Sermon

Epaphroditus - An Unsung Hero

June 15, 2025 Stornoway Free Church of Scotland - Sermons

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Well, we can turn back together to look at our reading in Philippians chapter 2.

Philippians 2 chapter mention
!
We're particularly focusing on the last part of the chapter, verse 19 down to verse 30.
!
We have Timothy, a fellow servant who we hear quite a bit of throughout Paul's writings.
He was very close with Timothy, a younger servant in the Lord to what Paul was and very much
alongside Paul in the ministry.
But we also have this man Epaphroditus mentioned.
And it's him that we're kind of focusing on this evening in the sense of one who is only
mentioned in this letter and just very briefly mentioned.
And he's very much maybe an unsung hero.
So that's what we're going to be thinking about this evening.
But as you work your way through the letter to the Philippians as a whole, as you're looking
at the letter, you can read through it very quickly.
It's not a long letter, but it's so worthwhile going back to again and again.
It's a beautiful letter inspired by God that Paul writes to the church at Philippi.
There's so much we can learn from it.
And as you read through it, you find there's so much richness in the sense of theology that
we learn.
We're learning all about God and the wonder of God and what Christ has done for us.
But mixed in with that is also what it's like to live as a Christian on a day-to-day experience.
And the danger is of saying it like that, you separate the two things.
That we see one part of learning about theology, learning about God.
There may be things that are hard to understand, so we maybe leave that for some people.
And then we might take other parts that are more practical.
And it can work the other way around as well.
But what you find is that the two go together.
Both are just as important as each other.
We need the theology and we need to live that out in our lives on a day-to-day experience.
Professor Donald MacLeod in his book, Behold Your God, he has a great quote in that book
where he says,
It is impossible to honour God as we ought unless we know him as he is.
And that really reminds us how the two things just go together so perfectly.
We need to know God, we need to know him as he is in order to honour him as we live out our lives.
So it's not just a case of looking at the important things as the big theological things we can learn here.
And the practical things are less important.
That's not it at all.
Because we think of our Christian lives and how we live on a day-to-day basis.
What's more important for us?
Is it coming to church on a Sunday?
That's more important than the other six days that we live?
Or are the other days important that we class the church as maybe less important?
It's neither.
It's the two.
It's important for us to gather together for worship on the Lord's Day, on a Sunday,
to learn more about God, to learn about his word.
But the other six days, they're not mundane and unimportant.
That's where we live out all that we've learned.
How we live out in a practical way, an experience of the God we're getting to know more.
Or the Christ we're coming to serve.
Or how the Spirit works in our midst.
How we call upon him in prayer to help us.
It all goes together.
And this morning we were thinking about having a king over us.
In 1 Samuel chapter 8, we were looking at the desire of the people there.

1 Samuel 8 chapter mention
When Samuel was getting old, people came with this request.
Give us a king over us like all the other nations.
We're asking, well, who is to be our king?
And is the Lord Jesus our king?
Well, this evening we're sort of following up on that.
How do we live then with Jesus as our king?
And what we see here is examples of how people live with Jesus as their king.
The example of Paul.
Paul who had that amazing conversion.
The conversion that so many people look for in their own experience, but so few get.
So you have Paul that is often raised up.
And we maybe strive to long for something like that.
But you have Timothy, who was brought up by a loving mother and a grandmother,
who cared for him and nurtured him quite gently,
but helped him to grow up in the knowledge of God.
And then you have Epaphroditus here.
Someone who's just almost in the background, who knows very little about.
And you see here there's a variety of different people.
But they are all living to serve their king.
They are all a people who have come to know the Lord Jesus in a very personal way.
And living for him with all their different gifts and their talents.
Paul was no maverick.
He was no individual.
He just went out and did things by himself in his own way.
He always had people around him who helped him.
And together they worked for the glory of God.
And as you read through Paul's letters,
as you read through them, you find he crossed paths with so many different people.
So many different individuals.
And so many of them were a great blessing to his life and to his ministry.
And what you find is in nearly all his letters,
he ends with a personal note of thanksgiving
for those who have been so helpful to him in the ministry.
In the last chapter of the book of Romans, for example,
chapter 16, almost a whole chapter is taken up to naming individuals
who have been with them and who have helped them.
Men and women along the way.
And there's at least 35 people named in that chapter
who have been precious to him.
And I think of a recent AGM just over a week ago.
And an AGM in a congregation is a time when we often think of
all the different work that goes on in the congregation.
And the pity is that we don't have the AGM with this number of people.
Because there's so many people who need to hear a word of thanksgiving
for all that is going on in the congregation.
