Philippians chapter 2 and I'll just read verse 25 down to verse 30. Yet I supposed it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus my brother, and companion in labor, and fellow-soldier, but your messenger, and he that ministered to my wants. For he longed after you all, and was full of heaviness, because that ye had heard that he had been sick. For indeed, he was sick nigh unto death. but God had mercy on him, and not on him only, but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow. I sent him therefore, the more carefully, that when ye see him again, ye may rejoice, and that I may be the less sorrowful. Receive him therefore in the Lord with all gladness, and hold such in reputation, because for the work of Christ he was nigh on to death, not regarding his life to supply your lack of service toward me. In Philippians chapter 2, the Apostle Paul has been speaking about Christian service. And he taught believers from the greatest example of service to God, from the life of the Lord Jesus Christ, both in his humiliation and his exaltation. It is Christ who has done all things well. His life was well-pleasing to the Father. Christ did all things without murmurings and disputings. He lived in this world as the light of the world among this crooked and perverse nation. He held forth the word of life to dine men and women. He lived to glorify God, and his mind was filled with the will of God. By glorifying God, Christ gave his life a ransom for the many. He offered his life as one complete sacrifice unto God. He laid down his life in full surrender to secure many sons to be brought to glory. And through Christ, sinners around the world are blessed with the gospel. Therefore, in his closing remarks of Philippians chapter 2, the Apostle Paul, having taken Christ, the greatest example of service, serving with the mind of Christ, the Lord then refers to three believers who had a life of service that seemed to copy, that seemed to emulate the life of the Lord Jesus. They are Paul himself, Timothy and Epaphroditus. All three sacrificially served one another and the church at Philippi. They surrendered their life to Christ. They were devoted to do the will of God and they were dedicated in the will of God. All three were a blessing to those whom they ministered to. and who they spread the gospel. We've already looked in recent studies of Paul speaking about himself and the offering that he offered in sacrifice. We've also spoke about Timothy, how Paul said that Timothy is a man who would care for them. But now we also look then at the start of Epaphroditus. An inner opening message of Epaphroditus. We looked at his salvation and we look at his service. That he was a man, as verse 25 states, a brother. There is a brother in the Lord. One saved by the grace of God. One redeemed by precious blood. Are you saved by the grace of God? Do you have faith in Christ alone? Can you say, redeemed, how I love to proclaim it, redeemed by the blood of the Lamb? My brother, and then his service, a companion in labor, a fellow soldier, your messenger, and he that ministered to my wants. Now as we continue, we want to look at some other thoughts regarding the example of Hepatovirus. Not only his salvation, his service, but notice also the sickness of Hepatovirus. The next words that Paul writes about Hepatovirus, they are astonishing, they are amazing. You think of all that has been written so far about this man Epaphroditus, how he is a brother, how he has served in the gospel ministry, how he has been that fellow soldier, that man who has got into the work of God, that man who has served faithfully with Paul in the gospel. And yet Paul says at the end of verse 26 and the start of verse 27, At the same time, while he was serving, he had been sick. For indeed, he was sick nigh unto death. The word sick means to be without strength. It refers to a weakness. So this man, Epaphroditus, as he served God by serving the church and by ministering to Paul and standing with Paul in the gospel, he did it In his weakness, he was sick, he had this bodily weakness. The phrase, Nigh unto death, means that death was near. Death was drawing close. That is the word in the original. It means death was near. That's how strong, that's how severe his sickness was. Here is a believer, at the point of death, one who was bodily weakness, one who was near death, and yet he was a soldier of the Lord. He was a man who labored with Paul. He was a man who went all the way in the gospel and still give us all in service. He didn't say, you know what, I'm not well, I can't do anything anymore for the Lord. I have a bodily weakness, I'm just going to stay at home at Philippi and not do anything. No, here is a man still with a bodily sickness and he got into the work of God and he was a companion in labour, a fell soldier, one who laboured in the work. Now the Holy Spirit has not chosen to reveal when or where Epaphroditus became sick or what sickness he had. That's not the point. The point is this. The Holy Spirit wants us to learn from this passage that he laboured with this sickness. the Lord still had a work for him to do. And no matter how much God chooses to use and to bless the labors of his servants, or how faithfully they labor for the Master, here is one lesson we all learn. No Christian is immunized from sickness. There are different types of sickness, as in the case of Epaphroditus, who was sick nigh unto death, who had this bodily weakness, who was without strength. Remember Hezekiah in Isaiah 38 verse 1, he was sick unto death. or Lazarus in John chapter 11, or Dorcas, also named Tabitha, in Acts chapter 9, verse 37 to 39, or in 2 Timothy chapter 4, verse 40, at Trophimus, have I left up my leadom sick, Have I left with a bodily weakness? So here were servants who were sick, still laboring, but in all their sicknesses, God still had a purpose. And you read