Passage: Philippians 2:19-30

The Big Idea

Discipleship is teaching others how to serve God, how to grow in grace. God has made every believer a king and a priest, and Jesus disciples us by His Spirit through His Word. In Timothy we see what grace-centered discipleship produces: like-mindedness, sincere love, proven character and faithful service. In Epaphroditus we see a brother discipled by someone else, honored as family, partner and fellow soldier, who “gambled” his life for the work of Christ. Everyone is betting their life on something. Discipleship teaches us to bet it on the promises of God’s grace.

A Kingdom of Priests

Last time, we learned about serving God: pouring out our lives as a drink offering, not because it’s required, but because of love.

The goal of the church is to serve God. We’re a kingdom of priests. What does that mean?

This was the plan for Israel. God said they would be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation (Exodus 19:6). They were to represent God to the rest of the world so the nations could know Him too.

Now it’s the church’s role. Peter says we are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own special people, so we can proclaim the praises of Him who called us out of darkness into His marvelous light (1 Peter 2:9).

Everyone who trusts in the work of Jesus is given this amazing gift: to be kings and priests.
It doesn’t matter how unworthy you feel. It’s a gift, offered to all who believe.
And it doesn’t go away. Your whole life is now defined by these two roles.

It will be our life forever. Jesus has made us kings and priests to His God and Father (Revelation 1:6), and we will reign on the earth (Revelation 5:10).

So get used to these words. They’ll describe you forever!
King: royalty.
Priest: an honored position of service and representation.
Jesus is the first Priest-King. Melchizedek, both king and priest, pictured Him (Hebrews 7).
So Jesus has been discipling us, teaching us to be kings and priests like Him.
He teaches us how to serve God as He does. The change comes from outside us. It’s given to us, not sourced in us.
He teaches us by the Holy Spirit as we read and hear God’s Word.

In the church, we also teach each other how to serve God. That’s discipleship.

Discipleship is teaching others how to serve God.

The Example of Timothy (2:19-23)

Paul hopes in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to them soon, so he can be encouraged by news of them. He has no one like-minded who will sincerely care for them. Everyone else seeks their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ. But they know Timothy’s proven character: like a son with his father, he served with Paul in the gospel.

Timothy was Paul’s disciple, his “true son in the faith” (1 Timothy 1:2).
Paul was wholeheartedly serving God, with a pastor’s heart. He knew how to honor God and trust His Word, so he took young Timothy under his wing.
After time together, Paul could confidently send Timothy, knowing he’d do what Paul would do if he were there.
That’s why we disciple too. Not to build a big church full of clones in one place, but to send out solid, biblically grounded servants wherever God leads. A healthy church is a sending church.

Discipled in grace

Paul discipled Timothy by teaching him grace. You can see it in both letters to Timothy.

Be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus (2 Timothy 2:1).
The Bible never says to be strong in law-keeping! True obedience is a symptom of a heart captured by grace. And law-breaking is a symptom of a heart that hasn’t yet understood or received grace.

That’s why grace is at the center of discipleship.

The church gathers for worship, meets in small groups, and, most foundationally, meets one-on-one. Grace-centered one-on-one discipleship is the foundation.
It’s time-consuming and slow, because grace has so many facets, like a diamond. Peter calls it the manifold grace of God (1 Peter 4:10).

There are many ideas about discipleship: different plans, courses, Bible colleges and seminaries. But Scripture says all growth in a Christian’s life is tied to understanding and receiving the grace of God.

Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (2 Peter 3:18).

This isn’t a new idea. It’s what the early church did. Paul said his one aim was to finish his race with joy and testify to the gospel of the grace of God. And as he left the Ephesian elders, he commended them to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build them up and give them an inheritance among the sanctified (Acts 20:24, 32).

What Grace Discipleship Produces

Like-mindedness. “I have no one like-minded.”

Discipleship creates people who think alike, and that’s a must for serving together.
I can testify that teaching and discipling according to grace works! It changes lives.
You don’t yet know how much God loves you and has given you in Jesus. It’s our life’s goal to dive into that truth together.
It’s a joy to be like-minded with brothers and sisters who’ve been shaped by grace.

Sincere love. Timothy would sincerely care for them.