And so as we're thinking this evening of Epaphroditus, an unsung hero,
it's not with a view to a plea for service to the church.
It's not that at all, and I hope it doesn't come across like that,
asking for more.
It's with a sense of thanksgiving that together we are serving our Lord and our King.
That here in our own congregation we have many who are like Epaphroditus,
who we maybe hear very little of, but who we can encourage
because they are encouragers in all that is done in the name of the Lord here.
Young and old alike, men, women, boys, girls,
so many people even here this evening who are involved,
are tuning in online tonight,
who are involved in the work of the congregation in so many different ways.
And it all comes from having that servant mentality,
a servant outlook on everything.
And that's what Epaphroditus had.
It's what Paul and Timothy had too.
But we're reflecting more on Epaphroditus this evening.
He very much had, first of all, as we see, a servant's heart.
He had a servant's heart.
And from the little we learn of him here, you can see that.
When we are called by Christ,
when we come to faith in the Lord Jesus Christ,
it's just the beginning of a life being lived for him.
And we need to grow in our knowledge of him,
to see Jesus Christ,
to love him more,
to know him more,
to serve him more.
And it begins by seeing him as he was,
in all that he did for us.
And you think,
as we mentioned this morning,
Jesus came into this world.
He was a king.
But he didn't come to be served.
As the Gospel of Mark says,
he didn't come to be served,
but to serve and to give his life
as a ransom for many.
That was the way our king came,
to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.
So the more we know Jesus in that way,
the more that we see what he has done for us,
the more that we see his grace and his love
towards us as sinners,
the more that we understand of all of these things,
the more we see what a privilege it is
to serve our king.
That we are no longer serving the things of this world,
that we are no longer serving in the darkness of this world,
but that we are serving with a servant heart
that the Lord Jesus Christ has given to us.
That's what we see with Paul and Timothy and Epaphroditus
and so many others that Paul mentions
as he is giving thanks for those who helped in his ministry.
We are to cultivate this heart of a servant
and to grow in Christ.
When we are young,
we are often encouraged to have good role models.
And I'm sure there's many of the young people
here this evening,
you're being encouraged maybe
to look up to somebody else,
maybe someone in the family
or someone in the community
and saying,
there's a good example to follow.
There's someone you can look at
and see how they're living their lives
and you follow that example.
You come alongside these people
and learn from them.
And it's so good when in a congregation
of God's people,
these kinds of things happen naturally.
When we see our young people coming in
and the older people,
we can just come alongside in a natural way
and encourage.
Ask them questions.
Ask how their wake has gone.
And that the young people can ask
about their experience.
How long have you been a Christian?
What's it like being a Christian?
We learn from one another.
It comes from that kind of servant heart.
We were learning by examples.
And Paul was very much an example to Timothy,
as he was to Epaphroditus.
But they learned from each other as well.
It was a two-way interaction.
They all had this servant heart
where they recognized
they were in this together.
Because their greatest example was
the Lord Jesus Christ.
And you see that in the beginning
of chapter 2
where Paul is speaking about
Christ's example of humility.
humility.
To think on all the things
that Jesus has done for us.
To think of how he humbled himself.
And that's the basis of our servant heart as well.
The foundation of ourselves
growing together,
young and old alike.
You see it with Paul
how he has developed
over the years.
You see it here
even in chapter 2
verse 19
where he says,
I hope
to send Timothy
to you soon.
Well that's not what he says,
is it?
He says,
I hope
in the Lord Jesus
to send Timothy
to you soon.
You see,
he's learning.
And then he says
in verse 24,
24,
and I trust
that shortly
I myself
will come also.
No,
he says,
I trust
in the Lord
that shortly
I myself
will come also.
So he's adding
these little things.
He's showing
his focus
is on the Lord Jesus
in doing
his will.
And that's
the servant heart
that he has.
That's the way
that he is living.
And that's the example
that he's giving
to Epaphroditus
and to Timothy
as well.
And they are
learning this
together.
Look at the way
he describes
Epaphroditus
in verse 25.
I thought it
necessary to send
to you,
Epaphroditus,
my brother
and my fellow
worker
and fellow
soldier.
Three different
ways
he describes
him.
My brother,
my fellow
worker,
and my
fellow soldier.
And so he's
showing us here
the kind of
servant heart
that Epaphroditus
had.
He was
a brother
in the Lord.
What a wonderful
privilege it is
for us
to have brothers
and sisters
in the Lord.
To have those
who are alongside
us in this work
encouraging each
other,
praying for each
other,
looking out for
each other.
what a wonderful
privilege it
is.
So we have
brothers and
sisters.
