7th July 2025

7th July 2025


Pray (ACts)


Read (Philippians 2:25-30 focus v25)


Message (Alan Burke) 


It has been a while since I’ve been asked to describe myself to someone or for something, I don’t think I’ll ask how you would describe me, it’s likely safer that I don’t, I don’t want to go home and weep into my pillow. But when was the last time that you had to describe yourself to someone or for something? 


We have all done it in the past, described ourself to someone or for something at some state in our life even though it might have been a while. Imagine though that you’re having to describe yourself, maybe for the lonely hearts column in the paper if they still do such a thing or you could describe yourself for the leading Introduction and Dating Agency for Christians ‘heavenlypartners.ie'. It’s a subscription service ranging from just over €500 to over €2,000 which I think is madness but you can check it out for yourself if you don’t believe me. What if it was someone else describing you? I’d say we might be in for a shock by the description that was given of us if we the person we asked was willing to be honest. 


Here Paul commends Epaphroditus to the church in Philippi, while they were expecting Timothy to be sent to them Paul instead sends back Epaphroditus whom they had sent to Paul and he speaks of him as, His brother, a fellow worker, a fellow soldier, a messenger and a minister. Let’s run through these quickly. 


Brother, Epaphroditus was a brother of Paul not because he came from the same womb, or his da had been busy, no, Epaphroditus was a brother of Paul because of the work of Christ within him. For all of us who are in Christ Jesus, who have repented and believed then there has been a wonderful change that has taken place within us, we are adopted as sons of the living God and no matter what our background, no matter what gender we are, we receive the full rights of sons (see Gal 3:26–28). 

Fellow worker, he could not have been a fellow worker unless he was first united with Christ, Paul’s brother. For Epaphroditus he was a fellow worker in the gospel along with Paul and this is seen in how he went from Philippi to Rome taking the gift of the church. Each and every one of us who are brothers and sisters in Christ are to be fellow workers is in the gospel. How this looks will vary but we all have a part to play. 


Fellow solider, Paul here is drawing out the reality that the Christian life is one of spiritual warfare. The Christian life is one where we need to put on the whole armour of God as we are taught in Ephesians (6:10-20). Epaphroditus a fellow soldier with Paul because the Christian life is spiritual warfare. While we are not all on the front line, we all play a part and we should be seeking to support those who are doing what we could not. 


Messenger, The greek work that is used here literally means apostle. It is not that Epaphroditus was one of the twelve rather it covering to us that he was sent from the church in Philippi. For that is what apostle means, one who is sent, a messenger, a representative of the congregation from whom they come. Now here’s the thing, each and every one of us are in a sense messengers, I’d use the word apostle but I don’t want to confuse things. We are messengers because we represent Christ in every sphere of our lives, in how we live, what we do, don’t do, in what we say and don’t say. 


Finally for today minister. The NIV is a wee bit clunky and doesn’t use the word minister but the greek word is used. Epaphroditus was sent from Philippi to minister to his need, to take care of his needs as the NIV puts it. A minister is someone who attends to the needs of another, my role, likewise it is Scotts to minister to the spiritual needs of the congregation and that primarily comes through the pulpit ministry. Yet for all of us there are many ways that we as a family be ministering to one another. Could you be described as a bother, fellow worker, solider, messenger, minister? If you’re not a brother then you can’t be any of the rest but if you are a brother you should be all of the rest. 


Pray (acTS)


Sing


WSC
Q14 What is sin?
A. Sin is any want of conformity unto, or transgression of, the law of God.
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