The Cost of Silence: Humble Enough to Share – Philippians
The Cost of Silence: Humble Enough to Share
Together Church | Pastor Brandon Werner
March 1, 2026 | Series: Philippians
INTRODUCTION
When we started this study through Philippians, we began with the story of this church and how this letter came to be.
Then, we covered 55 verses in two weeks.
Before we press on, it’s time to reengage with the story.
Imagine, for a moment, that you’re a resident of Philippi and a member of the Philippian church.
Epaphroditus, a friend and brother in Christ, has been gone for months. The last time you saw him, he was loading his animal with travel gear and with the gift the church had collected to give to the Apostle Paul.
You watched as he walked out of sight, beginning his more than 700-mile one-way journey to visit the Apostle Paul in prison and to deliver that gift.
Because there aren’t any modern forms of communication, you have no way of knowing his status. Did he make it? Is he still alive? How’s Paul? What about Timothy?
Then, one day, word spreads throughout the city… Epaphroditus is back! You drop what you’re doing and hurry to the meetup.
When you see Epaphroditus, you can tell this journey had taken its toll, but there’s a light in his eyes as he pulls out parchment from his gear… a letter from the Apostle Paul! You watch as Epaphroditus completes his mission from Paul and carefully hands it over to the church leaders.
And you can’t help but reflect…
You remember how you heard the gospel and were saved shortly after Paul departed from his first visit to Philippi.
You can easily remember the uproar in the city when Paul and Silas were arrested and beaten years ago.
Since then, on many occasions, notable members of the church – like Lydia and the Philippian jailer – frequently told stories about Paul, Timothy, Silas, Luke and the impact they had on their lives.
Everyone recognizes… no one here would know Jesus if they had not been obedient to the Holy Spirit and decided to come. You remember how Paul was initially headed for Asia Minor and was “this close” to not coming at all! Gratitude fills your heart as your eyes fill with tears.
Right on cue, one of the elders calls for everyone’s attention and begins to read Paul’s letter out loud.
And Paul starts by saying…
Philippians 1:3-5
3 I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, 4 always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, 5 because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now.
Those words strengthen your resolve and move you to press on, despite any opposition, as a partner in the gospel of Jesus Christ.
It’s fun to imagine what it might have been like, isn’t it? It reminds us: This isn’t just study material… it’s a testimony of gospel partners who laid down their own interests so others could know Jesus… at a level of cost that I’ve never know.
Last week, we covered all of Philippians 2. Before we move on to Philippians 3, there’s a message within the story of this letter that the Holy Spirit doesn’t want us to miss.
Philippians 2 contains the example of four partners in the gospel – four examples of humility – who were willing to set aside any selfish ambition to serve the interests of others.
These four examples are:
- Jesus
- Paul
- Timothy
- Epaphroditus
What do these four examples have in common?
They all share a willingness to set aside selfish ambition so others could hear the gospel and be saved.
Now that’s humility.
Remember, last week, we saw that humility is characterized by setting aside our own selfish ambitions to look to the interest of others.
Following that message, here’s this week’s main idea:
Sharing the gospel with the right heart is always an act of humility, because it requires us to put the interests of others ahead of our own.
We could shorten it like this:
Evangelism requires humility.
BODY
And this humility is exactly what we see in these four examples…
- Jesus
Jesus is the ultimate example of humility because of what He was willing to give up so that we could be saved.
Grasping the glory Jesus set aside means remembering what the Bible says about who Jesus is, where He was before He came to earth, and what He left.
God has no beginning and no end. He has eternally existed as one God in three distinct persons: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.
Jesus is God the Son.
As God, Jesus has eternally been the object of veneration from whatever He has created.
Veneration is the kind of honor, glory, & reverence only God deserves.
The Bible gives us glimpses into the throne room of God to see how God has been eternally honored.
One of those glimpses is in the Old Testament, in a book written long before Jesus entered our world. In Isaiah 6, the throne room of God is described in detail; the place where God is worshipped…
Isaiah 6:1b-4
I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple. 2 Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. 3 And one called to another and said:
“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts;
the whole earth is full of his glory!”
