One in the Spirit: Virtue Unites Where Conflict Divides

Introduction

We’ve recently been through a major culture shift. I never realized or comprehended that I would be in the middle of a cultural shift. It’s not that the evidence wasn’t around me. It’s not that I haven’t witnessed others go through cultural shifts. It’s that I wasn’t prepared to go through one. I don’t believe I was told to prepare to go through one. It seems amongst most people that we aren’t prepared to go through these things… hence phrases like...

“I don’t know if this generation is going to make it.”

“What happened to the good ol’ days?”

“They don’t make things like they used to.”

If I can even be a little provocative “Make America Great Again”

All of these phrases have probably passed through our lips…

All of these sentiments highlight that either technology, values, societal norms, socio/economic status, behavior, etc. has changed.

There are a lot of contributing factors to this… I’m not getting into those this morning. What I want to highlight though is that the church is not immune to these cultural shifts/changes. If we are not aware of these changes or that change is happening, it can be dangerous, detrimental, and we can find ourselves struggling in our faith.

The church is in culture like a fish is in the water. However God has created the church, God has given the church not only to itself, but to the community in which it resides to show a better and more flourishing way to be human. It’s ok to be different, it’s ok to challenge thoughts and ideas, it’s ok to hold unpopular opinions, but there becomes a toxic element to these when we start dividing over things that Jesus says we shouldn’t divide over.

My seminary professor: Dr Gerry Breshears has come up with a helpful paradigm regarding conflict.

To Decide For: church landscaping, VBS, sermon series, coffee or no coffee in sanctuary, budgets

To Debate For: type of liturgy, membership, spiritual gifts, men’s/women's roles in church, young/old Earth

To Divide For: The deity of Jesus, Inspiration of Scripture, Abuse in the church, Unrepentant Sin

To Die For: Trinity, The Lordship of Jesus and allegiance to Him, etc.

As I said before, the church is not immune to culture… what I’ve seen take place is a consumerism come into the American church:

"Consumer Christianity" by Skye Jethani:

Summary:

Jethani argues that the American church has been profoundly shaped by consumer culture, with Christians adopting a "consumer" posture toward church involvement.

This has resulted in church shoppers seeking out congregations that cater to their preferences like retail shoppers. The emphasis is on style, amenities, programs, etc.

Churches market themselves as having the best "religious goods and services." The focus becomes meeting felt needs rather than pursuing spiritual transformation.

Statistics:

Only 27% of Americans say their primary reason for attending church is "to become closer to God." Most cite social connection or programs.

In the past 50 years, the number of churches per 10,000 U.S. residents has doubled, but attendance has remained flat or declined.

Only 40% of Americans say they attended church in the last week. This number is likely inflated due to the social desirability of going to church.

Less than 20% of Christians say they experienced the presence of God in the last year. The majority say they do not feel close to God on a regular basis.

So let me tell you what happens… there are disagreements in the church and when we adopt a cultural view, the church becomes a commodity, we move our “divide for” to the “decide for” and we bounce, which then we stunt and inhibit spiritual growth. We for sure do not help those places that we land in, if we land in another church.

"How Consumerism Undermines Our Relationships" by Rebecca K. DeYoung

Summary:

DeYoung argues that a consumer mindset has diminished the depth of Christian relationships and community. Consumerism trains us to see relationships as commodities and to focus on what they can do for us.

This undermines the Christian view of self-giving love. Consumerism erodes the virtues of patience, forgiveness, and grace that relationships require.

A consumer approach views church as a "vendor" selling religious goods and services. This turns faith into a product to be consumed rather than a life-shaping community.

In our text this morning, the Apostle Paul in writing to the church in Philippi is discipling and reminding this church in how to enter into this tension of disagreement and difficulty. We’ll remember that they are starting to experience the persecution and hardship that Paul experienced while visiting there (read Acts 16). It’s in those hardships that our mind can focus on those disagreements (creating anxiety, frustration, anger, etc) rather than embodying the virtue that the church whose Lord is Jesus embodies.

Christ is greater than personal conflicts. He calls us to enter in with thanks, not anxiety - trusting God above all. Our text this morning gives us ancient wisdom that speaks powerfully into modern disunity and restlessness. For the joy God desires is found as we courageously value people over issues and release control to Him in prayer. In finding this holy joy, we discover ourselves truly resting in the heart of God.

