Philippians 2 — Sermon by Rev. Canon Bryan Biba

Let us pray.

Lord, may my speech and my message not

be plausible words of human wisdom, but

a demonstration of the spirit and of

power, so that our faith may not rest in

the wisdom of men, but in the power of

the living God, Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen. You may be seated.

I've always loved watching movies, but

recently I started listening to uh movie

podcasts. I don't know if you know this,

but this is a whole subculture of people

doing podcasts about different kinds of

movies, their history, their production,

their impact. It's a really nice way to

unwind after a long day, just to learn a

little bit more about a movie that I

like. But I've noticed something as I've

listened to these podcasts.

I have a new desire to watch more

movies.

Some of them have movies I've seen

before, haven't seen in years, want to

watch them again. Others are movies I

have never seen, but I've heard from

these guys how great they are. So, of

course, I want to watch them. And some

of these movies are movies I never would

have chosen to see on my own,

except for these podcasters. And so,

I've watched them.

This is a frivolous example of a well

doumented phenomenon called group think.

Group think is the tendency for members

of a group to all think alike.

The people we are around often shape the

opinions that we have. And this is true

even for the media that we consume, the

voices that we listen to. We're all

surrounded by all kinds of different

voices. And the more time we spend with

particular voices, the more that they

shape how we think. I have all kinds of

opinions about movies I didn't have

before before listening to these

podcasters.

But group think is more than just

influence or peer pressure.

Yale psychologist Irving Janice, who

coined the term in his groundbreaking

research back in 1972, said, "Group

think is a deterioration

of mental efficiency,

reality testing, and moral judgment that

results from inroup pressures.

See, we may truly believe in our heart

of hearts something to be true, but if

the group we are a part of doesn't

believe it, over time, this group will

begin to influence how we think. And

before we know it, we'll begin to

believe and think things that we didn't

think before.

We'll suppress our own beliefs for the

sake of belonging.

The University of Texas at Austin

Business School has done a lot of

interesting research into group think.

If you go on their website, you can see

all kinds of cool stuff, especially how

it affects the marketplace, how it

affects consumer decisions.

Researchers write, "Group think occurs

when a people's desire to maintain group

loyalty

becomes more important than making the

best choices,

making it hard for people to think and

act independently in group situations.

I hope you're familiar with the research

of social psychologist Jonathan Height.

He's written a lot of really important

books that describe our cultural moment.

In one of his books, he describes group

think as the intuitive dog and its

rational tale.

Most of us think that our beliefs are

shaped by our reason, that we reason our

way to the opinions we have. But that's

like the tail wagging the dog. The truth

is all of us have intuitions,

beliefs that we share in our gut,

beliefs that we share with the groups

we're a part of, and we reason our way

to justifying the things we believe to

be true in our gut.

Group think happens when we allow the

groups that we are a part of to shape

our feelings, not just our ideas, but

our intuitions.

And over time we lose the ability to

think for ourselves. We start to think

with a hive mind. It becomes a mob

mentality.

Friends, this is exactly what is

happening in all kinds of ways in our

culture today. Especially in our

politics, but even more so in our pop

culture, in social media. All of us have

algorithms

that shape the kind of things we listen

to. Just today uh on my way to church,

someone mentioned, "Did you see that

thing online about this?" And of course,

I said, "No,

I'm not on social media, so I don't get

a lot of algorithm stuff." But all of us

have ways that we are shaped by others.

We all claim to be independent thinkers.

We all claim to think for ourselves, but

the truth is each one of us, it goes

along with the opinions of the groups

that we're part of. Unless we

interrogate those perspectives,

we as Christians, I think, need to be

especially mindful of this dynamic

because we are called to be salt and

light in the world. We're called to be

in the world and not of the world. All

of us belong to the church. That is the

primary or should be the primary group

that shapes the way we think. But all of

us are also parts of lots of different

groups. And some of these groups have

thoughts and ideas that are contrary to

the gospel of Jesus Christ. And if we're

not careful, pretty soon if we spend

more of our time listening to these

voices and less of our time reading

God's word, the other groups will begin

to shape how we think. And then we'll

think in ways that are contrary to the

truth of God.

I was thinking about this this week as I

was meditating on Philippians chapter 2

Philippians 2:2

verse 2. Listen to what Paul says.

Complete my joy by being of the same

mind, having the same love, being in

full accord and of one mind.

This kind of sounds like group think. Is

Paul saying all Christians need to think

the same way?

No, not exactly. He's calling us to

something radically different. The word

that's used here is the Greek word

freno.

Here it's translated as of the same

mind.

Of one mind. This is a really tricky

word. We don't really have an easy

English equivalent for the word.

That's evident in the way that it's

translated even in this letter in

Philippians. 10 times Paul uses this

word fo most of any book which tells you

this is really important to the argument

of Philippians but we will miss it if

we're reading in English because

translators render it in different ways

look for with me if you have your Bible

Philippians 1:7

Philippians 1:7

here's the first use of the word Paul

writes it is right for me to feel this

way about you because I hold you in my

heart.

