Reasons for Sending Epaphroditus

In this part of the sermon: Epaphroditus's condition was characterized by an earnest longing for the Philippians and a crushing distraction, caused by his knowledge that they had heard of his grave illness…

The word 'longing' is compared to a baby's intense hunger for milk, illustrating the depth of Epaphroditus's affection for the Philippians.

So we see immediately that this word is a word which comes from the vocabulary of deeply felt affection. Paul speaks of the Philippians as his dearly loved ones over whom he longs. He says in chapter 1 that he longs after them with the very bowels the very viscera the very internal yearnings that are imposed hearted by the spirit of Jesus Christ. For you children it may interest you to know it's the same word used when Peter says as newborn babes crave the sincere milk of the word.

8:32 - 9:14 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Epaphroditus's condition was characterized by an earnest longing for the Philippians and a crushing distraction, caused by his knowledge that they had heard of his grave illness…

The longing of a soldier returning home after months at war is used to describe Epaphroditus's intense yearning for his church family.

He is described as Paul's fellow laborer. He is described as a fellow soldier. He is described in verse 30 as a man who threw down his life who was willing to risk his very life for the sake of Christ and his servant Paul and yet such a man had this strong experience of the longing of love. The feeling of soldier experiences who's been away from wife and family six months at the front of the battle and now he's on the ship plying the seas as it returns home and in that journey of four or five years five days across the ocean day and night every waking moment he's possessed of one emotion a lon...

9:48 - 11:02 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Epaphroditus's condition was characterized by an earnest longing for the Philippians and a crushing distraction, caused by his knowledge that they had heard of his grave illness…

The difficulty of describing 'sore troubled' is compared to the indescribable nature of seasickness and homesickness, emphasizing its profound internal impact.

It was a torture of the spirit. It was a torture that bordered on mental and emotional distress and Paul says I thought it necessary to send Epaphroditus to you because he was in a condition not only characterized by this holy longing after you Philippians but a condition described as sore troubled. He was brought to the place of mental and soul distraction and it's difficult to describe what this state of mental mind is. It's like trying to describe seasickness and homesickness. Only then what's had it knows what it is.

12:18 - 13:07 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Epaphroditus's condition was characterized by an earnest longing for the Philippians and a crushing distraction, caused by his knowledge that they had heard of his grave illness…

Martin shares a personal story of crying himself to sleep at age twelve due to homesickness, to help the audience understand the depth of Epaphroditus's 'soul sickness'.

And if you've been seasick you know there's no way to describe seasickness. And if you've really been homesick there's no way to describe it. I remember my first case of homesickness. Twelve years old I was sent away to camp for a week and from the second night onward I cried myself to sleep every single night.

13:09 - 13:31 Read in full sermon

The point: Rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep, and remember those in bonds.

The experience of empathy is illustrated by feeling the pain of a brother or sister whose finger is caught in a door, even if one's own finger is not.

Now the word empathy simply means the ability to share in another's emotions or feelings. When you empathize you feel as the other person feels. Suppose your brother or sister has his finger or her finger caught in the door. Well if you're empathizing you're able to feel the pain that they feel with the finger caught in the door.

25:47 - 26:17 Read in full sermon

The point: Do not apologize for tears; they are part of our humanity and become sanctified under the Spirit's discipline.

Martin recounts putting his arm around a man who had not wept in 37 years, emphasizing that tears are not unmanly and are sanctified by the Spirit.

I had the privilege this week of putting my arm around a man who said that he never wept in the presence of another man in 37 years of his life. And what a joy it was to put my arm around him and say let it go, let it go. There is nothing unmanly with tears.

39:30 - 39:48 Read in full sermon

The point: Do not apologize for tears; they are part of our humanity and become sanctified under the Spirit's discipline.

The custom of keeping a tear bottle to show intimate love and friendship is used to illustrate God's tender care for our tears, connecting to Psalm 56:8.

They are part of our humanity and those tears become sanctified when they are produced under the discipline of the spirit. And it's not until there is no more occasion for tears that God will wipe away all tears from our eyes. Until now the Bible says thou has put all my tears into thy bottle. It's a beautiful picture of a near east custom at least this is what I've read.

39:51 - 40:16 Read in full sermon