United in Love: Lessons from Phil 2:1-4 on Church Unity

Good morning, and what a blessing it is to study God's Word with you today.

My name is Pastor Simon, and welcome to the preaching ministry of Dillingham Moravian Church.

Here at DMC, our focus is to make disciples of Christ as we learn the Word of God together.

In the game of football, every player is important and needed.

On the offensive line, the quarterback is the one who receives the ball from

the center and then either throws the ball to a receiver or runs with the ball

himself or passes the ball off to a different player.

Yet without the offensive guards, the tackles, and the fullbacks,

the quarterback can get hit before he even has a chance to throw the ball or run with it.

Yet the quarterbacks have to throw to someone.

So that is where the running back, fullbacks, and the wide receivers come in.

On the defensive line, you have the defensive tackle who are at the center of

the line, and their goal is to rush the passer and to stop running plays.

The nose tackles are the ones that I like because those boys are huge.

Typically, they're from around 320 to 350 pounds, and their job is to clog up

the middle of the offensive line.

Then you have your defensive ends who try to stop the runners on the outside

of the defensive line The defensive linebackers are called the Swiss Army Knives

of football because they can hit hard, they can run fast, and they can do most any position,

Last in formation are the defensive backs and then the safeties who are often

the smallest and fastest.

Who can run fast enough to catch the play or going for the touchdown.

I bring up these positions of a football team because each position,

and there are more, are critical.

And if certain positions aren't

doing their jobs, then it greatly affects the play of the entire team.

All positions must be working together towards the same goal.

The Church of Christ, both local and universal, are called to live and work

together with the same mind, the same spirit, and the same purpose for the goal of Christ. Let's pray.

Heavenly Father, we thank you for your love for us in Jesus Christ.

I pray, Lord, as we hear your word, that you would speak to us,

teach us, guide us, show us your love for us, and show us just how your Son

has loved us, Lord, and help us to emulate him by your grace and by your Spirit.

In your precious Son's name, Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen.

Here at DMC, we are going through a preaching series on Paul's letter to the Philippians.

Last week, we learned that as Christians, we are to live as citizens of Christ's

kingdom in a manner keeping with Christ's gospel as we stand firm against persecution

and strive together in unity for the faith of the gospel.

The second point that God through Paul taught us last week was that for us to

stand firm in Christ and faithfully share the gospel amidst suffering,

we must focus our hope on two signs that the Lord has given us,

that the persecutors of Christians will one day be paid back by the righteous wrath of God.

And also that Christ's believers will be saved from God's destruction upon the

earth and be delivered to heaven.

Lastly, to be faithful to Christ amidst suffering, we must remember the faithfulness

of others who have been and are faithful now to Christ amidst persecution.

And today we're going to continue in Philippians chapter 2, verse 1 through 4.

Philippians 2:1–4

Philippians chapter 1, or 2 rather, verse 1 through 4.

Philippians 1 · chapter mention

Therefore, if there is any encouragement in Christ, if there is any consolation

of love, if there is any fellowship of the Spirit,

if any affection and compassion make my joy complete by being of the same mind,

maintaining the same love,

united in spirit, intent on one purpose.

Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind,

regard one another as more important than yourselves.

Do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.

The first truth that God through Paul is teaching us today is that as Christians,

and especially within the context of the local church, we are to be of the same

mind, the same love, united in spirit and intent on the purpose of God.

Paul wrote, Therefore, if there is any encouragement in Christ,

if there is any consolation of love, if there is any fellowship of the Spirit,

any affection and compassion,

make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love,

united in Spirit, intent on one purpose.

To understand what Paul was teaching the Philippians about in the beginning of chapter 2,

we must understand that although Paul praised the Philippians for their fellowship

in the gospel and for their generosity and for their witness under persecution,

it seemed like their congregation was experiencing trouble in the life of its membership.

And what I mean by this is that there was at least one disagreement between

two godly people in the Philippian church, and it may have been getting out

of hand. Let's look at Philippians chapter 4, verse 1 through 4.

Philippians 4:1–4

Therefore, my brothers, loved and longed for, my joy and crown,

in this way stand firm in the Lord, my beloved. And here it is, verse 2.

I urge you, Odea, and I urge Sinkti, to think the same way in the Lord.

Indeed, I ask you also, genuine companion, help these women who have contended

together alongside of me in the gospel. but also Clement and the rest of my

fellow workers whose names are in the book of life.

Rejoice in the Lord always. Again, I will say rejoice.

It's important for us to recognize that these two women were very godly ladies.

Paul praised Euodia and Sinti highly when he said that those women had ministered

together alongside of him and the gospel, and that their names,

along with the fellow workers,

and Clement and Paul, were in the book of life.

However, for some reason that Paul does not share in this letter,

these two women had a disagreement.

And this disagreement would have gotten bad for Paul to mention it in a public letter such as this.

And thus, it makes me think that the church was beginning to divide with people

on either sides, on the side of Euodia and the side of Sinkti.

And this, I believe, is one of the main reasons for Paul writing his letter to the Philippians.