the lives of those we've just mentioned, whether Hezekiah or others or Lazarus, in their sickness, In their bodily weakness, God still had a purpose. God still intervened in a most marvellous way to show that he hears and answers prayer. God decides through sickness that that person will grow in grace and know more of the Lord as he draws in a time of need. Through sickness, God shows that he hears and he answers prayer. Through sickness, God restores his people and they begin to seek the Lord, trusting him as they have never done before. Through sickness, God is pleased to bring about the salvation of sinners watching on. Through sickness, God brings comfort to believers who are going through similar situations. Through sickness, God strengthens weaker believers, though they may not be sick themselves, yet whenever they see the one who is sick, and the evidence, the grace of God in their life, it strengthens them. And that has been the case even in my life, as I've learned these lessons from other people. Even take Dr. Douglas as a prime example. We could use many, but there was a man before his death, as he was in the hospital bed, in the hospital bed, and we could say, like a paphroditus, He was a man sick nigh unto death, and ministers testified that whenever they came to be a comfort to him, to be an encouragement to him, how he was an encouragement to them. And in the Bible reading, he would often point out some particular phrase, some particular word in Scripture, and give a wee sermon, give a wee message there in the hospital. And that minister left refreshed. That minister left encouraged through the sickness of another. Epaphroditus. was sick on to death. And that tells us a great lesson. Until God calls you home, God still has a work for you to do. God is not finished with you. Though sickness came, he still laboured. He was still a fellow worker. He still ministered to the needs of Paul. And there is a major lesson. God plans to use you. Sickness is not the end, but it is a new ministry of service. True, it may be in a different manner than before. There may be some limitations than before, but nonetheless, God has a work for you to do, even in sickness. and that is to show the sufficiency of His grace. God can touch any life. He can do great and mighty things in taking someone who is ill in body and give more years to live if He so chooses as He did with Lazarus, as He did with Hezekiah, as He did with Epaphroditus. You ask why doesn't God heal me? Why doesn't he heal my loved one? That's the question Mary and Martha had whenever their brother Lazarus. took sick, and then he died. And they came to the Lord and said, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died. But again, God had a purpose for that. And we know that obviously God raised Lazarus from the dead to show many, many gospel lessons. One, he is the resurrection and the life. Also to show a great gospel picture, that is Lazarus was dead in the tomb and he remained dead until God spoke with that voice that wakes the dead and called him forth. So that is a gospel picture of every lost sinner in the tomb of their sin, dead in trespasses and in sin. And it's only the voice of God that will bring you out of deadness to spiritual life. Also as well, to show the picture that he that believeth in him though he were dead, yet shall he live. The one who has eternal life in Christ will live forevermore. But there are certain questions that they rest in the sovereign plan and good pleasure of God. The sacred things belong on to the Lord. And in every sickness, God has his own divine purpose. In the case of Epaphroditus, he indeed was sick nigh unto death. But God had mercy on him. God had mercy, compassion, pity upon Apatroditus. And don't let those words pass you by. Don't forget them. Because through sickness, God doesn't have to touch any life. Remember, God had mercy on him. Sickness is the consequence. the result, the evidence of sin and rebellion against God. Sickness came into the world because man disobeyed God. But the very fact that Hepatitis was raised up and the very fact that any person is raised up from a time of sickness is due to God's mercy. God was merciful to Hepatitis. God withhold from him what he fully deserved. When we're sick and God heals us, it's because God is merciful. Whenever we're sick and still able to serve, it is because God is merciful. In my sickness, if my sickness is not on to death, It is due to God's mercy. Every breath I take, every extra minute I have on earth, every day I live, it is due to God's mercy. Because I deserve the wages of sin, which is death. And God in mercy has saved sinners, delivering them from the penalty and the punishment of sin. Though they're not yet delivered from the presence of sin, the sorrow of sin, the pain of sin that will take place at the appearing of the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall change our file body, that it may be fashioned like unto His glorious body. And when we shall all be changed, for this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. Epaphroditus did not know that he would take sick and in his sickness he did not know that God would heal him but before his sickness and during his sickness he was a brother in the Lord. He labored in the work of God as a fellow soldier. He was a messenger to the people at Philippi, and he labored to help Paul. Even after his sickness, as he returned back to Philippi, he still served the Lord. Believer, in your times of sickness, in your times of weakness, God has been merciful to you, even with all the limitations, even with all the struggles. God has given you opportunity to serve Him. Oh yes, you may have a sickness that hinders your legs, not able to walk as fast around the doors, but you have a mouth to testify of the grace of God, what He has done for you. You still have, you may, some people I