Title: Supporting Role in History (Phil 19)
Contents
Title: A Supporting Role in History (Explanation of the Book of Philippians 19)
(Sunday service on September 9, 2007, text: Philippians 2:25~30)
This is an anecdote when the world famous Leonard Bernstein played. When it was time to talk freely, one of his favorite fans asked: “Mr. Bernstein, of all the instruments, which is the most difficult to handle?” Then he replied in a witty way: “This is my second violin. Anyone who can play the 1st violin brilliantly can be found. However, it is very difficult to find someone who plays the second violin with the same enthusiasm as the person who plays the first violin. The same is true for the French horn or flute. There are many primary players, but very few secondary players who can make beautiful harmony with them. If no one wants to be a second player, then music is forever impossible, right?”
Historical dramas such as “Women’s Heaven” and “Jumong” were works that had amazing viewership ratings at the time. However, in such a successful drama, there are excellent leads, but there are supporting actors with solid acting skills that made them shine as much as they do. Everyone may want to be the protagonist of history. So it's not easy to meet a good supporting actor.
Ebabrodido, introduced today, is a person who plays the second violin and is the same person as a supporting actor. But he played with the same enthusiasm as the first violinist, and he did his best with the lead. Its characteristic can be described as 'loyal' in one word. He is a loyal man. He is a man who has done his best for the work entrusted to him. His devotion came from loyalty. When Paul thought of Epaphroditus, the word that came to mind was ‘loyalty’. He is a man of unchanging loyalty, unchanging loyalty, and unwavering loyalty. God is looking for faithful people like Epaphroditus.
So, what kind of loyalty can we learn from Epabrodido? Today we will learn what kind of loyalty God is looking for through Epaphroditus.
First, a faithful person is loyal to the task entrusted to him.
Workers are entrusted with work, and what workers need to seek at that time is loyalty. “Man ought to consider us ministers of Christ, entrusters of the mystery of God, and
What is required of those entrusted with it is fidelity” (1 Corinthians 4:1-2).
It was the task entrusted to Epaphroditus. It was to help the apostle Paul write. It was to deliver the missionary funds collected by the Philippians to help the apostle Paul. Philippians 2:25 “He who helps my needs” is written. Also, Philippians 4:18 says, “I have all things and I have abundance, and I am content with what you have given me on the part of Epaphroditus, an acceptable fragrant offering, pleasing to God.
Loyalty (忠誠) means putting the Word (言) in the center of the heart (center) and achieving it (成). In other words, you do not do what you want to do, but do what the master entrusts you with. Jesus did not come to this earth to accomplish his work. He came to accomplish the work that Father had entrusted to him. Jesus prays this way in John 17:4. “I have glorified you in this world by doing what you gave me to do.” The writer of Hebrews expresses this faithfulness of Jesus. “He was faithful to him who appointed him, as Moses did in all the house of God” (Hebrews 3:2).
We have a mission to fulfill on this earth, and each has a given role. This is true at home, at work, and at church. There is a mission, there is a role. When you do your best in that mission and role, it is said to be loyal. It's not about working hard on your own. Epabrodido did his best in the task entrusted to him. Learn the allegiance of Epabrodido.
Second, a faithful person is faithful in small things.
Maybe Epaphroditus is a man who is loyal in small things. He is not a man of great achievements. And the work given to him may not seem so great. He just delivered the mission expenses of the Philippian church for Paul, who is fighting at the forefront of the gospel. In other words, he was silently supporting him. But he risked his death to provide for Paul's needs and, despite his illness, did not take care of himself and was loyal. Although we could not preach the gospel directly like the apostle Paul, we participated in evangelism together by supplying the necessary items of the apostle Paul who preached the gospel.
There is General MacArthur who succeeded in the Incheon Landing during the Korean War. He emphasized four things as “the prerequisites for a successful military.” The first is morale, the second is strength, the third is sufficient supply, and the fourth is accurate knowledge of the enemy. Morale, strength, and the need for accurate knowledge of the enemy are common knowledge. But what is easily forgotten is the importance of dissemination. People can endure extreme situations for a while. But if it continues, it is not easy to endure it.
Epaphroditus, in a sense, served to provide sufficient supplies for Paul who was fighting at the forefront. I also have a few people like Epabrodido. They provided material and prayers from the beginning of Dawn Dew Church here. I am still supplying my stuff. If it wasn't for their supply, I might not have come this far. It may be possible to overcome temporary financial difficulties, but if the difficulties persist, it is by no means an easy problem.
They are not preaching the gospel directly here, but they are participating in prayer and material things. Perhaps this is, as General MacArthur pointed out, the most important factor in being a successful army. So they are loyal to the little things, but in fact, those little things are never small things, but big things in the Lord. Be faithful in the little things, like Epaphroditus. It will never be a small thing in the Lord.
Third, faithful people fulfill their mission until death.
True loyalty is to be faithful in the task entrusted to you, to be faithful in the little things, and to fulfill that mission even to the point of death. Epabroditus was loyal to death in fulfilling his mission.
Philippians 2:27 “He fell sick and died”
Philippians 2:30 “Even when he came to die for the service of Christ, he did not take care of his life, so that your work in serving me might be lacking.”
It is easy to start work, but difficult to complete. D.L Moody said, “Give me the man who said it was one thing I did, not 50 things I tried. That is, it is not easy to meet someone who completes the mission to the end.
However, it is more difficult to fulfill one's mission at the cost of death. Epaphroditus is a man who is faithful to the point of death. Several difficulties arose in the process of fulfilling the mission. He became ill to death. If a person's disease lasts for a long time, the heart becomes stronger and it is easy to forget the mission. I last week for a week
I suffered from body aches and back pain as a result of playing in the water with the children at work, and it continues to this day. But it was not a very pleasant time. Even though Epabroditus suffered a fatal disease, he was fulfilling his mission to the end.
Jesus fulfilled the mission that God sent to this earth to the point of death. By dying on the cross, He opened the way for all mankind to be saved. While on this earth, Jesus did not solve all the problems, but took on the mission that was given to him. And he was faithful to the point of death, and he drank only after fulfilling that mission. That is why Jesus declared, “It is finished” just before his death.
When I saw this prayer, I was moved and painted “praying hands”. D rer's friend is a second violinist, possibly a supporting actor. But he was loyal to D rer. And that loyalty was never just for D rer, but for the glory of God. In the end, Durer's friend was loyal to God.
Jesus lived on this earth as a supporting actor of God. We are all supporting actors of Jesus. What a supporting actor needs most is loyalty. Today the Lord is looking for loyal people on this earth. How will we respond?