Philippians 2:19-30: Who are we here with?
Sermon preached at Barclay Church, Edinburgh by Dr Fiona J. Tweedie
13 July 2003

INTRODUCTION
What is it that drives our country? What is it that sells our newspapers, that everyone talks about? It would be nice to think that it was Christianity, but nowadays, the mention of the church is more likely to turn people away than attract them. Is it the government? Apparently not, voter turnouts are low, party politics is deemed “boring”. What about sport? Between football, tennis, cricket, who is selling which player to whom, for how much, there's enough to keep us enthralled most of the year. No, what drives our country, sells our newspapers, is the talk of the cafes and bus stops, are the soap operas. Whether your taste is Big Brother, Eastenders, Neighbours, Friends, Coronation Street or the Archers, or if you haven't watched STV since they cancelled “High Road”, we all seem to be fixated by watching or listening to one of them. In fact, health education experts now use soaps to get messages across to people – we trust the actors on TV more than we trust the government.

So what's their secret – why do we watch? We could be doing something considerably more useful, but we tune in week after week. Why? I would say that they all have one thing in common – they deal with relationships. People deal with each other, whether contestants stuck in the Big Brother house, or actors in London, Australia, Ambridge, or wherever the soap is set. We all have a craving for relationships with other people – if something happens – we get good news or bad – often we need to find someone to tell. Our fears and worries seem to diminish when we tell someone else.

And yet, in modern society deep, authentic relationships are rare. We may be in such a hurry to deal with work, housework, children that we never get the chance to sit and develop those relationships. We may feel isolated by age – too young – too old, or illness – How can you get out without help, or work – how can I deal with all this! Whatever the reason, we often find ourselves isolated and lonely. In soaps, no one is lonely, there always seems to be someone popping in and out – a far cry from life today. Loneliness affects everyone - the apparently successful young businessman, the media celebrity, the man or woman who is housebound.

How do we cope? We often manage to find a support network – a friend or two who understands our position – perhaps neighbours in sheltered housing, friends in the same office or type of job, other people tied to small children. The support we get often makes a huge difference in our lives – they let us “get life done”. People can get our shopping, go to the bank for us, take our children away for a wee while, advise us on how to deal with office politics. Where would we be without them? Life would be just too difficult.

Yet loneliness isn't new – and support networks were around long before they were called that. When Paul wrote this letter to the Philippians, he was in prison, probably in Rome. There would be no support for prisoners, they were utterly dependent on friends or relatives providing for them, bringing food, clothes and the like. In this reading, we get a glimpse of Paul's support network – Timothy and Epaphroditus. This morning, we'll look together at this group, and what we can learn from it about supporting each other in our Christian lives.

PAUL'S SMALL GROUP
Timothy is the famous one – he's been through a lot with Paul – journeys, prisons. He gets mentioned in lots of Paul's letters, he even gets letters from Paul. Epaphroditus though, we only hear about him in this letter. In the days before bank transfers, Epaphroditus had been sent from Philippi with gifts for Paul, and as a gift himself to help Paul. Now, no doubt Paul had lots of new Christians around him in Rome, people he taught about Christ and his teachings. But Timothy and Epaphroditus are the ones called “son” and “brother”. They are the ones who are most important to Paul. They were Paul's “small group” - they worked together, were interested in each other, accepted each other, supported each other. Paul had lots of people to teach, but a small group of people to be close to. The first thing that Jesus did, after he was baptised and then tempted, was to call the apostles, to set up a small group to support his ministry. Jesus ministry was to us all, but he had a small group of people to be his friends. Do you have such a group? People who are important to you in your Christian life? If yes, then you'll have an idea of how supportive they can be, if not, look at what such a group can bring you.

Genuine Interest
Let's look together at what Paul says about his small group, first Timothy in verse 20 - I have no one else like him, who takes a genuine interest in your welfare. Timothy has a genuine interest in other people. He actually wants to help them because he's interested in them. He doesn't want to help them because he wants to impress the boss “Paul had better notice what I'm up to here” - he doesn't want to help them because “doing good things will get him to heaven”. He has a genuine interest, a love for others. Why? “We love because he first loved us” [1 Jn 4:19] What was the commandment that we just sang about? “Love one another as I have loved you”. I like the way that Stuart Townend puts it in one of his new songs (he wrote In Christ Alone that we sing here) – There's nothing I can do To make you love me more To make you love me less than you do. Whatever you have done, whatever you have not done, it doesn't matter – God loves you – not just the you that is on public display, but the you that you are when no one is looking. It's not until we receive and accept this love, this unconditional, genuine love from God for us, that we can begin to show genuine love for others. We can't do it ourselves, run around showing lots of genuine love to everyone we meet. A genuine interest – an overflow of God's love for us. A good small group is made up of people with a genuine interest in each other.

