May 6, 2001

Philippians 1:27-2:11

How to Find Unity with Others in the Midst of Troubles

  1. Introduction
    1. Illustration – show Far Side overhead.
    2. Context – We all know how much we as individuals like to run the show. We like to forget that Jesus, the Good Shepherd, really needs to be in charge of our lives. We like to think that we’re different from all the other sheep, that different rules apply to us than to those around us. It’s this very attitude that keeps us from having the kind of unity with God and with others that we so desperately need in our lives. Paul has a lot to say about that. Let’s take a look.
  1. Scripture Passage
    1. Philippians 1:27-2:11 - Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in one spirit, contending as one man for the faith of the gospel 28 without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you. This is a sign to them that they will be destroyed, but that you will be saved—and that by God. 29 For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for him, 30 since you are going through the same struggle you saw I had, and now hear that I still have. If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, 2 then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. 3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. 4 Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. 5 Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, 7 but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death— even death on a cross! 9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
    2. This is such a powerful passage that there is a part of me that would just like to let it soak in a few minutes, say "amen," and go home. The problem is that understanding the implications of this passage is so crucial to who we were created to be that we can’t leave anything to chance. So let’s look together to see what it is that Paul is communicating to us.
  1. The Burden
    1. Have you ever noticed that when you’re stressed out you like to have some peace and quiet? That you just want everyone to get along and not fight or argue? Paul understood this dynamic. But what he is telling us is that how we act when we are stressed shows an awful lot of who we really are inside. That is why Paul is teaching us these truths: so that when we find ourselves in a whole lot of trouble we will know what to do. And so that we know what to do to prepare ourselves for those troubles.
    2. Paul’s burden in this passage was disunity. He knew that the only way Christians can be defeated is if they try to stand alone in their troubles and don’t have the help and support of their brothers and sisters in Christ. The saying "no man is an island" is very true, not only in telling us that anything we do has an effect on others but also in telling us that we cannot stand alone. It is imperative that we find unity with others so that we can make it through the tough times.
    3. Illustration – Dorothy Day wrote, We all have known the long loneliness and we have learned that the only solution is love and that love comes with community. Mahatma Gandhi wrote, Unity to be real must stand the severest strain without breaking. George Bush, at his inauguration in 1989, said, I take as my guide the hope of a saint: in crucial things, unity…in important things, diversity…in all things, generosity. Black religious leader Elijah Muhammad said, Not one of us will have to raise a sword. Not one gun would we need to fire. The great cannon that will be fired is our unity. All of these people realized the importance of unity. Paul, in Ephesians 4:3 write, Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. Unity within a community of believers is imperative if we are going to make it through the tough times. And fortunately, Paul doesn’t just leave us stranded after sharing his burden for unity – he tells us how to have unity. Let’s take a closer look at this passage to see what Paul has to say.
  1. The Solution
    1. Paul starts out by telling the Philippians that "whatever happens" to him, whether he is kept in prison or killed or set free, they are not to base their conduct on what happens to him. He tells them to conduct themselves "in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ." He goes on to talk about unity, being able to fight against their common enemy without being frightened. He knew that disunity brings what Duane Mattson calls "legal access." When we do not have unity, we open ourselves to be attacked by Satan. When our church and our families are not unified in spirit and in purpose, we are vulnerable. Paul goes on to tell us that legal access brings fear of the opposition. We’re afraid because we are vulnerable. And our vulnerability eventually will destroy us. We cannot afford to give the enemy legal access, so we’d better be unified in spirit and purpose. Paul adds that when we find unity, it lets the other side know they are defeated.
    2. Which brings us to another important point – just because people suffer does not mean that they are caught in sin. And just because people are not suffering does not mean their lives are free from sin. Paul knew that God allows suffering into our lives to bring us to Himself. So if the suffering you are going through seems like it’s trying to drive you away from God, either your attitude isn’t right about the suffering or you are under attack from the devil. Or both, because if you are not in right relationship with God you open yourself to attack. Sin is the only thing that can get between you and God, and if you hang on to sin you are giving the devil legal access into your life!
    3. So Paul goes on to emphasize this unity thing again. He tells them that "if" they’ve been encouraged by their relationship with Christ (which they have been), and "if" they’ve been comforted by His love (which they have been), and "if" they’ve experienced any fellowship or sharing with the Spirit (which they have), and "if" they have experienced any deep compassion and tender-hearted love (which they have), then they have no reason not to have unity! Paul tells them that because all these things are true, they need to make him joyful by being like-minded (having Jesus’ attitude), by loving each other with the love of Christ, by being united in spirit and in purpose. He’s telling them that they have no excuse not to have unity!