If you have your Bibles or on your devices this morning, would you turn to Philippians 4:1-9; if you are willing/able, would stand with me as I read God’s word this morning.

Pray; This is the word of the Lord; Please be seated.

Conflict

(vss 1-3)

v1. Paul gives us this imperative in verse 1! Stand firm in the Lord in what way? The way he described in the previous paragraphs…

Not looking to establish ourselves through worldly means, but at the pattern, pace, and time in which Christ teaches us.

That suffering is often the way of formation and Christ likeness (Heb 5:3)

Taking on the mind of Christ (φρονεω) untied to others in doing things (not just taking but engaged in work) for the Kingdom.

Living/walking with the understanding that we are apart of a Kingdom that is here and is not yet. We are of people that come from a Kingdom that puts love first, extends forgiveness, seeks to embody grace and truth, that wants to lead and extend Shalom (peace/wholeness) all the while inviting all people to experience God’s coming Kingdom in the here and now.

We walk with peace of mind knowing that God will set every injustice right and to quote from Tolkien’s “The Lord of Rings: Return of the King”that He will make every sad thing come untrue.

I love this. I love how he reminds them in the midst of difficulty (and even as they stumble and make mistakes) he calls them His joy and crown.

Hebrews 12:2 “fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

James 1:12 “Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.”

What a beautiful thing to remember that you are dearly loved. That joy is you. That crown that he bestows on your head is a testimony to His faithfulness, strength, and goodness in your life that allows you to stand in the midst of trial.

(vv2-3)

Paul takes a shift here in the text for final exhortations that seem to pull in the previous chapters and put concrete examples of what this looks like being worked out.

Paul names these two women who are in a sharp disagreement. So much so, Paul names them. We don’t know anything about them apart from what is written here. We can assume that they are important and vital leaders within the church.

This should affirm us in our desire to see women move into leadership and servanthood of the church. Often times we think of leadership as top down. We’ve been working hard to see it as a bottom up structure. Pastor, elder, deacon, staff, teacher, ministry lead, volunteer, all of these titles speak to service and servant hood. Women have a place at the table to serve the church and work in the church. This should not be controversial. (This is a decide/debate for… not a divide for).

There is a sharp disagreement between these two godly women. Notice too how Paul validates them… both their “names are in the book of life.”

Sometimes in disagreements it is easy to forget the commonalities and shared values, and to exaggerate the differences.

Vulnerable Moment: I remember one time being so frustrated by someone. I was sitting in a staff meeting and I was getting all worked up. I was sitting with the other pastors in the room working through this conflict within the church that I was affected by. I’ll never forget, and I get reminded about it every once and a while, at one point in the conversation venting about this particular persons unreasonableness, their selfishness, the way they were unnecessarily making everyones job harder… I was like, “I don’t even know if this person is saved.”

Both the other pastors looked at me and just burst out laughing at me… I had gotten a little dramatic.

Paul reminds them that they all share one life and one hope.

Paul reminds them to have the same mind (φρονεω: place it on, put it on, determine to be on the same team). It means actively take Philippians 2:1-11 and filter your conversation through it.

Humility - Do nothing out of selfish ambition or conceit, but consider others as more important than yourself (v.3)

Selflessness - Look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others (v.4)

Unity - Be one in spirit and purpose with fellow believers (v.2)

Sympathy - Have affection and compassion for one another (v.1)

Encouragement - Find ways to cheer on and build up others (v.1)

Tenderness - Deal gently with people as beloved children of God (v.1)

Self-giving - Be willing to empty yourself and serve others (v.7)

Obedience - Submit fully to God's will, even at personal cost (v.8)

Sacrifice - Give up privileges to elevate others (v.6-8)

Righteousness - Pursue holy conduct that honors Christ (v.15)

Praise - Recognize Christ's supreme position and honor him (v.9-11)

Joy in Circumstance

(vv4-7)

(v4)

“This is the sanctifying vision of a strong, victorious man resolved not to succumb to despair in the face of persecution and discouragement.” - David Garland

What Paul was communicating was this, yes, you have this disagreement, it may be major, it may have troubled our community, but first things first - throw a party! Celebrate! What are we celebrating? God! We should celebrate what the Lord has done, is doing, and will do!

