Culver Community Church

Pastor Chris Sweeney

Sermon Notes

February 9, 2020

Believers Unite in Christ! (Philippians 2:1-5)

{vs 1-2} Therefore – this serves as the bridge from the last chapter and as we always say - - - “when you see a therefore, look to see what it’s there for”.  Paul, after making the general thesis or statement in chapter one about standing in unity and faith, living up to the high calling, will now get into some detail.  This paragraph is about that unity.  We begin with the reason or motivation – perhaps, Paul knows that many of us ask ‘Why?’ before we begin to do anything.  However, we must understand that complete trust (faith) does not ask why, does not need a reason or need to understand - - - because we trust that the One who asked us to do does have a reason and that it is good and right!  That being said, the reality is that I don’t know a single person who has reached that type of supreme faith - - - but I do know a lot of people who are growing in faith.  People who God is willing to meet where they need to be met, so that He can help them come farther!

In the Greek, the first word in the sentence is actually the ‘if’ – however it is not the common conditional or speculative ‘if’ that we know and use in English.  This ‘if’ should be translated as ‘if, and it is certain’ or ‘since’ or even ‘because’.  The Apostle Paul is not questioning the Philippians, looking for an answer as to whether this is true in general or in their own lives but using these certain truths as reason or motivation for what follows!  We might summarize the idea as ‘because of what Christ has done for us …’  Now I hope you understand that Paul is appealing to the highest of motivations here – ‘since Jesus has given us so much …’ – how could we refuse to fulfill the apostles’ request but moreover –Jesus’ requests!  After all that Jesus has done for me, for you – how could we refuse Him?  In four, somewhat overlapping statements he describes this: 

· The first is our ‘encouragement from being united with Christ’.  The word translated encouragement is paraklēsis (the same root is used for comfort, as in the Comforter or Holy Spirit).  This noun is the comfort given or received from being in Christ Jesus and that is significant!  I hope that knowing you are united with Christ, that you are no longer an enemy of God and are freed from the curse of sin, the law, death and hell – encourages you!  If that doesn’t comfort you, I think that you are beyond encouragement!  Being united with Christ means that we are one with Him, it means that Christ can no more discard us, than He can Himself!  We are joint heirs with Christ – co-inheritors of eternity!  “I am united with Christ!” - Say it with me “I am united with Christ!” – are you encouraged?

· The second motivation flows from the first (as the fourth does from the third), it is since we have received “comfort from His love”.  We are not only encouraged or comforted by what Christ has done but also because of why He did it!  It is God’s love that moves Him to action, to make it possible for us to be united with Him!  Comfort here is a similar word in the Greek, paramythion a word that describes someone coming alongside us (like a paraclete - advocate) speaking positive words of comfort and encouragement softly into our ears.

· In the third reason, it is the Holy Spirit’s blessings that should motivate us – the common sharing in the Spirit.  This word koinōnia is usually translated fellowship – the kind of communal fellowship where something is shared in common, like in the first days of the Church at Jerusalem where all things were shared among the believers.  The Holy Spirit indwells the believer, they are united together – sharing a new common life together!  It is the Holy Spirit who sanctifies, convicts, guides, blesses, and empowers us and so much more!  By this amazing union, we have all that God is right here within us (how sad that many of us ignore such a wonderful companion!)

· Finally, the fourth - if any tenderness and compassion.  Tenderness is literally bowels – which, for the ancients was thought to be the center or home of emotions, so it means feelings or affections.  Compassion can be equated with mercy – it is God’s mercy (the fact that He does not give us what we deserve but gives us so much more – literally His own Spirit!)  So we can read or hear this as since God’s Spirit has such love and mercy on us.

Paul describes in these four motivations the very conversion of the believer and all the benefits received.  Does it mean anything to us to receive all this?  If so … then this is how we should respond, by making Paul’s joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind.  It is by loving each other with the same love that Christ showed us that we respond in gratitude.  It is by ‘playing nicely’ together as the Children of God – not fighting among ourselves or tearing each other down.  It is because of Christ that I can love you as my brother or sister in Christ!  As a father, nothing is more discouraging to me than when I see my children fighting – while we all have differences of opinions and sometimes can’t agree - - - the love of the family should prevent fighting!  God, no doubt feels the same!  So Paul as Christ’s Apostle or agent wants us to get along, to be like our Heavenly Father and our ‘Big Brother’ and to work together to accomplish the family’s goals – the spread of the gospel.

