Your affairs, my affairs

Rev Ting Moy Hong

5/2/2012

Philippians 2:19-30:

Timothy and Epaphroditus

 ¹⁹ I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, that I also may be cheered when I receive news about you. ²⁰ I have no one else like him, who will show genuine concern for your welfare. ²¹ For everyone looks out for their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ. ²² But you know that Timothy has proved himself, because as a son with his father he has served with me in the work of the gospel. ²³ I hope, therefore, to send him as soon as I see how things go with me. ²⁴ And I am confident in the Lord that I myself will come soon.  ²⁵ But I think it is necessary to send back to you Epaphroditus, my brother, co-worker and fellow soldier, who is also your messenger, whom you sent to take care of my needs. ²⁶ For he longs for all of you and is distressed because you heard he was ill. ²⁷ Indeed 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. ²⁸ Therefore I am all the more eager to send him, so that when you see him again you may be glad and I may have less anxiety. ²⁹ So then, welcome him in the Lord with great joy, and honor people like him, ³⁰ because he almost died for the work of Christ. He risked his life to make up for the help you yourselves could not give me.

*Paul was testing waters among the Philippians
*Paul's concern is looking after other people's interest
*Do it without complaining and holding out the word of life
*That is the reason he sent Timothy
*He preached the gospel for the gospel sake, nothing else
*v22 - Timothy is his co-labourer labouring by Paul's side
*Friends are not meant to be taken granted for
*Paul is not trying to be dominating by sending Timothy but because he is caring
*"But we'll see how things go"
*v22-24
*Epaphroditus is Paul's brother, messenger, someone close whom he trust
*v30- journey was tough
*shows that Epaphroditus is a perserverant man
*We should care about other people's interest more than our own
*There are those who have live a life purely for the advancement of God
*Makes us wonder is Epaphroditus a great man
*Church is a community of faith for Paul, Timothy and Epaphroditus
*Their bonds have been common with Jesus Christ
*Was he being controlling by sending the Israelites another person to look after?
*Not really, but He was just providing in Christ
*Because we share the same Christ, what was happening to him affected Him
*My Affairs, Your Affairs because we share the same Lord and purpose of preaching the word
*These people will be a living testimony for the Philippians
*In Christ, we are unique having our own experience but at the end of the day, we are still brothers and sisters in Christ
*There would always be a place for us to return
*My Affairs, Your Affairs. That should be the community of faith
*Requires a continuous day to day choice to look our for others' welfare and to learn to forget and forgive as a Christian community
*True Christian community involves sharing our lives for Christ
*We need to see ourselves be accountable to one another so that we can build a community 
*Numbers do not indicate that it is true Christian community
*When we don't look out for our friend's welfare, we might face things we do not want
*It is very easy to point fingers at country leaders but we are Christians can begin with us by looking out for one another as we are called to be because we are all one in Christ to be a beacon of light to take place within the community and care for one another's affairs

**Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path**