    4. Then he tells them exactly what Jesus’ attitude is. Paul writes, Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each one of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. As the commentator in my Bible’s study notes writes, "Christian love sees others as worthy of preferential treatment." The greatest cause of sin is selfishness, putting ourselves ahead of God and others. So it follows that the greatest cause of disunity is selfishness. You can’t think of your own needs as being the most important in the world and still think about the needs of others. It just doesn’t work that way. Families work better when their members aren’t selfish. Businesses work better when their employees aren’t selfish. Churches work better when their people aren’t selfish. Selfishness will eventually kill any organization. Selfishness will kill this church if we are not careful! We have to get a handle on this unity and humility issue or it will cost us dearly! Jesus gave up His rights so that we can live, so the least we can do is to give up our rights for the sake of Him and for each other’s sakes.
    5. You see, Paul says that our attitude should be the same as Jesus' humble servanthood. That’s what God expects of us. Verse seven tells us that Jesus did not hang onto His rights, but became a human servant. The word translated servant, doulos, actually means slave. The idea is that the doulos will do anything that the master commands, no matter what that will entail. Jesus became God’s slave in order that we can be free from sin. In order that we can have unity. In order to build the loving community known as the church. Matthew 20:25-28 says, Jesus called them together and said, "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. 26 Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, 27 and whoever wants to be first must be your slave— 28 just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." Whoever wants to become great must be the doulos of others. Whoever wants to be first must be the doulos of others. How are the people we interact with every day going to know that we are the "ecclesia," the "called-out ones," if we are not serving each other in love and considering each other greater than ourselves? How are we going to impact those around us positively if we are trying to hide sin in our lives?
    6. The bottom line of what Paul’s trying to say is that it is impossible to find unity with others in the midst of trouble if we use them as an excuse to be selfish or to hide sin in our lives. And all of us know how hard it is not to be selfish and how hard it is not to sweep sin under the carpet when we’re going through tough times. But we’re a lot better off if we choose to do things God’s way, to honestly pray for Him to give us His attitudes, and to honestly reach out to those around us and say, "I’m hurting." It’s easier to bag all of that and to say, "I’m hurting, so what matters most to me is me." But it is better by far to have God’s attitudes, to do it God’s way, and to free Him to work in our hearts and lives. Then we can truly experience joy in the midst of our troubles.
    7. Illustration – Leith Anderson shares these insights with us. I once read a story about a bicycle race in India. The object of the race was to go the shortest distance possible within a specified time. At the start of the race, everyone cued up at the line, and when the gun sounded all the bicycles, as best they could, stayed put. Racers were disqualified if they tipped over or one of their feet touched the ground. And so they would inch forward just enough to keep the bike balanced. When the time was up and another gun sounded, the person who had gone the farthest was the loser and the person closest to the starting line was the winner. Imagine getting into that race and not understanding how the race works. When the race starts, you pedal as hard and fast as you possibly can. You’re out of breath. You’re sweating. You’re delighted because the other racers are back at the starting line. You’re going to break the record. You think, This is fantastic. Don’t let up. Push harder and faster and longer and stronger. At last you hear the gun that ends the race, and you are delighted because you are unquestionably the winner. Except you are unquestionably the loser because you misunderstood how the race is run. Jesus gives us the rules to the eternal race of life. The finish line is painted on the other side of our deaths, right in front of the throne of God himself. There you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous. The winning strategy for this life and for all eternity is caring about others and not about ourselves. It is letting others go first and not pushing to the front. It is giving without the expectation of getting in return. It is to be humble, like Jesus. Christianity is not about seeing how much we can get done for God. It is about being in right relationship with Him. Christianity is not about picking each other apart and being critical because we think we do more or we think we are more gifted. It is about having humble unity with others and caring for them and their needs over our own by the power of the Holy Spirit. Community with God and others is what it’s all about.
  1. Conclusion
    1. This morning, all of us need to ask ourselves one question: what is in my life that is keeping me from finding unity with others? What in my life is keeping God away from me? What attitudes in my heart are keeping me from having the same attitude as Jesus? With every head bowed and every eye closed, let’s take a few moments and think about the answers to those questions.
    2. If there is something within you that is keeping you from experiencing unity with Christ and unity with others, and you want God’s help in dealing with it, and you want to commit to following God’s commands in this area, please either raise your hand or come forward and kneel as a sign of that commitment. You can then spend some time seeking God’s forgiveness and guidance, and then we’ll pray together.
    3. Let’s pray.

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