23rd April 2025

23rd April 2025


Pray (ACts)


Read (Philippians 1:3-6)


Message (Alan Burke)


There seems to be a great deal of confusion in places today even in the church in regard what we are about, what the mission of the church is which is sometimes referred to as ‘Missio Dei’ the mission of God. Let’s say you get a builder in and you ask him to put an extension on the house and instead he spends his time focusing on landscaping your garden and while he adds an extension it is just a place to put your new fancy lawnmower that cuts the grass for you. You might appreciate the work that he’s done in the garden but at the same time it’s not what he was there for, if you want the garden done you get a landscape gardener. Or how about you eventually get an appointment with the Dr and she spends the whole time focused on your hair and makeup when you’ve got a discharge coming out of your knee? You might need the hair and makeup sorted just like I do but you’d have gone to the hairdresser and the beautician but not the Dr. Well here Paul is thankful for the church in Philippi because of their partnership in the gospel and it reminds us what we are about as the church, for it is first and foremost about the gospel. The partnership that Paul and the church in Philippi was focused on the gospel. 


Paul and the Church in Philippi shared a common bond and had a common purpose in the gospel. Gospel literarily meaning good news. The gospel is good news, it’s good news not like what you hear on the BBC or on social media or you hear from the neighbour about the grandchildren it is the good news that Jesus is the Christ, he is the Messiah the Son of God the saviour of sinners he has come and taken our place and the wrath that was due to us so that we might be forgiven. This is what the church is about, this is our bread and butter, we’re not trying to redeem society, fix world hunger it is about the gospel, the good news of Jesus Christ. This means in those whom we have partnership with as was the case for Paul it is this that should be first and foremost what we share with whoever we partner with. That we as the church as the people of God are focused on the good news of Jesus Christ so that others may come to know him as their saviour. 


The partnership that the church in Philippi had with Paul was holistic, what I mean by that is that it kept the main thing the main thing ie the gospel but it also saw the church minister to Paul in practical ways, materially and personally. For the church in Philippi had sent help financially to Paul but they had also sent Epaphroditus to Paul with a gift, to minister to him, to give him personal care and attention when he was in prison. Think to how much that would have meant to Paul in his present lying in a dungeon that makes Maghaberry look like a six star hotel. This partnership also worked both ways for Paul was going to send Timothy to them to help the church in Philippi in what they faced because he was concerned for them (2:19-25), so their partnership went both ways and it was an ongoing partnership in the gospel. For us we should never forget what the church is about, it is about the gospel and of course as we live according to the truth of what God has done for us in Jesus Christ it will impact on how we live and the society around us but primarily it is about Christ Jesus. There are many people and organisations that want to fix the world but in all we do, in who we partner with we want to see peoples relationship with God fixed before it is too late. In doing this we pray, we give, we live according to what Christ has done for us.  


Pray (acTS)


Sing


WSC
Q65 What is forbidden in the fifth commandment? 
A. The fifth commandment forbiddeth the neglecting of, or doing anything against, the honor and duty which belongeth to every one in their several places and relations.
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