know maybe have taken a stroke and not able to use their mouth. but they can still do something to indicate that they seek God in prayer. Still serving the Lord. Don't wait until sickness comes to serve the Lord. Let me personalize it to this congregation. Don't wait until sickness comes to get to the prayer meeting. Don't wait until sickness comes to teach the Sunday school. Don't wait until sickness comes to serve in the toddler ministry. Serve the Lord. Don't wait until you have regrets. I wish I could have given Him more. God has given you this time now. Serve the Lord. Epaphroditus was a man who was sick. He had this bodily weakness. Death was near, but he served the Lord. He ministered to Paul. He stood for the Gospel. And God had mercy upon him. But notice also the selflessness of Epaphroditus. When Epaphroditus was at Rome with Paul, the church at Philippi heard that he had been sick on the death. My verse 26 is a precious verse and a wonderful example dealing with Christian love and concern that there ought to be between believers in God's house and among one another. There was a strong union between the saints at Philippi and Epaphroditus. Notice, they heard that he had been sick, and upon hearing this news, that they heard he was sick, Apatroditus was full of heaviness, because he heard that he had been sick. So they were concerned about him, but he was concerned about them concerned about him. So I hope you got that. I don't want to repeat that again and muddle it up. It sounded good the first time as one man said. But the phrase fool of heaviness means to be distressed. They were distressed for him and he was distressed for them concerning their distress for him. They were concerned. They were restless. As soon as Epaphroditus learned that the saints at Philippi had heard of his sickness, he was continually distressed. They were on his mind. He thought about them. In fact, Paul even said, he longed after you all and was full of heaviness. because he heard that he had been sick. The word longed for, as you have there before you, means to desire earnestly. It means to have a passion. And so he longed after them. He desired to be with them more, to comfort them, to show that he was well, and that God had mercy upon him. The bond that the Philippians had with Hepatoviridis, was so deep that he was distressed because they were worried about him. In fact, Epaphroditus was more concerned about the Philippians' worry for him than he was about his own situation. And so here is the man that had the mind of Christ. He loved and he longed after the saints at Philippi. Now remember, At the end of Philippians chapter 2, Paul is speaking about, here are men of God who serve you in the church. And never forget this, what Paul is getting at. Philippians chapter 1 and halfway through Philippians chapter 2, Paul has been mentioning certain people. who have been preaching Christ for their own advantage, their own gain. They're not interested about the work of God. They're not interested about the people of God. They're just focused about their own way self. And so Paul says, among these people, They don't seek the things of Christ. They seek their own gain. They seek their own advantage. What they're doing, it's not because of Christ. Oh, they say it is. They make it out as if it is, but it is not. They seek their own things. And so Paul is saying, look at Christ. Those men, they're nothing like Christ. They don't have the mind of Christ at all. But here are men who are good for office. Here are men in the church who do care for you. Paul names himself, but then he says also Timothy, also Epaphroditus. And as we're thinking about the future of this work, regarding future elders in the will of God, and regarding future deacons in the work of God, we don't want men who seek their own things. We want men who seek the things of Christ. We want men who serve, who have the mind of Christ. Men who are not filled with pride. Men who are not filled with self. Men who have a bond between people and congregation. Men who are fellow labourers. Men who will stand with the minister as he patronised us and Timothy stood with Paul. Men who can be trusted. As Paul was in Rome, Paul could say, I will send you Timothy. He will care for you. I can trust him. I will send Epaphroditus back to you. I can trust him." Men who can be trusted. Therefore, in this congregation, where are the men? Where are the men who will take up membership? Where are the men who will surrender to the call, to the office of deaconship? Where are the men who will say, to be like Paul, to be like Timothy, to be like Epaphroditus, yea, to have the mind of Christ, who will serve. Epaphroditus, he was burdened for the Philippians. He put others before himself. He put the church at Philippi before himself. He was Christ-like in his life, because the Lord Jesus Christ put the well-being of others before himself. He came to earth to be obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. He came to do good unto all men, especially the household of faith. He came to give His life a ransom for sinners He came to save. And upon the cross, He prayed for sinners, Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do. And then he also thought of the needs of his people. You think of Mary in John chapter 19 verse 26 and 27. Christ is on the cross and John comes and Mary is there. When Jesus therefore saw his mother and the disciple standing by whom he loved, he saith unto his mother, Woman, behold thy son. Then he saith to the disciple, Behold thy mother. And from that hour that disciple took her unto his own home. There even on the cross, not only did Christ pray for sinners he had come to save, Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do. But also He took care of the needs of His people. He made sure His mother was looked after. Made sure after He died, His mother was