Jesus is the one on the throne and the deserving object of all that honor and glory and worship. That’s what He left.
And again in…
Revelation 4:6b-8
And around the throne, on each side of the throne, are four living creatures, full of eyes in front and behind: 7 the first living creature like a lion, the second living creature like an ox, the third living creature with the face of a man, and the fourth living creature like an eagle in flight. 8 And the four living creatures, each of them with six wings, are full of eyes all around and within, and day and night they never cease to say,
“Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty,
who was and is and is to come!”
These are just snapshots of the veneration that God has eternally received around His heavenly throne. It far exceeds the exaltation of any earthly king or president that you could ever witness.
And this is the scene Jesus left to enter our world.
- Instead of being the greatest, He became lowly.
- Instead of being worshipped, He was falsely accused.
- Instead of being adored, He was sentenced to death.
- Instead of being exalted, He bore our shame.
He who is the highest, the greatest, and the most exalted set it all aside to empty Himself for us on a cross of wood.
Before the crescendo of exaltation,
there was the descent into humiliation.
That’s humility.
Jesus set aside His glory so we could gain salvation.
And then there’s…
- Paul
Paul is a powerful example of humility because of what he was willing to endure so others could hear the gospel and be saved.
In 2 Corinthians 11:24-28, Paul lists some of the hardships he suffered for the sake of Christ…
2 Corinthians 11:24-28
24 Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one. 25 Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea; 26 on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers; 27 in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. 28 And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches.
And he wrote Philippians from prison! Think about what Paul endured.
He endured it voluntarily. Not because he loved suffering, but because he shared God’s love for lost souls.
Paul was willing to suffer so the lost might be saved.
And next there’s…
- Timothy
Timothy is an incredible example of humbly sharing the gospel because he was willing to submit to God and to the leaders God placed in his life to reach people with the gospel.
Remember Acts 16?
Timothy’s already a believer.
He’s already well spoken of by the churches.
He’s already clearly gifted and useful.
He’s in a comfortable place. He has a home, a community, and a mother and grandmother who love Jesus and love him.
Enter Paul.
Paul wanted Timothy to join him as a partner in the gospel.
But to join Paul, Timothy would have to submit to God and to Paul’s leadership in his life.
He would have to…
- Leave his family
- Leave his home
- Leave his community
- Travel under Paul’s leadership
- Go where he was instructed to go
- Do what he was asked to do
And he’d have to do all that with no idea when or if he would ever return home.
Not only that, but there was a more specific, very difficult act of submission mentioned in Acts 16…
You see, Timothy had a Jewish mother, but a Greek father.
Some of you know where this is going.
To eliminate any hindrance to the gospel, Paul required Timothy to do a very difficult thing as an adult man… he required Timothy to be circumcised.
We know Paul’s leadership here had nothing to do with Timothy’s salvation and everything to do with Timothy “becoming all things to all men so that by any means he might save some.”
But still, what a difficult assignment!
No modern medicine.
No personal benefit.
Definitely involved risk to his health,
And enduring a lot of pain.
Yet, as a young man, Timothy willingly submitted to God and to his spiritual leader… why? Because of humility.
Timothy submitted His life so the gospel would have no obstacle.
And lastly, there’s…
- Epaphroditus
He was the star of our opening immersive story.
Epaphroditus displayed humility in the gospel by the way he was willing to risk everything – including his life – to be a team player.
Of all the people in the church at Philippi, Epaphroditus volunteered to travel over 1400 miles round trip to visit Paul and deliver the gift.
He was gone for months and months. In Philippians 2, Paul writes that, in his service, Epaphroditus got sick and almost died.
But despite the risks, Epaphroditus was willing to be a team player and make sacrifices for the advancement of the gospel.
I can just see Paul’s face light up the moment he recognized Epaphroditus from his prison cell.
I can hear them laughing and crying as they bonded over stories.
Or picture the gratitude and humility Paul expressed as he received the financial gift.