So right there, FNO is not just about

thinking, it's also about our feeling.

Paul feels a certain way about the

Philippians.

And then it occurs again chapter 3:1 15,

but it's a very different context. Paul

writes, "Let those of us who are mature

think in this way, and if any you think

otherwise, God will reveal that also to

you." So twice we have that word fo is

something that we mature in something we

grow in. All of us think a certain way

now but Paul is urging the Philippians

to grow in our thinking.

He wants us to think otherwise in the

way that God reveals to us.

And then chapter 4 verse two another use

of the same word but again rendered very

differently. 4 verse 2 I entreat Udia

and I entreat synth to agree in the

Lord. These are two prominent leaders in

the Philippian church who seem to be at

conflict with one another and Paul is

urging them to foo to agree with one

another in the Lord.

It's a communal ideal. It's something we

do together. It's not something

individuals do.

We're seeking to think together, to feel

together, to grow together

like Christ. Finally, chapter 4: 10,

Paul writes, "I rejoiced in the Lord

greatly that now at length you have

revived your concern for me. Indeed, you

were concerned for me, but you have no

opportunity." That word concern is that

same word fo.

It's about care for other people. Not

just our thinking, not just our feeling,

but our intentions.

Are we concerned for one another? Do we

care for one another?

Foro refers to the seat of human passion

and intellect. Yes, the mind is part of

it, but it's more than the mind. call.

Paul is calling the Philippians to set

their whole person, their thinking,

their feeling, their care and concerns,

their attitude in the same direction

towards the same purpose and goal.

He summarized it very succinctly in the

verse we started with. Philippians

Philippians 2:2

chapter 2 verse 2.

Complete my joy by being of the same

mind, having the same love, being in

full accord and of one mind is a

four-fold description of this one idea.

I tried desperately this week to find a

good English alternative and it doesn't

exist. The best I could find, one

commentator said, "Foro should be

thought of as

right attitude, singleness of purpose,

and mental concentration.

Wow.

But friends, think about that. Is there

anything anyone that you have the right

attitude, singleness of purpose, and

mental concentration with?

This doesn't happen naturally. We can't

do this under our own power. It's a

choice, but it's something that God

enables by his Holy Spirit. He pours his

love into our hearts and makes it

possible for us to choose to have the

same mind, the same heart, the same

feeling.

Paul begins Philippians 2 verse one. So

if there's any encouragement in Christ,

any comfort in love, any participation

in the spirit, any affection and

sympathy, and of course there is. He

knows that God in Christ comforts us,

invites us to participate in one

another, to have affection and sympathy

for each other.

And when God does this in us and we

choose to obey him,

that's when we have true unity.

True Christian unity. It's the fruit of

freno. Same mind, same heart, same

feeling.

It's not group think.

Group think is a false unity. It's

premised on conformity and fear. You

believe with the group or you're out.

This is unity of conviction, a unity

that respects freedom.

In group think, we lose ourselves. We

become part of the hive mind. But with

FAO, we become more truly who we are in

Christ.

So what does this look like? What should

we have the same mind about? Paul is

very concise. Philippians chapter 2:es 3

and 4.

Do nothing from selfish ambition or

conceit,

but in humility count others more

significant than yourselves.

Let each of you look not only to his own

interests, but also to the interests of

others.

This friends, I think is the key moral

teaching of the book of Philippians.

Perhaps the key moral teaching of all of

St. Paul.

selfish ambition, vain conceit. These

are not compatible with the Christian

life. In fact, they're the exact

opposite of the Christian life. Selfish

ambition is when we are motivated solely

by our own personal agendas rather than

love.

ESV says conceit. They dropped the King

James vain conceit. I don't know why

they did that. Vain conceit is when

pride

blinds us to our own faults and errors

rather than humbly seeking the truth.

Friends, each one of you in this room is

wrong about something.

Sorry.

Each one of you has an error, has a log

in your eye. The question is whether

you're aware of it or whether you're

blinded by your own errors.

If we see our errors, if we know our

tendencies,

then we can humbly pursue unity of the

same mind, of the same love. But if

we're oblivious to our blind spots,

well, guess what? We'll probably just

crash into people thinking that the road

belongs to us. Some people in Savannah

definitely drive that way.

But how many of us live our lives that

way?

Stumbling around in the dark, blind to

our own deficiencies, blind to our own

errors, condemning others who are

different than us, who think differently

than us, rather than humbly seeking the

good of the other.

Christians are called to love and

humility, which most often looks like

counting others as more significant than

ourselves. Note also though in verse

four, let each of you look not only to

his own interests. It's okay to have

your own interests.

The problem is if your own interests are

so big that you can't see the interests

of others.

But when Christians are of the same

mind, the same love for Nao, right?

