Articles
The Servant’s Heart in Philippi
The Servant’s Heart in Philippi
By Paul R. Blake
The servant’s heart - Christ had it; it was part of His Divine Nature. Paul had it; he learned it from Christ. Timothy and Epaphroditus had it; they learned it from the life of Christ and the example of Paul. The Philippians had it; they learned it from the life of Christ and the examples of Paul, Timothy, and Epaphroditus. It is a godly characteristic that can be taught and learned. We can have it, too; we can learn it from the life of Christ, from the examples of dedicated soldiers of the cross, and from the Philippians.
The servant’s heart is seen in Christ dying for Paul, and in Paul living for Christ. It is seen in Paul suffering for the Philippians, and in the Philippians sharing in Paul’s burden at every opportunity. It is seen in Epaphroditus who came near to death for the sake of Paul and the Philippians. It is seen in every unselfish deed a Christian does for someone else. It is the essence of Christ on the cross, of Paul in frequent perils, and of saints who eagerly wait on others without a thought of themselves or of a reward. It is the fruit of a mature, loving soul that proves he is in Christ, that he has the mind of Christ, and that one day will be with Christ.
The Philippians manifest the true servant’s heart. Though Paul had learned contentment, and though he knew that Christ could make it possible for him to do all things, he praises them for actively showing interest in his sufferings and needs, as it confirmed their proper regard for a preacher of the gospel.
By communicating with Paul in his affliction, the Philippians took part in his affliction. They helped Paul to bear his hard times by taking some of the responsibility for his financial needs upon themselves. In this way, disciples share in each other’s burdens. The saint who is afflicted has his trial reduced by the amount of help given him by others, and those who send the relief take on a measure of their afflicted brother’s trial in the amount of aid they render. Thus the load is reduced by being shared around by many, rather than only being borne by one. In addition, the relief the Philippians sent not only supplied Paul’s wants, but it encouraged him with the knowledge that he was not forgotten by them.
When Paul left Macedonia (Acts 17:14), he departed from Berea motivated by trouble generated by the Jews, making it necessary for him to go away for his own safety. He left in haste under persecution and found himself suddenly in need of comforting aid. Both then as well as when he was in Thessalonica (Acts 17:1-10), he needed financial support from others so that he might continue to preach the gospel. At that time, no other congregation sent to Paul’s relief except for Philippi. This does not necessarily mean he blamed other churches for not helping him. In view of the difficulty in reliable means of communication in that day, they might not have known of his condition. Paul simply commends and encourages the Philippians for their careful attention to his circumstances. Thus it is that encouragement finds its most effective role. One brother looks at others for the purpose of finding good works and fine qualities in them. He then praises those works and qualities in order to move them to cultivate and develop those characteristics even more. Being attentive to the needs of evangelists in distant, difficult places was a quality that needed to be encouraged in the Philippians, who serve as an example to disciples in all places in this matter.
Paul does not rejoice over the Philippians’ gift of money out of covetousness or personal interest. Grateful as he was for their generosity, he was primarily interested in the fact that it would ultimately lead to their own spiritual good. It was evidence that they were governed by the servant’s heart, and without doubt such good works would be rewarded in the end. This is what happens when one with a servant’s heart receives a gift from another with a servant’s heart; there are no selfish feelings involved, but rather he feels a powerful joy in seeing others show the right spirit, and he rejoices in the conviction that they will be rewarded for it. This feeling is part of the fruit of the Spirit that leads one to look away from self and to take pleasure in the happiness of others. Fruit is often used in the word of God to mean results or product. Punishment is the fruit of sin, poverty is the fruit of laziness, and happiness is the fruit of a virtuous life. This language is taken from God’s law of order in all things - that a man reaps the fruit of what he sows. Paul wanted the Philippians to grow such spiritual fruit, so that when they appeared before God, their record would reflect generosity and kindness; and therefore, would reap the same from God in eternity.
Paul was completely satisfied with what they sent to him. While the amount is obviously unknown, it is enough to know that it made his unpleasant situation comfortable. After all, how much money would it take to satiate the needs of a man who had learned contentment with every exigency of life?
The apostle credited their gift as an offering they made to God himself; and as he was inspired, his statement that it was acceptable to God is no less than a declaration from God that He approved of it. One can only imagine how uplifted the Philippians would have been by this passage. The support they sent to Paul manifests the character of the saints at Philippi and sets a standard for all churches to imitate, chiefly: 1) that kindness done to the preachers of the gospel is regarded as an acceptable offering to God, 2) that voluntary kindness to the servants of God in distress is as well-pleasing to God as keeping His commands, 3) that such acts of generosity are proof of dedication to the cause of Christ and are evidence of genuine faith.
Do you have the servant’s heart? You can learn it from countless Bible examples of selfless sacrifices. But it will require your own will to develop and practice it. God will greatly reward it if you do.
A Moments Wisdom
--Constant complaint is the poorest sort of pay for all the comforts we enjoy.
--A wrongdoer is often a man who has left something undone, not always one who has done something wrong.
--Excessive pride is the only disease known to man that makes everyone sick except the one who has it.
--If you are not honest in prayer to God, you will not be honest in conversation with others.
--He who tries to give the meaning of scripture and does not take the meaning from the scripture is the enemy of scripture.
--Sadly, sometimes the only good that comes admitting I was wrong is the joy that others seem to get from hearing me say it.
--Fear can keep us up all night, but faith makes a fine pillow.
--A truly happy person is one who can enjoy the scenery on a detour.
Upcoming Sermons
6/11/23 AM - Flirting with Temptation; PM - Men Who Never Died
6/18/23 AM - “That Great Sin of Omission”; PM - Guarding My Neighbor’s Good Name
6/25/23 AM - Shaking Hands with a Leper; PM - “I Quit!”
7/2/23 AM - Opening a Door for the Gospel; PM - Worship in Song: Congregational Choice of Songs
7/9/23 AM - Gospel Power; PM - Learning by Listening
7/16/23 AM - “As the Elect of God, Holy and Beloved”; PM - Learning by Watching
7/23/23 AM - When Our Rooster Crows; PM - When Lying Feels Right
7/30/23 AM - Milk Drinkers and Meat Eaters; PM - Guest Speaker: Doug Sanders