We have
fellow workers.
We have those
who are working
with that same
heart,
that same
mind.
It is to serve
Christ as our
king.
And we are
fellow soldiers.
We are in this
battle,
because it is a
battle at times.
We are battling
against the powers
of this world,
but we are not
doing it alone.
We are doing it
together.
And so we can
look around this
evening and see
we are brothers
and sisters
in Christ.
We are fellow
workers in the
gospel.
We are fellow
soldiers in this
battle.
We need to be
united in all
of these things.
John Wesley
once learned
a very harsh
lesson in terms
of judging
others.
There was this
man who had
been converted.
But ever since
he had been
converted,
John Wesley
had kind of
looked down
on him.
He had seen
him as someone
who he thought
was greedy,
who wasn't
generous with
what he had.
And one day
when they were
having a collection
for a special
cause,
John Wesley
saw this man
put so little
into the
collection that he
openly criticized
him.
In front of
others he
criticized him
for the little
that he put
in.
It was challenging
him,
rebuking him.
But after that
the man went
to John Wesley
privately and
spoke to him.
And this
suddenly opened
John Wesley's
eyes.
Because what
the man said
to him was
that for the
last number
of months
he'd been
living off
only parsnips
and water.
That's all
he was living
off.
And he
wasn't buying
himself anything.
And he
explained it
in this way
before his
conversion
he had found
himself in
debt to so
many different
people.
And because
he had no
thought,
nothing was
convicting his
conscience,
he didn't think
anything of being
in debt to
these people
and he wasn't
paying it back.
But he
said,
when he
became a
Christian,
Christ made
me an
honest man.
And he
recognized that
he had to
pay back
all of his
debts.
So every
spare penny
he said,
after my
tithe I
have so
little left,
I pay
my debts.
And all
of a sudden
John Wesley
realized this
heart,
the man's
heart was
for the
Lord.
In
recognizing
what he
owed to
others.
And how
he was
living his
life honoring
the Lord.
Doing it
quietly,
hidden in
many ways,
and yet
criticized by
others.
But John
Wesley
apologized to
the man.
And we
can't judge
those around
us.
We don't
know what's
going on in
people's
lives.
But we
should be
thankful that
we see the
servant heart
that there is
in so many.
In so many
years,
together
here,
just like
Epaphrodite
is with
Paul and
Timothy,
all having
that servant
heart,
fellow
brothers,
fellow
servants,
fellow
soldiers
in the
Lord.
We have
much to
be thankful
for in
that sense.
So we
have the
servant's
heart.
The second
thing we
see here
is the
servant's
burden.
burden.
We see
the
servant's
burden.
Why was
Paul feeling
it so
necessary to
send
Epaphroditus
back?
Well,
when we
read on
in verse
25,
well,
he was a
fellow worker
and a
fellow soldier,
your messenger
and minister
to my
need.
They had
sent him.
But it
says in
verse 26,
he has
been longing
for you
all and
has been
distressed
because you
heard that
he was
ill.
And you
see here
the burden
that Epaphroditus
had.
His burden
was towards
his people.
It wasn't
about
himself.
It wasn't
looking very
selfishly at
himself.
He was
distressed
because of
others.
And what
we find
is the
servant's
burden,
as we
believe in
the Lord
Jesus,
there is a
burden that
grows in
us.
When we
think of
fellow workers
and fellow
soldiers,
as Paul has
described there,
it reminds us
that we are
always learning
in this
life.
That through
all our
different
experiences,
we are
learning.
Soldiers
go through
boot camp.
They go
through
training so
that they
can endure
hardships when
they go
into the
battlefield.
It's
something they
have to
go through.
And that's
what Paul
is saying
here as
well.
When he
speaks of
it in
verse 22,
he speaks
of Timothy,
but you
know,
Timothy's
proven
worth.
That
proven
worth means
approved
by testing.
He has
gone through
his own
trials.
And you
see it here
with
Epaphroditus.
He has
been
ill.
Indeed,
it says
in verse
27,
indeed,
he was
ill near
to death.
He has
gone through
this trial,
this experience.
experience.
But what
has it
taught him?
It's
taught him
to focus
on others.
And how
many experiences
have you
gone through
without
understanding
at the
time,
what is
it about?
Why is
this
happening?
But then
later on,
you're able
to help
others who
go through
that very
similar
experience
themselves.
And that's
what being
fellow
Christians
together
does.
That's
what a
community
of
believers
does.
How
quietly
and how
subtly
things go
on in
the
background.
How
many
unsung
heroes
are here
who will
just go
and visit
someone
because
they've
had a
similar
experience,
whether
it's
grief
or
illness
or
whatever
experience
people are
going
through.