In a way, by introducing the topic of unity this way, Paul is saying (very gently and graciously) that the issue of disunity (directly mentioned in chapter 4) is displaying a spiritual problem because those who are united in Christ and sharing in the Holy Spirit will be in unity and of one Mind (Christ’s!)

{vs 3-4} Now Paul comes at the same issue – disunity or the lack of being ‘God-minded’ from the other direction.  He has told us why we should be one in spirit and mind, but now he looks at how we can fail in this.  Those who are not thinking like God, must be thinking like someone else.  Who, you might ask?  Our default (sinful) position - - - like ourselves!  This is what Paul and the Holy Spirit are talking about when they prohibit selfish ambition and vanity!  The chief reason for not being Godly, is that we are thinking about and like ourselves.  Some however, will try to be like or live up to some other example – but the only way we can truly be successful is to get our eyes off our own desires and focus on others and especially Christ Himself!

Selfish ambition – closely associated with electioneering or putting oneself forward for an office, benefit or reward.  This refers to being self-promoting.  How often are we sinfully motivated by self-interest?  Conveniently, the word sin is ‘I’ centered.  That is how it all started, Satan said I will be exalted, I will be like God - - - and every sin since has had selfishness at the heart!  Sadly, even many of the good things we do in this world, are just a way to make ourselves look good!

This was probably at the heart of the disagreement between those two Christian sisters at Philippi; maybe one wanted to be in charge of the women’s ministry or someone wanted to do worship ‘this way’ and not that!  After all, we have always done it this way or maybe this way is better, more Godly, etc.  This was also behind those ministers who were in competition with Paul, teaching a proper gospel, from improper motives.

Vain conceit – (sometimes called empty conceit) This is a person who has an erroneous opinion of themselves – they are seeking a personal glory.  It is very similar to selfish ambition, but this is slightly more self-centered while the former is somewhat more about ‘my endeavor’ or ‘my enterprise’.  So together, we have a person who seeks their own glory, because they think too highly of themselves and glory in whatever it is that they are doing.

In humility value others above yourselves – Here is the positive or goal – be humble which literally means low-understanding.  To be Biblically humble is to have the proper understanding of how small I am.  It is not self-deprecating or abusive in its thinking, but it is to know yourself (with a true estimate) and to accept yourself in that light.  While a selfish person tries to make a big deal of themselves, humility thinks of others.  Ironically, as it is often said, humility is that one quality which as soon as you think you’ve got it - - - you’ve lost it.  If you and I can learn to live our lives ‘not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others’, then selfish sin will be cast down in our lives!  Consider the great gain – no longer pushing, shoving and scheming because we want but rather serving God and others as He designed us to do!  Francis of Assisi said “For it is in giving that we receive; it is in pardoning that we are pardoned”.  In serving others, we find the most lasting reward – a joy that cannot be understood by this world. 

{vs 5} Our chief example is Christ (we’ll look at that next time) but we must stop thinking with our minds (thoughts, desires, ambitions) and put on the mind of Christ.

Before a musical performance the instruments must be tuned, if however, they are all just played ‘as is’, according to their own unique and individual alignment – it will be a mess!  Now, the only way to accurately tune instruments, so that they will be in perfect harmony is to one-by-one tune each of them to a standard (the same standard).  That standard is either the first instrument or a tuning fork, etc.  If instead, each instrument was tuned to the last one, – subtle deviations set in.  We see this when we make copies of copies, instead of copying an original.  In our spiritual life, Christ is the Standard and Original!  When we are all in harmony together, it is because we have all been tuned to Christ!  That is why we must have His mind in order to be in perfect unity together. 

This issue of unity is basic to our faith and crucial!  It is a major focus of Jesus’ High Priestly prayer the night He was betrayed (John 17, i.e. vs 22-23).   Paul addresses this in many of his letters (1 Corinthians 1:10, 2 Corinthians 13:11, Ephesians 4:1-3, Romans 12:10)  Jesus taught that “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (John 13:35)  For believers love and unity go hand-in-hand – discord, strife and hatred (they lead to the dark side, sorry) – actually, they damage relationships, breaking the bonds of love (between us as a church and in our relationship with God!)  It also damages our witness (the commission Jesus gave us!) - when we don’t demonstrate this Godly love to one another, it makes it hard for the world to see or understand the power of the gospel.