Paul was encouraging the two ladies and the people with them to unite in the Lord.

Remember the situation that the congregation was in.

The Philippian church, by holding fast to the lordship and kingship of Jesus Christ,

they were propelled into direct conflict with the super-Roman culture of Philippi,

who worshipped the emperor as God and king over the earth.

The Philippian church, along with the church in Thessalonica,

were probably the most severely persecuted congregations in the known world at the time.

Believers would have been killed, put into prison, possibly tortured.

They probably had much of their livelihood taken away, and thus they were quite poor.

It's very possible that these two women and the congregation were extremely

tired and worn down by suffering.

As we all know, it's often when things are most challenging,

when tempers flare, or when we are often the most impatient with those we love

and less understanding of others.

I take the view that the Philippians' suffering was a great factor for why the

division in their church may have come about.

Paul was so concerned about this issue because relationships inside the church

is just as important as their witness to unbelievers.

When those outside the church see infighting in congregations and inside Christian

families, then unbelievers will not be convinced that Christ is really God and

alive and active in that community.

Back in Philippians 2, verse 1, Paul exhorted, Therefore, if there is any encouragement

Philippians 2:1

in Christ, if there's any consolation of love, if there's any fellowship of

the Spirit, if any affection, compassion.

I want you to see that Paul prefaced this section with if statements.

To start off, I want you to show you the four ifs that Paul encouraged the congregation with.

The first if statement that I want you to see is,

is if there is any encouragement in Christ. The word that Paul used for encouragement

meant an act of emboldening another belief in belief or course of action,

meaning that God had given the Philippians any actions that emboldened them

or gave courage to them so that they grew in their faith and acted boldly as a witness for Christ.

Of course, we know that the Philippians were able to speak and act boldly in

the face of persecution due to the grace and love of Christ and His salvation

for all believers on the cross and the continual uplifting of the Holy Spirit,

did encourage them and it gave them boldness to go out and share the love of Christ.

Secondly, Paul went on to say, if there is any consolation of love.

Consolation referred to the comfort you feel when consoled in times of disappointment.

Where was this comfort to come from? from God through the love that Christ demonstrated

for us on the cross and then convinces us by the Holy Spirit.

We also receive much comfort from God in hard times through other Christ believers

as they console us with God's love.

The third if statement that Paul used was if there is any fellowship of the Spirit.

You see, God through the Holy Spirit permanently indwells believers and as such,

we have fellowship with God in the Spirit.

Lastly, Paul implored, if any affection or tenderness and compassion.

Literally, the phrase reads, compassion and compassion.

One commentator explained, one of the Spirit's ministries is to produce within

each believer a concern and love for other members of God's family.

This may be received or rejected by the believer, but the Spirit's work is a

reality and is a basis for spiritual unity.

You see, this tenderness and compassion that Paul was referring to was the compassion

and affection that we receive from other Christians as the Holy Spirit works in them.

And this leads us to the outcomes of Paul's if statement.

Let's look at Philippians 2, verse 2. Make my joy complete by being of the same

Philippians 2:2

mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose.

The heart of Paul's list here is the love that we have received from God.

Agape love or God's love, which means to have strong non-sexual affection and

love for a person and their good as understood by God's moral character,

especially characterized by a willing forfeiture of rights or privileges in

another person's behalf.

Loving with God's love is having a strong affection for someone based upon the

character of God as the Christian willingly gives up their rights and privileges

for that other person. Please don't miss this.

Christ has given us His love, His affection, His compassion through His loving

sacrificial death on the cross.

Christ has given us fellowship and unity with God by the Holy Spirit by giving

up His rights, His desires, wants, and privileges.

And thus Paul was urging the Philippians that as a result of God giving them

such wonderful gifts of grace...

Then they are called to respond by loving each other in the body of Christ with

the same love, affection, and unity and purpose as God had given them.

So how do we apply this to us as Christians today?

God is teaching us that loving others is the outflow of God's loving affection

and His unified purpose working in and through us.

God's love is based on and motivated by His character, who He is as Almighty and ever-living God.

And this means that our primary task in the Christian life is to get to know

and experience the affectionate and unifying purpose of Jesus'

love and stay in His love, and not to leave His love ever.

Jesus, in John 14, verse 23-24, said, If anyone loves me, he will keep my word,

John 14:23–24

and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our abode with him.

He who does not love me does not keep my words, and the word which you hear

is not mine, but the Father's who sent me.

The word that Jesus used for loves indicated a direction of the will and finding

one's joy in something or someone, or to delight in,

meaning that our obedience to Christ is the result of our love for Christ as we delight in Christ.

When we find our joy or our delight in something or someone, what are we doing?

We're valuing that person as something as good for us.

In order for you and I to love each other in the body of Christ,

we must believe and value God as our greatest good, our greatest treasure.

The more we value God above ourselves, the more what God values will become what we value.

And valuing God as our greatest good, we, you and I, will give up our rights,

our privileges for God's greatest good for each other.

And who did God value so much that He sent His Son, Jesus Christ.

To be sacrificially killed on that cross, all of humanity, especially His church.

