was lacking in your service to me. [36:39] Ouch.

[36:42] This is where you failed me, and Aphrodite has helped me.

[36:47] What’s interesting about the vision that most of the people have in our lives is that we don’t like to compare following Christ to investment of our time, [36:56] our energy, and our resources, but that’s what defines everything in our lives. [37:01] And here’s the key, it’s an absolute biblical concept that what you reap you also sow. [37:06] The Bible does not tell us that common sense is worthless. [37:09] The Bible actually tells us that God created common sense. [37:14] And so if you walk through this life and you just invest your time, your effort, and your resources in things that are foolish with no thought,

[37:21] then you are a fool. [37:23] Because this is what the apostle Paul says in 1 Corinthians chapter 9, or 2 Corinthians 9, 6. [37:28] He says the point is this, whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. [37:35] See the application is broad, he’s talking about generosity, but the application is broad. [37:39] But go further, here’s what he says in Galatians chapter 6 verse 7. [37:43] He sobers us to the fact that the investments we make with our life actually reveals something about our faith.

[37:49] He says don’t be deceived, God is not mocked. [37:53] And here’s the key for reading the Bible. [37:56] Whenever you see a statement like the first statement there, do not be deceived. [38:00] What he’s saying is the greatest temptation that you’re going to have is to be deceived. [38:05] He’s not saying do not be deceived because it’s easy. [38:07] He’s not saying do not be deceived because there’s no chance you’re going to be deceived.

[38:11] No, he’s warning you because he’s saying you’re going to have a great temptation to be deceived about this. [38:18] And he says God is not mocked. [38:21] Whatever one sows that will he also reap. [38:24] You see Timothy and Epaphroditus had the faith to believe something amazing.

[38:30] They believed that if they invested their lives in faith, [38:38] they believed that if they had the faith to live by the design that God gave them in Jesus Christ, [38:45] then they would have the greatest life possible.

[38:53] And so they said if it’s going to give me the best life I’m going to give it my all. [38:57] See so often when we think about discipleship, so often when we think about giving our lives to Christ, [39:02] so often when we consider giving our lives to what it means to be a follower of Jesus Christ, [39:07] for some reason we’re pre-programmed and this is because of our sin to think less than.

[39:14] We think I’m going to have to do without what I really want to be about in my life. [39:19] We think it’s not as good. [39:21] We think it’s just going to be sacrifice. [39:24] But see what Paul’s getting us to understand about Timothy and Epaphroditus is that these were men that yes they sacrificed. [39:31] Yes they pushed hard. [39:32] Yes Epaphroditus served so hard that it risked his physical health to his deathbed.

[39:39] But they did that because of the joy that following Jesus gave them. [39:44] Because they actually had the faith to believe that if I submit myself to the process that God says will lead to the promise of his life, [39:52] then I will have a greater life than I could possibly have apart from this. [39:56] And my question to you is do you have that faith?

[40:01] Do you have it? [40:03] Do you want it? [40:06] Do you desire for God to activate that type of life inside of you? [40:12] And if you do then what is holding you back?

[40:20] He said five amazing things about Epaphroditus specifically. [40:26] He said that Epaphroditus’ life because he was Paul’s brother in the faith, [40:31] he was a fellow worker in the faith, he was a fellow soldier in the faith, he was a messenger for them, [40:36] and he was a minister to Paul’s needs. [40:39] He says this guy is legit.

[40:43] And if Philippi wanted to be legit then they would see him and respond with respect as students ready to receive a lesson about life.

[40:56] Paul says when he shows up you honor him. [41:01] This is a guy that gives his all for the faith. [41:04] But so often when we see guys like that we are quick to question, we are quick to criticize, we are quick to annoy.

[41:12] Why? [41:14] Because we don’t want to move forward.

[41:17] And anybody that has the audacity to tell us to move forward is to be questioned above everything else. [41:22] And so Paul says don’t you dare do that. [41:25] He says when he comes he is coming with joy. [41:27] And when he comes you honor him. [41:29] When he comes you listen to him. [41:32] And he says in verse 30, he says because he nearly died for the work of Christ.

[41:37] Risking his life to complete what was lacking in your service to me. [41:41] Here is the amazing thing that he says about Paul and Timothy. [41:43] And this is what sets Paul, excuse me, Paul, Timothy and Epaphroditus apart from everybody else. [41:49] Even you and me.

[41:52] Is that they did not want their faith activated so that they would change. [42:00] You say what do you mean? Isn’t that what you have been saying all along? [42:03] It is. [42:04] But the way for you to change, the way for you to grow, the way for you to be the person that God has designed for you to be as you follow Jesus Christ isn’t about you.

[42:16] Timothy and Epaphroditus had the faith to change others. [42:21] Timothy and Epaphroditus had the faith to understand that the only way to follow Jesus was to lose all self interest, was to lose all self worth, [42:31] was to reject the self and care more about other people than they cared about themselves. [42:38] They wanted to make disciples.

