By Audrey Bauman

Philippians 2: 19 - 30  NLT

Paul Commends Timothy

19 If the Lord Jesus is willing, I hope to send Timothy to you soon for a visit. Then he can cheer me up by telling me how you are getting along. 20 I have no one else like Timothy, who genuinely cares about your welfare. 21 All the others care only for themselves and not for what matters to Jesus Christ. 22 But you know how Timothy has proved himself. Like a son with his father, he has served with me in preaching the Good News. 23 I hope to send him to you just as soon as I find out what is going to happen to me here. 24 And I have confidence from the Lord that I myself will come to see you soon.

Paul Commends Epaphroditus

25 Meanwhile, I thought I should send Epaphroditus back to you. He is a true brother, co-worker, and fellow soldier. And he was your messenger to help me in my need. 26 I am sending him because he has been longing to see you, and he was very distressed that you heard he was ill. 27 And he certainly was ill; in fact, he almost died. But God had mercy on him—and also on me, so that I would not have one sorrow after another.

28 So I am all the more anxious to send him back to you, for I know you will be glad to see him, and then I will not be so worried about you. 29 Welcome him in the Lord’s love and with great joy, and give him the honor that people like him deserve. 30 For he risked his life for the work of Christ, and he was at the point of death while doing for me what you couldn’t do from far away.

Do you know someone who has been a mentor to you? Someone who has encouraged you in your faith? Someone you've admired because of their devotion to God and their graceful personality? Someone who has helped you in any way?

When we began studying Philippians, we looked at the story of when Timothy first began travelling with Paul. One of his first stops was at Philippi, and that visit made an impact on Timothy's life when he saw Paul and Silas put in jail and then God rescued them in a miraculous way. Charles R. Swindoll, in his commentary, Living Insights: Philippians, lists 20 places where Timothy is mentioned in Paul's letters. In fact, Paul even wrote 1 and 2 Timothy to help that young man be an excellent pastor. Timothy learned so much from Paul; it wouldn't suprise me if Timothy thought of Paul as his father, his faith father. And Paul even says, "Like a son with his father, he has served with me in preaching the Good News."

Think of the pastors who have influenced you; the pastors you've learned so much from. Think of the Sunday School teachers, or the Bible study leaders who have encouraged you in your faith. Are there family members or friends who have helped you face all those 'bumps' or difficult times in your life as they prayed for you? Paul mentioned Timothy in many of his letters. Timothy must have heard about that - how do you suppose he felt when he read or was told about being mentioned? Is there someone in your life who would be blessed if you wrote and told them how much they had helped you?

This is the only place in the Bible that Epaphroditus is mentioned. We don't know anything about him, but I wonder if he was a fairly young man who agreed to take the long journey to bring Paul the gifts from the church at Philippi. He was so sick in Philippi, he almost died. Paul was so thankful that God spared him, and now is sending him home to bring all the good news he's heard from Paul. Paul wants the church to honour Epaphroditus for being willing to take such a difficult journey.

I've been a member of Lakeshore St. Andrews for 23 years. Over those years, I've seen so many people younger than me who have contributed so much to the life of our church. Have I thanked them, written them a note ... No. Reading these verses has definitely told me to start writing some notes. Let's follow Paul's example and encourage those younger people by telling them how much they mean to us and to God's work at LSA.

Our song for today is Gratitude by Brandon Lake.