We don’t have to fake love.
When grace is our foundation, we naturally grow in real, genuine love.
The solution for a loveless marriage isn’t more rules. It’s more grace: more of God’s supernatural power to become the person He wants you to be.

Bible teacher Bob Hoekstra has described grace as God freely providing for us, as we humbly trust in Jesus, everything we need for growth, godliness and service, everything we need to walk in what we’re called to do and become, and everything our hearts now long for, for His glory. Yet all of it is something we could never deserve, never earn and never produce ourselves.

Proven character. “You know his proven character.”

Timothy’s life showed he was a godly man. There was evidence.
Grace discipleship produces real, visible proof that God is at work, because He changes your very character, and that shows in your actions.
You can’t hide your character. It will come out.

Faithful service. “As a son with his father, he served with me in the gospel.”

Grace is the only way to serve God effectively.
D.L. Moody is said to have preached for years with modest results. After a deeper encounter with the grace and power of the Holy Spirit, he preached many of the same sermons, and multitudes came to Christ.
Why? Because grace is the engine of our spiritual car. Nothing works without it.
No matter how hard you try, you can’t really serve God by trying hard.
A deep understanding and drinking of grace must come first before God uses us greatly.
Timothy, discipled in grace, became a powerful servant of God.
And serving Paul wasn’t a burden. It was like a son with his father. They shared the same goals. Timothy wasn’t serving for a paycheck or recognition. They were working for the same kingdom.

The Example of Epaphroditus (2:24-30)

Paul says he thought it necessary to send back Epaphroditus, my brother, fellow worker and fellow soldier, whom the Philippians had sent to care for Paul’s needs. Epaphroditus was longing for them and distressed that they’d heard he was sick. He nearly died, but God had mercy on him, and on Paul too, sparing him sorrow upon sorrow. So Paul sends him eagerly, so they can rejoice to see him. Paul tells them to welcome him in the Lord with joy and honor people like him, because for the work of Christ he came close to death, risking his life to complete what they couldn’t do for Paul in person.

Paul didn’t disciple Epaphroditus. But he still honored him!
We can’t think that only the people we disciple can really be used by God.
Paul saw that Epaphroditus was a faithful man who’d been discipled back in Philippi, and he received him as:
a brother: family;
a fellow worker: a partner;
a fellow soldier: on the same side in the same battle.

Paul was too busy fighting the real enemy to make an enemy of a brother discipled by someone else.

Believers from other churches and traditions who love Jesus are our brothers and sisters too. We can serve the Lord together in nearly everything, if pride doesn’t get in the way.

A gambler for Christ

Paul says Epaphroditus risked his life. The Greek word was a gambling term: he “gambled” with his life. He was willing to serve God even if it cost him everything. Some early believers who cared for the sick during plagues were even nicknamed “the gamblers.”

Can I ask you a question? Are you gambling your life?

The answer is yes. You’re betting your life on what the world says, on what you think, or on what God’s Word says.

Two of those bets won’t turn out well.

The world says to chase its dreams of success and serve them with your best effort.
Your own mind says to protect yourself at all costs and never take a risk that could cost you everything. Serve yourself with your best effort.
The Word of God invites you to make a “crazy” bet: that God will come through if you simply believe His promises, serving Him by His grace alone.

Have you been betting your life on the wrong thing?

Discipleship is how we learn to “gamble” the right way: learning to trust the Lord by learning His grace.

So get involved in discipleship. Find a brother or sister and meet regularly to talk about God’s promises and grow in grace together.

“I don’t have time!” But Jesus owns your time. He gives you 24 hours every day. Surely you can invest an hour or two a week talking with a brother or sister about the beauty of His love and grace. One percent of a week is about an hour and forty minutes. I’m betting God’s way of discipleship is worth at least that. Honestly, I’m betting a lot more than that on His promises of grace. I believe His Word. Do you?

Let’s be a new generation of “gamblers”: people betting everything on the simple promises of God’s grace.

Grace Takeaway

We’re called to be a kingdom of priests, and we can’t become what we’re meant to be unless we learn how. Jesus Himself disciples us by His Spirit through His Word, and He uses brothers and sisters to pass grace along. Discipleship transforms us from a kingdom of kids, playing around, into a kingdom of priests, equipped to serve God. Bet your life on His grace. It’s the one bet that can’t lose.

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