We can see our interests, we can see our

blind spots, but we can also see the

other and we can seek Christ together.

This is especially true in the church

because Christians, y'all are an

opinionated lot. And I'm with you. We

all think we know the right thing. We

know what's best. And you might, but all

of us are wrong about something and all

of us are right about something.

The only way we can be one body is if we

consider others more important than

ourselves. We're not solely motivated by

our own agendas, but we're also seeking

the good of the other.

And this, friends, is the model that we

receive in Christ Jesus. Paul writes in

verse 5, "Have this mind among

yourselves which is yours in Christ

Jesus."

Did you hear that? You already have this

mind. The mind of Christ has already

been given to you by the Holy Spirit

who's poured the love of God into your

hearts. It's a question of choice. Are

you choosing the mind of Christ or are

you choosing your own mind?

We're called to have the same attitude,

the same conviction, singleness of

purpose, mental concentration on Christ

because that's what Christ does for us.

Paul then proceeds with one of the most

beautiful things from the New Testament,

what's often called the Philippian

Christ hymn. This beautiful description

of what God in Christ does for us. And

you've probably heard it before if

you've been in church at any amount of

time. And like a lot of famous texts, it

kind of washes over you and you don't

really think about it. So, I want to

read this together in a call and

response format. So, if you don't have

your Bible out, definitely get it out.

You had a chance.

Here's what we're going to do.

I'm going to start with reading verse 5

and you're going to respond together

with verse 6 and we'll alternate.

This is the mindset the fao that is

given to us in Christ Jesus.

>> No five five let me start. Sorry that

was a dramatic pause.

Have this mind among yourselves which is

yours in Christ Jesus.

>> In the form of God, did not count

equality with God a thing to be grasped,

>> but emptied himself by taking the form

of a servant being born in the likeness

of men.

Therefore, God has highly exalted him

and bestowed on him the name that is

above every name.

>> And let's say verse 11 together. and

every tongue confess that Jesus Christ

is Lord to the glory of God the Father.

The Christ hymn shows us it's not group

think, it's cross think, it's

crossmindedness.

That is the difference, friends. Group

think is driven by pride. When we think

that we are part of the in-group that

we're superior to others, we are not

thinking with the cross which the cross

calls us to empty ourselves for the good

of the other.

We count others as more significant than

ourselves. We look to the interests of

others because this is what Christ did

for us.

Paul is calling us to cross think,

crossmindedness.

Christ willingly suffers and dies for us

because he considered us more important

than himself.

He looked to our interests even though

we wronged him, even at his own expense.

But remember verse five, friends, the

good news.

Have this mind among yourselves which is

yours in Christ Jesus. You've already

been given this mind in baptism.

This crossshaped mind,

cross-mindedness is impossible for us to

do on our own efforts. We are too

sinful. We're too selfish, too proud,

too conceited. But God, the Holy Spirit,

gives us this mind. And we have a

choice.

Are we choosing the way of the cross?

Are we thinking with the cross? Or are

we thinking with the groups that we are

a part of?

And as God works through us, as he pours

his love into ours, our hearts,

he kills the selfish desires in us, he

kills our vain conceit, our selfish

ambition, making us more like Jesus.

He reshapes our minds to make them more

cross-minded.

Like many of his letters, St. Paul is

writing here to a church in conflict.

He's calling the Philippian Christians

to a deeper, truer kind of unity for

Nao. A unity that's only possible

through crossmindedness.

This unity is not simply the absence of

conflict. It is the fruit of humility

in which each member esteems the other

as more significant than himself. And

friends, I am calling us Christurch

Anglican to this same kind of thinking

because we live in a world that's highly

conflicted. All of us are on our own

algorithms. All of us are listening to

our own voices.

Quiet the other voices and focus on that

internal voice, the voice of the Holy

Spirit calling us to the cross.

That voice will be the power that

enables us to consider others greater

than ourselves.

Group think is about conformity. But

that is not true unity. If we want true

unity in the church, true unity among

Christians, in our nation, in our world,

we must follow the way of Jesus,

which is the way of the cross,

thinking with the mind of Christ.

We must ask God the Holy Spirit to give

us this mind to remind us of this mind.

And as we look to the interests of

others rather than our own interest and

our own agendas, God will use the

crossmindedness to transform us and to

transform this world.

So let's pray. Let's ask God the Holy

Spirit to pour the mind of Christ, the

cross- shaped mind, aresh into our

hearts today.

Lord Jesus Christ,

give us your mind by your Holy Spirit.

Give us your attitude. Give us your

feeling. Give us your intentions and

attitudes.

Put to death in us the selfish ambition

and the vain conceit.

Put to death in us the desire to hear

voices that are not yours.

Transform us.

Give us a crossshaped mind. A mind that

seeks the good of the other. that holds

our own opinions and agendas loosely

and seeks the unity that comes only

through humility.

In the name of the Father and of the Son

and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.