[42:43] I am passionate at this point in my life to make disciples who make disciples who make disciples. [42:51] But when I talk to so many people, the only disciple that you are concerned with is yourself. [42:58] And when that is the case, here’s what I want you to understand. [43:02] You will never change.

[43:07] You will never grow. [43:09] You will never become the person that God wants you to be. [43:14] Because so long as your interests are primary, so long as what you want is primary, so long as your needs are primary, you are nothing like Jesus Christ.

[43:29] It is only by getting over yourself that you can have the faith that God has for you to change activated. [43:38] Because God isn’t satisfied with you.

[43:45] God wants to change other people through you.

[43:52] God wants you to make disciples in your life.

[44:00] So the question you have to ask yourself is what are you investing in?

[44:04] What are you investing in with your life?

[44:09] Every single one of us is on a path that is leading somewhere. [44:14] All of us. [44:16] And what you have got to figure out is that what you are investing in with your time, your resources, your energy, [44:22] what you are doing with those things will reveal to you what path you are actually on. [44:28] And the path that you are on determines where you end up. [44:32] You are headed somewhere and the reality is that if many of you don’t change your lives, here is the sad truth.

[44:39] You will never make a disciple.

[44:45] To imagine the tragedy.

[44:52] I have got to be real with you just for a second that many of you have claimed the name of Christ for years.

[45:00] Have you made a disciple?

[45:06] See the legitimacy of Timothy and Epaphroditus’ faith was proven because they wanted to make disciples [45:13] and they put their life in order to do it.

[45:18] And I ask, where is your resume?

[45:23] Have you made a disciple? [45:24] And some of you are like, yes I made a disciple in 1984.

[45:29] And I praise God for that. [45:31] That is a person whose life was changed forever because you had the faith to do it. [45:38] But many of you, you made a disciple, maybe you made 10, maybe you made 20, [45:42] but somewhere along the line you got discouraged and you quit.

[45:50] And I say, what is going to get you back in the game?

[45:55] Somewhere along the line you got discouraged, you quit, maybe you never got on the field, [46:00] maybe you are sitting there and you are just like, I have got to do something with my life. [46:04] And here is what I want you to understand this morning. [46:07] Disciples invest in discipleship.

[46:11] And if you aren’t doing that, are you a disciple?

[46:16] Are you?

[46:20] As we transition into a time of communion, [46:23] I think the words in this text are some of the hardest words [46:28] written anywhere in the book of Philippians, [46:31] maybe even in the scripture [46:32] because it makes us come face to face with what discipleship actually is [46:36] and what discipleship actually calls us to do.

[46:38] It calls us to reject or deny the self. [46:41] It calls us to die to our own passions and desires [46:46] and it calls us to live a resurrected life [46:49] and following Jesus, our God, our King, our Savior.

[46:56] And when we do that, that begins a cycle that will need repeated [46:59] over and over and over again [47:01] but it will call us to the greatest life possible [47:04] and that is the life of loving God and loving others [47:07] and giving of ourselves into that over and over again.

[47:12] And the example is in Jesus. [47:16] On the tables around this room, [47:18] the bread on the plate represents the broken body of Jesus [47:21] and the cup represents His shed blood. [47:25] That’s the price that Jesus paid to forgive me of my sins [47:28] and to forgive you of your sins.

[47:32] And maybe you’re in here today and you say, [47:35] I don’t even know that I have ever lived by faith.

[47:40] My call to you is that you can begin the journey of a disciple today [47:44] right now because he has done everything that ever needs to be done [47:48] to forgive you of your sins and to give you a new life in him. [47:53] If you will trust in him, he will forgive you. [47:57] But consider the cost.

[48:01] Consider that when you put your faith in Jesus Christ, [48:05] you say yes to following Him in your life. [48:08] He will never leave you, He will never forsake you [48:11] and you will spend eternity in His kingdom [48:13] but He says, come, follow me. [48:17] And faith says, yes, I will.

[48:20] If that’s you this morning, [48:22] I’m going to call you in just a moment. [48:23] Instead of coming to take the Lord’s Supper, [48:25] maybe step out in the foyer, [48:26] someone will pray with you, [48:27] someone will answer some questions that you might have.

[48:30] But many of you are in here and you have faith in Jesus. [48:34] You trusted Him as your Savior [48:36] but you’re not making disciples.

[48:39] And my call to you is repent of your sins. [48:43] First, be a disciple

[48:46] so that you can make disciples. [48:49] So when you come, you’re going to eat and you’re going to drink [48:51] but before you do that, [48:53] I want you to sit and pray just for a moment [48:55] and consider what is it going to take, [48:58] what do you need to turn away from,

[49:01] what do you need to reject, [49:02] what do you need to die to [49:04] so that you can rise to the life of a disciple of Christ. [49:08] And then when you are ready to consider the cost, [49:11] to count it, [49:12] to follow,

[49:14] come, reflect on the death of our King.