26th May 2025

26th May 2025


Pray (ACts)


Read (Philippians 1:27-30 focus v27a)


Message (Alan Burke) 


Back in my school days we were always told that we represented the school in the community when we wore our uniform. It didn’t make any difference to how we conducted ourselves because we didn’t care and there were assemblies after assemblies where the whole school got grief because some student did something wearing the School blazer. One one occasion the police came into the school (now remember these were the days before the UK became like the paparazzi on steroids with the amount of CCTV cameras we now have never mind those ring door bells which watch everyone walking past) to inform us a pupil from our school had done something they really shouldn’t have and that it would be best if they owned up to the police. Nobody did and the best bit is we found out later that some eejit from a different school had been arrested after being caught red handed wearing our school blazer although typically we got no apology. 


There is a sense though in which everything we do testifies to the truth of who we are and what we believe and for the Christian we should be those who are living lives worthy of the gospel. That is what Paul tells the church in Philippi to do. We are to conduct ourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ which means that we live in a way that is consistent with the gospel of Christ. Paul was urging the church to live according to the gospel imperatives. Meaning from one Sunday another that they were to live in a way that is consistent with the faith that they profess. To live a life worthy of the gospel of the church in Philippi this would have meant living in a way that went against the culture at the time. Caesar was a divine figure, they honoured him as lord, as saviour such was the cult around him. At every public gathering in Philippi Caesar was celebrated, shouts of “Caesar is lord” would have been heard. The church in Philippi would have been seen as a threat, an embarrassment, un-Roman, enemies, they were those who were rejecting traditional Roman values, that they were dangerous, anyone who did not honour Caesar as Lord. 


Today, we are not living in Philippi but to live in a manner worthy of the gospel for some will involve greater a cost than others. For some of us to live in a manner worthy of the gospel will be hard it may cause us to loose our job, to be decried as backward, homophobic, misogynistic among some of the things I’ve heard. To live as those who are living worthy of the gospel we do so because the Love of Christ compels us (2 Cor 5:14), that because of what Christ has done that we in a way that is worthy of him.


There are times that where we find ourselves in work, school, with friends or family that we are asked or expected to behave in a manner that is unworthy of the gospel then we have say no. There are those who are believes who are facing situations in their workplace where they are being asked to deceive, to harm, to do any manner of things and are faced with a choice to either live in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ or live in a manner unworthy of the gospel. Living in a way that is worthy of the gospel of Christ will see us holding fast to his truth, as we love Christ we obey his commandments, it will be seen in living lives that show the fruit of the Spirit within us, as we show love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control, (Gal 3:22-23). I didn’t live in a way worthy of my school uniform, not that it really mattered, but it matters that we live in a way worthy of the Gospel. It wouldn’t take long for me to list example after example of those who have claimed Christ and lived in a way that is unworthy of the gospel and it has harmed the name of Christ, so let us examine ourselves and if there are areas that we are living unworthily let us repent and seek forgiveness. 


Pray (acTS)


Sing


WSC
Q93 Which are the Sacraments of the New Testament?
A. The Sacraments of the New Testament are Baptism, and the Lord’s Supper.
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