Sermon Tone Analysis

Scripture Reading

Introduction

We are overjoyed to be able to celebrate with you your union in marriage today.

Marriage is a gift from God.

When Adam was first created, there was not found a helper suitable for him among all the creatures that had been created.

Marriage is a union that was designed by God to be good and delightful to both husband and wife.

But we will also find that marriage is not only satisfying, but sanctifying.

In other words, God will also use marriage as a means to show us our own sins and shortcomings, not for the purpose of losing hope, but for the purpose of growing to be more like Christ.

You will find that as you enter into marriage, you will be filled with joy and anticipation - joy that you would not know or experience as a single person.

And then you will also hit some bumps in the road, some of them not so big, but some of them that would seem to crash the floor out from under you.

As you enter into marriage, I would like to encourage you both through the words of Paul to the believers in Philippi.

Paul writes this letter to call the Christians in the church to be united together for the sake of Christ and the Gospel.

And in the midst of this wonderful letter, Paul exhorts these Christians in terms of how they may achieve this.

And while the words were written to promote unity in the church as a whole, the words are absolutely applicable to marriage, where there is to be the greatest unity ever - the oneness of husband and wife.

Sphiwe and Tsholo, it is my prayer that these words would increasingly be lived out in your relationship with one another as husband and wife.

1.

Four Foundational Realities (v.1)

In Philippians 2:1, Paul encourages the Christians in Philippi about four realities that ought to bind them together with cords of love.

And those four realities must be constantly in your minds as professing Christians so that you will continue to foster and maintain unity in your own marriage.

When Paul uses the word “If” in this verse, he uses it as a declaration of that which is actually true.

He really means, “since this is true of you.”

Or, “as surely as” these are realities for you.

Paul is telling them that God has done this work, and they most surely experience these realities as professing believers.

As you come to be married today, you have come together expressing the desire to serve Christ together.

You have both professed your faith in Christ, and are seeking to live to His glory and praise.

What are the implications of that?

There are four things that Paul draws out in these verses.

1.1.

Encouragement in Christ

Fristly, he speaks about “encouragement in Christ.”

If you have any encouragement in Christ.

Or, “since you have encouragement in Christ...”

Christ is the one who gives us our encouragement and hope.

We know that Christ came into the world in order to save sinners, and to bring us to God.

God demonstrated the riches of His kindness towards us by redeeming us at the highest cost.

There is great encouragement to be found in considering Christ Jesus, and the work that He has done in order to redeem each of you.

If God did not spare His own Son to redeem each of you, how much more so will He not give you all things that you need for life and godliness, and everything else that is needed.

This is foundational Reality number one.

I would encourage you to ponder it and delight in it regularly.

1.2.

Consolation of Love

There is great encouragement to us as we consider the love that God has.

This is the love that God has shown to each of you.

It is an undeserved love.

It is a love that has spared no cost in giving you what you could never gain on your own.

God has saved us through the Son whom he loved and delighted in.

1 John 3:1 (NASB95)

1 See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God....

This is the love that God has shown to each of you.

And the love of God does not and will not change, because God is unchangeable.

As you both head into marriage, it should be a wonderful comfort and encouragement that the loving God who created, the loving God that saved you, is the loving God that has led you both to one another, and is the loving God who will keep you together.

Ponder often God’s love for you.

When you have joyful times together, you will need to keep thanking God for His love.

When you walk through dark valleys and struggles, you will be encouraged through the reminder of God’s unfailing love!

1.3.

Fellowship of the Spirit

This is another very helpful foundational reality.

Those who are in Christ have received the promised seal of the Holy Spirit.

Every one of us who are in Christ have the Spirit of Christ dwelling in us, and directing us in life.

Paul is encoruaging them here by telling them that they have the fellowship of the Spirit.

It is the same Spirit of God that dwells in each of you.

And the Spirit of God will not be divided.

This truth will be helpful to you both as you seek to walk a path in obedience to God.

Knowing that the Spirit of God will guide you is a great encouragement, so long as you will both seek to submit to His Spirit through the word and faithful instruction.

1.4.

Affection and Compassion

This is the fourth foundational reality, and it is a reminder of the compassion and care that God has shown to each of you in Christ.

We find also the words of Jesus to his disciples…

This is the God that you serve.

He is compassionate, merciful, kind.

God has poured out His mercies and His grace on your lives.

He is filled with a sense of love and care for each of you.

This is a truth to remember, a foundational reality that you must keep in your minds as you enter into marriage.

It is these truths that will sustain and encourage you both towards unity in your marriage.

Secondly…

2. Three Action Steps (v.2)

There are certain ways of thinking, heart attitudes that are to be part of your daily life together if you going to live in unity and harmony as God would desire for your marriage.

2.1.

Be of the Same Mind

Now, it may seem strange to “be of the same mind.”

After all, aren’t we all just so different?

And the reality is that we are so different.

One of you will like one type of food, the other will quite dislike it.

One of you may enjoy winter weather, the other summer.

One of you is a person who prefers to save the money you have.

The other of you likes use the money you’ve been given.

One of you likes the interaction of people and crowded spaces.

The other prefers to be in solitude and quietness.

These are natural differences.

They are differences that God has designed into His people for His glory.

They are good an proper.

Nonetheless, we must be of the same mind.

We must think, or have a dominant attitude, towards something specific.

Verse 5 uses the same word…

And the mind that Christ had was one of service.

Humbling Himself for the purpose of serving others.

That is to each of your goal.

Your goal as you enter into marriage is not to get the most out of your partner as you possibly can.

It is to give the most to your partner that you possibly can.

2.2.

Maintain the Same Love

Paul is saying in this phrase that they must work on growing in their love for one another.

He has already said previously in Philippians 1:9 that he prays that their love may abound more and more.

So it is necessary for you in your marriage.

It is necessary that you maintain a deep love, and in fact that your love for one another would only increase all the more for one another as you grow to know one another more.

This is an absolutely critical part of your marriage, because it is through love that the law of God and Christ is fulfilled.

We are called here to keep ourselves in the love of Christ.