They can
come
alongside.
and be
brothers and
sisters
alongside
each other
because they
can say,
I know
what you're
going through.
I have
been there.
And that
we are
growing
together
in that
way.
And here
we see
Epaphroditus.
He was
distressed,
it says,
because you
heard that
he was
ill.
And it's
interesting
that that
word
distressed
is only
used
here
and when
Jesus
is in
the
garden
of
Gethsemane.
The
same
word
there
is
used
distressed
as it
is in
Matthew

Matthew 26:37
26
verse
37
and
38
where
he
says
Jesus
was
sorrowful
and
troubled.
Troubled
is that
same
word
distressed.
And
what is
that word
meaning?
Well
it's
meaning
that
there
is
a
distress
a
trouble
feeling
troubled
because
of the
burden
for
others.
The
burden
of the
Lord
Jesus
as he
was in
Gethsemane
was as he
was saying
to his
father
not my
will
but yours
be done.
What was
the burden?
It was the
burden
of the
salvation
of the
world.
The
redemption
of his
people
by going
to the
cross.
What a
powerful
way he
was
troubled.
And it's
saying here
of Epaphroditus
he was
distressed
because you
heard he
was ill.
It doesn't
seem to
compare
but it
still says
that there
is a
burden
towards
the
people.
A
genuine
concern.
His
focus,
his
concern
was on
others.
And it's
a wonderful
privilege when
we have
people with
that kind
of mindset
as well.
One
commentator
was speaking
about this
in a
situation
where the
church
didn't have
this kind
of nature,
didn't have
this kind
of attitude.
And he
said this,
what a
lesson for
the church.
How many
of us can
see no
further than
the end
of our
own noses?
We are
so caught
up in
what is
happening
to us
that we
are unable
to see
the needs
of those
around us.
That's
not how
the church
should be.
It's not
just looking
to ourselves.
It's not
just thinking
about ourselves
but it's
a burden
for others.
And the
blessing that
we have
here is
that there
is that
collective
burden
for others
in our
midst,
of looking
out for,
of sharing
with one
another.
And in
many ways
that is a
sign of
maturing in
our faith
and in
our understanding.
It's a
sign of
maturing in
our knowledge
of God
and his
cause,
of what
Christ has
done for
us.
When you
see it
here in
the beginning
of chapter
2,
maybe
especially
verse 4,
let each
of you
look not
only to
his own
interests
but also
to the
interests
of others.
And then
it goes
on to
speak of
have this
mind
among
yourselves
which is
yours
in Christ
Jesus
who thought
he was,
who though
he was in
the form
of God
did not
count
equality
with God
a thing
to be
grasped
but made
himself
nothing
taking the
form
of a
servant.
There is
our example
of humility
of being
concerned
for others.
It comes
from knowing
Christ
knowing
our King
more
and more
and so
do we have
that
servant's
burden?
we do
but let's
keep
cultivating
that
burden
so it
doesn't
just stay
within
these
walls
but it
goes out
beyond
these
walls.
It reaches
out to
our
community
all around
us
to those
who are
burdened
and troubled
in so
many different
ways around
us
that we
would have
that
burden
for them.
And you
notice
Epaphroditus
how he's
mentioned
towards the
end here
because
of the
burden
that he
had for
others.
Look at
how others
looked
to him.
In
verse 28
and 29
what does
it say?
I am
more eager
to send
him
therefore
that you
may rejoice
at seeing
him again
and that I
may be less
anxious.
So receive
him in the
Lord with
all joy
and honour
such men.
He sees
here that
here is
one
who is
a great
example
of
humility.
A
great
example
of what
a servant
and a
brother
in the
Lord
looks like.
And there
is such
encouragement
in him
coming back
that he
would be
well
received
because he
had that
burden
for his
people.
And if we
have that
burden
for one
another
what does
it do?
it means
that we
are encouraged
when we
are in
each
other's
company.
It means
we are
encouraged
when we
are together
in the
things of
the Lord.
Whatever
service
we are
given,
whatever
little
things we
might be
doing for
the Lord
here.
There is
so much
that goes
on with
our young
people,
with our
old
people,
with the
doors being
opened
throughout
the week
for different
people to
come and
go and
everyone is
playing their
part.
Everyone
has
something
to do
and that
we are
in that
sense of
being
together
in it,
we are
having that
joy and
that being
together in
it,
we are
encouraging
one another.
And so let
us keep
doing so.
The unsung
heroes,
they don't
want to be
to the
fore,
but we
just get
on with
it because
of our
love for
Christ and
our love
for one
another.