Christ's interests
Not only does Timothy show genuine interest in others, he has Christ's interests at heart. Christ's interests, not Timothy's. That's what makes friendships between Christians so important – we do what pleases Christ, not what pleases ourselves. If Christ is our common focus, we should find trust, security and openness in our Christian friendships.

God loves us, he accepts us as we are, and calls on us to “follow him”. We should accept others as they are, then encourage them, allow them to encourage us, pray with them, pray for them, pray for yourself. But trust and openness aren't the kind of things that can happen over a “Good morning, how are you? I'm fine thanks, how are you?” with a cup of tea and a biscuit in the Pillar Hall after the service. These are things that develop over time, time spent together, time spent studying his Word, finding out what pleases Christ, encouraging one another to then put it into practice, and not condemning one another out of hand if it doesn't quite work out one week. In a good small group we spend time together with Christ, we pray together, learn togther, and in doing so find trust, openness, security, and encouragement.

Serving together
In encouraging, and not condemning one another, we are standing alongside each other – Paul tells us that Timothy has “served with him”, verse 22. Epaphroditus, he calls a “fellow-worker” verse 25. Paul didn't make himself out to be more important than Timothy, he didn't put Epaphroditus “in his place.” As Christians, we serve together, at a camp or mission, on the Care Van, or handing out the orders of service, making the tea and coffee. But in serving together we also stand alongside each other. Jesus didn't promise a life without any problems, but he did give us a way of dealing with them – Christian friendship. As we saw in the children's address, we are stronger if we stand together. Paul advises the Galatians to carry one another's burdens [Gal 6:2], and the Romans to “rejoice with those who rejoice, mourn with those who mourn” [Rom 12:15] In a good small group we can serve together, celebrate good news together, and weep together when bad news comes.

Fellow-soldier
In verse 25, Epaphroditus is described as a “fellow-soldier”. Dealing with life is not always easy. Dealing with the Christian life can be harder still. While in this country we are unlikely to be imprisoned, beaten or killed for our faith, we face opposition from society. Being a Christian in the UK today often means that we are despised and faced with ridicule – it's the last taboo. A society that proclaims respect and tolerance for other religions allows Christianity to be torn down and trampled upon. If the media were to say about Islam the kinds of things it says about Christianity, society would be up in arms screaming about religious abuse and bigotry. In being known as Christians, we are putting ourselves into the front line for God, fighting a spiritual battle with our fellow-soldiers in Christ. A good small group gives us the support we need to fight and helps us polish our spiritual armour.

Paul may also have used this idea of the “fellow soldier” to allow for the idea that Epaphroditus was being sent back to the Philippians because he had been ill – for some medical leave. Verses 26 to 28 tell of his serious illness – note that Epaphroditus was more concerned that the Philippians were worried about him, than about his own illness.

²⁶For [Epaphroditus] longs for all of you and is distressed because you heard he was ill. ²⁷Indeed he was ill, and almost died. But God had mercy on him, and not on him only but also on me, to spare me sorrow upon sorrow.

Paul concludes this section of his letter by further commending Epaphroditus. He tells the Philippians to honour him, particularly as he has “risked his life” for Christ and his work.

Relationships involve risk – Friendship will always involve the risk of rejection, hurt and being let down. Being open with others needs trust and that can be broken. Jesus shared everything with the apostles, yet one betrayed him and the others disowned and deserted him. Being in a good small group involves a measure of risk. But, it's in giving that we receive, in hazarding our lives for others that we find life and friendship.

CONCLUSIONS
But what about us? Good small groups may be wonderful: genuine interest, trust, security, openness, support and encouragement to live Christian lives, but how do we find one? There are housegroups in Barclay already – meeting as small groups in people's homes. Find out if there's one with anyone you know, and might fit in to. But if not, and a housegroup can be a bit daunting to fit in to, why not just get together with some Christian friends every week or so. Do something you like doing together – having coffee or lunch together – go to the pub after work – whatever. Learn about each other and about Christ - read a book that answers the questions you have about being a Christian – discuss it together, answer each others questions, ask someone else when you get stuck.

Think about it for a minute – who will you reach out to this week? Is there someone you can chat to about the service? Somebody you can discuss your questions with? Somone who can stand alongside you, and that you can stand beside. Invite someone round for coffee, take them out for a drink, go for a walk togther. It doesn't need the Church Life team to organise a major event, just lift the phone or arrange something over tea in the Pillar Hall after the service.

In time we can develop stronger, authentic relationships with others. As Jesus commanded, we can “love one another as [he] has loved [us]”. May we show Jesus' love and concern for others in our lives – let's make a start this week.

Amen