And we know Paul was witnessing to the keepers of the jail while he was in prison because he says he was in Philippians 1… and I can imagine Epaphroditus standing right there with him engaged in that work.
That’s gospel partnership in humility.
Epaphroditus was the ultimate team player: risking his life so others might be saved.
APPLICATION
These four examples in Philippians 2 are all linked by a common thread…
They all shared a willingness to set aside any selfish ambition so that others might hear the gospel and be saved.
So, what does this mean for us?
Sharing the gospel is an act of humility. It calls us to set aside our selfish ambitions and look to the interests of others.
Like these examples, sharing the gospel will always cost us personally…
- It takes time and energy.
Look, there’s always something else I could be doing personally. And if I do find a rare moment where I’m not responsible for something, I could always use a little more rest.
But sharing the gospel is an act of humility because it takes time…
- Time to invest in the relationship.
- Or to be there when they have needs.
- Time to check in and see how they’re doing.
- Or to just share a meal.
Sharing the gospel requires humility because it always takes time and…
- It costs money.
Generosity challenges selfish ambition, and effectively advancing the gospel calls for giving.
Gospel generosity is always collective.
Like the gift the Philippian church gave to Paul, God calls everyone in the church to give collectively and work together to advance the gospel.
Gospel generosity is also personal.
In addition to our obedience to give to the church, God also prompts each of us to make individual sacrifices in our personal witness.
- That could look like buying someone a meal,
- Or meeting a financial need for someone who is lost,
- Or giving up hours we could be working and making money to invest in someone,
- Or spending gas money or other funds to build the relationship.
Whatever it is, sharing the gospel requires humility, because it requires setting aside our personal ambitions with our money.
So, it costs money to share the gospel, and…
- It calls us to set aside our preferences for the sake of unity.
Gospel partners don’t demand their way—they’re like Timothy: they submit to God and work as a team under spiritual authority.
Thankfully, most of the time, humility isn’t nearly as intrusive as being circumcised! In fact, it’s often as simple as…
- Joining a small group and actively participating
- Leading out in transparency
- Volunteering to serve
- Choosing to arrive early to services
- Sitting towards the front or choosing to sing out
- Sitting next to someone new
- Disciplining yourself to be in the auditorium and to stay seated when the Word of God is being preached
- So, you aren’t a distraction to others
- And so you don’t miss out on what God is saying
It’s on us to shape the environment the lost and unchurched encounter when they gather with us; and doing that requires humility… setting aside my preferences and being a team player.
And sharing the gospel requires humility because…
- It means getting outside our comfort zone.
Comfort is one of the greatest enemies to evangelism. Jesus, Paul, Timothy, and Epaphroditus all gave up comforts to share the gospel.
Sharing the gospel requires sacrificing comfort because it forces us to do things that don’t feel easy or come natural to us.
Things like…
- Spending time with someone who is immature or hard to be around
- Giving up nights at home, rest, or time with loved ones
- Broaching spiritual topics and initiating gospel conversations
- Inviting someone to small group or church knowing that they might reject your invitation
- Asking others to pray with you or being transparent with others about feelings of discouragement
All these actions are part of evangelism, and they all require caring more about an eternal human soul than preserving our comfort.
Look at this list. There’s a cost to sharing the gospel. Sharing the gospel requires humility.
But let me ask you…
Isn’t it worth it?
We’re talking about the eternality of human souls.
We’re talking about sharing the good news about what God has done so that they can be saved and ransomed from death to life.
Of all the causes in the world, there is nothing more important.
We either believe in the reality of heaven and hell and the coming judgement of God or we don’t. If we believe, it produces in us humility – a willingness to put the interests of others ahead of our own.
I want you to pause and think for just a moment…
Who decided to practice humility so that you could hear the gospel and be saved?
Who did the Lord use in your life so that you could hear the gospel?
Where would you be if they hadn’t been humble enough to do it?
Maybe it was more than one person.
Aren’t you grateful? God used them in your life.