So we
have that
servant's
burden that
we see
in Epaphroditus
and Timothy
and Paul
as well.
The final
thing we
want to
see here
is the
servant's
honour.
Why do
they do
what they
do?
Why does
Paul travel
around so
many different
places?
Why does
Timothy seek
to learn
from him?
Why is
Epaphroditus
just quietly
going about
his business?
it's for
the glory
of God.
We don't
do it
for honour,
but we
know too
that the
Lord will
honour
those who
honour
him.
It says
that in
1 Samuel

1 Samuel 2:30
chapter 2
verse 30,
those who
honour me
I will
honour.
And it
tells us
in 2

2 Timothy 4:8
Timothy 4
verse 8
he reward
every faithful
servant with
a crown
of righteousness.
righteousness.
We're not
doing it
for these
things,
but we
are encouraged
to know
that we
are doing
it for
the Lord
and at
the end
of the
day
it will
all be
worth it.
Any
hardship
we suffer
now serving
Christ,
any challenges
we come up
against,
any disappointments
that come
our way,
we can
keep on.
We keep
on going
because the
Lord is
with us.
The
Lord is
on our
side.
And
whatever we
do for
the Lord
it will
be worth
it in
the end
because the
Lord is
able to
bless.
Paul
here he
kind of
honours
Epaphroditus
at the end
of verse
29 when
he says
of him
honour
such
men.
give
them
their
place,
give
them
their
encouragement
and
every
one of
you
be
encouraged
this
evening
as you
go on
doing
for the
Lord,
praying
to the
Lord,
serving
the
Lord,
encouraging
in the
name of
the
Lord,
be
encouraged
yourselves
and
encourage
one
another.
we
don't
do it
out of
selfishness
or
empty
conceit
but
going back
to the
beginning
of this
chapter
do
nothing
at a
rivalry
or conceit
but in
humility
do all
things
looking
to the
Lord
Jesus.
He
is
king
and
if he
is
our
king
we
are
to
serve
him
and
if we
are
serving
him
we
can
be
thankful
that
we
seek
to
do
that
together
with
that
same
servant
heart
together
with
that
same
servant
burden
together
looking
to that
same
servant
honour
together
rejoice
give
thanks
for all
that's
going
on
in
the
name
of
the
Lord
learn
more
of
him
know
him
as
he
is
so
that
we
can
honour
him
with
all
that
we
are
let
us
pray
Lord
our
gracious
God
we
pray
that
you
will
unite
our
hearts
in
that
way
of
being
servants
fellow
servants
for
you
fellow
workers
fellow
soldiers
in
this
work
of
the
gospel
that
we
are
involved
in
we
thank
you
for
all
the
blessings
that
you
give
to
us
we
thank
you
for
every
example
that
we
have
from
your
word
but
also
the
examples
and
encouragers
we
have
around
us
day
by
day
and
we
pray
Lord
that
together
we
will
know
your
hand
of
blessing
upon
us
that
we
would
know
your
strength
with
us
in
all
that
we
seek
to
do
and
that
we
would
see
the
blessing
of
the
Lord
in
our
midst
that
we
would
see
the
name
of
Jesus
lifted
high
and
praised
near
and far
as
we
ask
all
in
his
precious
name
Amen
We're
going to
conclude
by
singing
to
God's
praise
again
in
Psalm
30
in
the
Sing
Psalms
Psalm
30
in
the
Sing
Psalms
page
35
we'll
sing
from
verse
9
down
to
the
end
what
gain
will
my
destruction
bring
if I
descend
to
death
will
thus
proclaim
your
faithfulness
or
praise
you
with
its
breath
hear
as
I
cry
O
Lord
my
God
and
listen
to
my
plea
come
to
my
aid
and
my
distress
have
mercy
Lord
on
me
we'll
sing
from
verse
9
down
to
the
end
of
the
Psalm
to
God's
praise
!
to
God
God
him
will
hide
his
passion
bring
If I
descend
to
death
will
trust
you
your
faithfulness
or praise you with his bread.
Hear us, I cry, O Lord my God,
and listen to my plea.
Come to my end in my distress,
have mercy, Lord, on me.
Turn my willy into dance,
no longer was I sad.
My sad cloth, God,
you gave me those of joy,
and I was glad.
Therefore my heart will sing to you,
and never cease to praise.
To you it may, O Lord my God,
I will lift and always sing.
After the benediction, I'll go to the door to my right.
We'll close with the benediction.
Now may grace, mercy, and peace from God,
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit
rest upon and abide with you all,
now and forevermore.
Amen.
Thank you, Father,
Thank you.