given over to this disciple, who would take her home and care for her and love her. There's Christ putting others, the need of others before Himself. Word spoken from the cross. And Christ's prayer is still answered today. For sinners whom He prayed for are drawn to Him by everlasting love. Sinners He came to save, He is redeeming. And one day He will return in great power and in great glory and gather the jewels of His diadem, His necklace, that all be gathered together. One place, one body, one shepherd. Therefore, believer, you can think about it. On the cross, you were on the mind of Christ when He suffered and He died for you to bring you now on to God. Therefore, that is the men we want in office. Not men filled with self. Not men filled with pride. Men filled with a love of Christ and a love for the people of God. Men who will attend the services here and seek the Lord's honour and the Lord's own glory. Finally, salutation of Epaphroditus. With all that has taken place concerning Epaphroditus' service, his sickness, all these different things, and his desire to be with the Philippians, Paul feels it's time for Epaphroditus to return to Philippi. And he was sent to Paul by the church at Philippi for a purpose. And Paul can testify of that purpose, that purpose has been met. Epaphroditus has come to me and he's ministered to me, ministered to my needs, whatever those needs were, he has ministered. The Philippians wanted to serve Paul. They wanted to be used for the glory of God. And due to distance, they could all not travel over to Rome, so they sent a paphroditus with certain gifts, and they were used for God's glory. But now it's time for Paul to send a paphroditus back. Verse 28, verse 29, I sent him therefore the more carefully. that when ye see him, notice again, that ye may rejoice, and that I may be less sorrowful. Receive him therefore in the Lord with all gladness, and hold such in reputation. And so Paul says to the church at Philippi, whenever Epaphroditus returns, Hold him in such reputation. In other words, encourage him, honour him, lift him up. You see, from the point of view, Epaphroditus may feel discouraged. He may feel like a failure. He was sent out to serve Paul, and while that was done, he took sick, and he has now to return home. He may feel, there's more I could have done to help Paul. But whenever he returns, Paul is saying this. He doesn't need murmurings and disputings. He doesn't need harsh words. He doesn't need gossip. Rather, when you see him, greet him. Rejoice to see him. Show forth the mind of Christ. Be glad in the Lord, because God has had mercy upon him. Receive him. The word receive means to accept with favour. to receive unto one, to take possession of. And it's in the continual sense. And so, the point is this. Epaphroditus was sent to me by you, a labourer, a fellow labourer, a companion. He ministered in my wants. But he took sick, a sickness unto death. But God has been merciful to him. God's raised him up. Then when I send him back to you, receive him, take him unto yourself, and every time you see him, be thankful for him. Every time you see him, rejoice in the Lord. In other words, every time you see him, receive him like it's the first time you have seen him. And really, believer, that is what it should be, Sunday after Sunday. Every time you come to God's house, never take anybody for granted. Maybe some people get sick of the congregation when they're not here and I say, I missed you, I'm praying for you. That's not to get at you for not being here. That is to say, I love you and I miss you in the house of God, because I don't take you for granted. Paul says, every time you see Paphrodite, in other words, every time you come Lord's Day after Lord's Day, you greet your fellow believer like it's the first time you've ever met them. Keep greeting them the same. Don't just take it for granted that they're there. Each week, be so glad to see them in the house of God. When visitors come in, when new people come in, Better not be none of this nonsense, you're in my seat by the way, move over. Or I sit there, sit somewhere else, no nonsense. Be glad someone's there. And if someone is sitting in a seat, if you want to use the phrase, where you normally would be sitting, then you just say, Lord, I've been blessed in that seat many times. Bless that person who's sitting there as well. And Lord, bring them back again. Treat each other like it's the first time you see them. Good to see you again. I'm praying for you. And that's what Paul is saying to Pat Froditus, to the Church of Philippi, when he goes home, when he goes back, receive him. Do it joyfully. Rejoice. Hold such in reputation. Honour him. Esteem him. Why is that? It's not because of the minister. I know ministers, people may show respect to ministers and lift them up. It's not because of that there. It's not to lift them up at all. He says, because of the work of Christ. He is a man who served the Lord. Therefore, don't despise him. Don't reject him. He is one who served well. He's taken sick. Therefore, receive him. Don't mistreat him. Don't cast him aside. Rather, because he regarded not his life, he risked his life. He surrendered his life for the gospel. He put himself in danger. He stood with me in hard times. Therefore, receive him. when such a man is a Christ-like example. Such a man was a man who offered his life for the work of the Lord Jesus Christ. And therefore, believer, I pray that as we've learned from Paul, from Timothy, from Epaphroditus, that both men and women will take certain examples from these believers and learn to serve with the mind of Christ. Learn to love one another, to pray for one another, and above all, surrender our lives afresh for the work of the Lord Jesus Christ, to live for the honor and for the glory of the Lord. May the Lord write his word upon our heart. For his name's sake, amen.