The more we value God as our delightful treasure and relinquish our rights and

privileges and desires for Christ and others, the more we will obey God by loving others.

With God's love. And this is what it means to live in the love of God.

And this is what it means to live in fellowship before God together.

So how does living in the love of God practically translate to loving others,

especially within the local church family?

God through Paul teaches us that with humility, we are to regard God and others

as more valuable than ourselves.

Here in Bush, Alaska, we hunt and fish to get food for our tables.

Many people also hunt for trophies.

We're willing to sacrifice work, a lot of money, as well as time with our families.

And we definitely sacrifice comfort when we're freezing or soaking by rain or

being ravished by the noceums.

Why do you think we give up all these needs and so-called rights and comforts?

Because we believe that that moose or the fish or the money will be...

That we receive is worth it, that is valuable to us.

God, through Paul, teaches us that we are to believe and view others like this

as way more valuable than ourselves.

This is the only way to love others God's way.

Paul continued on in Philippians 2, verses 3-4.

Philippians 2:3–4

Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind,

regard one another as more important than yourselves.

Do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.

The second way that we can learn to have affection for other believers is,

as Paul explained in Philippians 2.3, with humility of mind,

regard one another as more important than yourselves.

This, my friends, is the meaning of love. For us to view others with God's affection

or love, we must value Christ more than ourselves, more than anything.

We humble or lower ourselves in our own estimation and lift Christ up as greater

so that we become lesser and lesser, and He becomes greater and greater in our viewpoint.

When we value Christ more and we value ourselves less, then what Christ values

becomes way more important than ourselves.

The reason why Jesus was able to sacrifice so much was because he lowered his

own worth and his own perspective.

This is what humility means, to lower ourselves.

And so that the Father and we as miserable human beings would be more important

or more valuable to Christ than he was to himself.

What does it practically mean to lower oneself and raise others in our viewpoint,

in our church, for our church body?

As Jesus obeyed God, he lived or remained in the Father's love.

As a church family, we are called to lower ourselves by obeying God,

by living pure lives unto the Lord, following His ways, the Bible.

Lowering ourselves in obedience to God starts first with us and then with our

families, and then with our church families.

The only way that we can have the power from God to joyfully view our spouses

and families and church family as being more valuable than ourselves and to

love them sacrificially like Christ is by actively and intentionally staying in God's presence.

We stay in God's presence by reading and learning from God's word,

continually praying and rejoicing and thanking God in every circumstance.

We live in God's presence or make our home with Him as we intentionally,

with ardent passion, pursue God and obey His Word.

We pursue God passionately by continually thinking and remembering and preaching

to ourselves who God is and how He has loved us.

We abide in Christ by repenting of our sins and trusting His promises and principles

and reminding ourselves that

we do love God and wish to stay with God and commit to trust and love Him.

Then we step out in joyful faith to do what has commanded us in the moment.

As we value Christ and lower ourselves, we value our families and those in our

local church, and we sacrifice our desires for God's will for them.

And you know what will happen?

Our affection for others will grow, and that's including our husbands,

our wives, our children, even those church members that rub our emotions the wrong way.

What then is God teaching us all today?

The heart of this message is that God in Christ has lavished us with His love,

His affection, and compassion through Christ's loving sacrificial death on the cross.

The Holy Spirit showered us with fellowship and unity with God.

And it all happened because Christ gave up His rights, His desires,

His wants, and privileges so that our blood debt could be paid and we could

have forgiveness from God.

And thus, we here at Dillingham Raven Church are called to respond to Christ

by loving each other with the same love and affection and the same unity and

purpose that Christ has loved us with.

In order to live with this love, we must lower ourselves in our own eyes and

raise Christ to be our ultimate treasure.

Because the more Christ becomes precious to us, the more other Christians,

especially amongst the body of Christ, here in Dillingham and elsewhere.

They will become more valuable and more important to us.

The more Christ becomes precious to you, the more valuable your families and

church families will become in your understanding.

And I wish to encourage you that however much you wish to value yourselves or

your spouses or your kids or your jobs or your vehicles or whatever else,

value God more because the more

you love God, the more you will love and value each other. Let's pray.

Heavenly Father, we thank you for the privilege and joy it is to be able to be in your presence.

And we're in your presence because of what your Son has done on the cross and

through his resurrection.

Thank you, Lord. I pray, Lord, that for those who have heard this message and

will hear this message in the future, I pray that you will bring them to salvation in you,

Help them to experience your love, your consolation, your comfort,

your fellowship with the Spirit.

I pray also for our churches, Lord, in America and in the world,

Lord, that you would work in us so that we would live according to the ways of Christ.

That we would trust you and treat you as our nation.

Greatest value, treasure, so that we can treat each other with your love,

that we can value each other in you. Thank you, Lord.

Use us towards that end. In your precious Son's name, Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen.

I'll leave you with this blessing from Romans 15, verse 13.

Romans 15:13

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace and believing,

so that by the power of the Holy Spirit, you may abound in hope. Amen.

Have a wonderful Sunday. May the Lord bless you all.