And now He is calling you to be that for other people; people whose souls are hanging in the balance… and to do it one person at a time.
CONCLUSION
Humility is so attractive.
But it’s not just something we admire in Philippians 2… humility is what we’re about to practice over the next two months.
Today, March 1, marks the beginning
of our preparations for IMPACT Month.
IMPACT is an acronym. It means…
I Must Personally Advance Christ Today
This is the time of year we emphasize Essential #2 in our church:
We will reach the lost.
Here’s how this works…
At Together Church, April is IMPACT Month.
During the month of April, we will work together to share the gospel.
We’ll do that in several ways:
- In April, every sermon will be a clear presentation of the gospel
- Every service will end with a clear invitation to be saved and baptized
- We’ll recruit guest speakers who are gifted at sharing the gospel
- We’ll emphasize the gospel in our small groups
- There will be special events – like Good Friday, Easter, and HIA Sunday, and more – where the gospel will be shared.
Our team has already been working hard to get ready for IMPACT Month, and there are some great resources already available on the Right Now page, like…
- Our sermon series theme for April (Beyond Change)
- The guest speaker lineup
- Invites for special events and lunches
- And more
A lot of effort has and will go into IMPACT Month. Why?
One simple reason… work as a team to share the gospel with others.
That’s April at Together Church.
But today is March.
MARCH is where we PREPARE for IMPACT Month.
How do we do that?
It all starts with a simple strategy we call IMPACT Cards.
(Would those distributing cards pass them out at this time?)
(You can also scan the QR code on the screen.)
This is where everyone gets involved.
Here’s how the IMPACT Cards work…
We all pray and ask the Holy Spirit: Who’s my ONE?
Your ONE is a person the Holy Spirit is highlighting for you to personally reach for Christ.
You might have more than one, ONE…
But each one is your ONE
ONE soul that matters to God
ONE person who needs to know Jesus
ONE individual who will stand before God on the day of judgement
Once you’ve identified your ONE, you write their name (or names) on the IMPACT Card.
Then you submit the card to our team (using the QR code form or by taking a picture of the physical card and texting it to the number on the card).
Once you’ve done that, we follow this plan…
- Pray for these people
- You pray (use the card as a physical reminder, set a reminder on your phone, etc.)
- We pray with you by name (staff and leaders)
- Then, you invest in relationship with these people
- Call, text, share a meal, serve them in some way, etc.
- Practice humility by putting their interests ahead of your own
- Then, invite them to go to small group with you, AND
- Invite them to our services and special events in April
That’s it. Simple.
So simple that everyone can do it…
- Pray by name
- Invest relationally
- Invite to group
- Invite to church
And that’s IMPACT Month.
A simple strategy we can all use to share the gospel with others.
In the last three years, our church has celebrated 119 baptisms with people who have made a profession of faith in Jesus Christ!
Many of those have come through our collective efforts during IMPACT Month. Often, the momentum has continued well beyond April.
There’s power when a local church practices humility and works together to reach the lost.
INVITATION
You’ve got the strategy. Now, here’s the question…
Will you put on humility by sharing the gospel with others?
It always costs. It costs to speak…
But the cost of silence is much higher.
The eternal souls of people we love are at stake.
The good news of the gospel is, despite our sins and failures, God loves us. And through His Son, Jesus, He has made a way for our sins to be forgiven and for us to experience new life in Him.
His salvation is available to all people.
But someone’s got to be humble enough and love them enough to set aside their own self-interests and tell them the good news.
God is calling you to be that person for your ONE.
Who’s your ONE? Let’s pray. (PIANO STARTS)
- Write the name (or names) down God prompts (pen or digital)
- Turn to someone next to you and pray (you pray for your person, they will pray for theirs)
- Goodness of God
- There is a joy in our salvation!
- No matter what happens, our names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life
- Before we knew salvation, God’s goodness was chasing after us
- We are motivated to tell others when we realize that God has saved us from hell and judgement… and He offers that salvation freely to all!
- It’s a decision to be humble enough to share with others.