The source of the Philippians’ joy is participation in God’s unfolding story of redemption. Paul noted in the previous chapter that such participation includes suffering (3:10), a reality he pointed to in 1:29—that the Philippians are called not only to believe in Christ, but also to have the privilege of suffering for him. The joy that comes from participation in witnessing to the gospel is not an end in itself, but a by-product. It is the fruit of life in the Spirit (Gal 5:22). This joy comes not from achievement but from abiding with God, no matter what Cohick, L. H. (2013). Philippians (T. Longman III & S. McKnight, Eds.; p. 219). Zondervan.

(v5)

Most likely Paul intends that the Philippians engage their neighbors with mercy and compassion. Do they do so in the hope that the latter will convert? That is, does Paul suggest this gentle posture as a missional tactic? Probably this demeanor is to reflect the believer’s transformation, irrespective of its possible reception by others. The gentleness, mercy, and joy that should characterize a believer’s life might be attractive to an outsider, or it might be the cause of ridicule. Regardless of the reaction, the call to gentleness is rooted in modeling Christ’s own “meekness and gentleness” (2 Cor 10:1). Cohick, L. H. (2013). Philippians (T. Longman III & S. McKnight, Eds.; p. 220). Zondervan.

“The Lord is near”… this could be a spatial reference (near me) or a temporal meaning (coming soon)… we don’t know… but both are good and helpful.

Because Jesus is near, in coming again, it can help with being patient and steadfast, eliminating anxiety and fear.

Because Jesus is near, he is a comfort and supplier of what we need in time of need.

(vv6-7)

For Paul, the lack of anxiety is rooted in the conviction that the Lord is near. Anxiety is worry without purpose or effecting change, as though one spins in circles, going nowhere. Anxiety must be addressed through prayer, not by being more self-aware or pursuing apatheia, the self-mastery promoted by the Stoics, a perfect indifference to situations. The goal is not to be divorced from suffering or to float above it, but to embrace its reality and to see in it the potential to strengthen one’s witness, perseverance, and maturing in the faith.

Gerry, my seminary professor and friend, captured Paul’s meaning well as he talked about his long battle with cancer. It is easy to feel alone in the struggle, and it is easy to worry about the “what ifs.” If I die, what about my wife? What about my friends? What about my children? Worry is a signal that our gaze has shifted to the swirling clutter of events at our feet. We must lift our head and raise our eyes to the throne of God, to the figure of Jesus present with us. Gerry has four principles that he implemented while walking through difficult times (like cancer):

(1) When I go to the past look for lessons, not regrets. It is easy for me to shred myself for what I did/didn’t do; (2) in the present build plans based on what I actually know so I can act wisely and responsibly rather than feeling helpless; (3) the future is where the “what if’s” are. Satan dwells there. Don’t dwell with him; (4) Jesus is in the present, look for Him. Like the bush in Exodus 3, He is easy to miss.

Instead of allowing our minds to cycle through imagined scenarios rather than live in the present moment, where God is sovereign.

The prayers Paul envisions should be characterized by “thanksgiving” (see Col. 3:15). Paul does not suggest that we can thank God for specific answers even before they happen, as though a believer can define how God will act and that God just gives his stamp of approval. Instead, the thanksgiving Paul has in mind is an act of the will, a conviction of the heart. It is a defiant claim against the powers of this world and its idols, declaring that God is on the side of his people; nothing life throws at them will sever that bond (Rom 8:31–39). Gordon Fee notes that when we thank God in all things (not for all things), we are declaring our dependence on him.

But the believer’s joy is rooted in the truth of the gospel; Christ’s death and resurrection assures us of new life in new heavens and a new earth. The church’s prayers testify to the conviction that God hears and answers and works for our good, the good of his church, and the good of his creation. The believer’s attitude of thanksgiving is a testimony to the belief that God will accomplish his promises, and the believer’s peace is the matrix of the church here and now, the glue that holds the body of Christ together. Cohick, L. H. (2013). Philippians (T. Longman III & S. McKnight, Eds.; p. 221-223). Zondervan.

Choosing Joy

(vv8-11)

Paul prompts the Philippians to contemplate such things, and so set (and reset) their minds and hearts on what is good, beautiful and true in the world. Again, Paul does not mention these things as some kind of aside. Rather, this is wise advice to a troubled and splintering church. Garland keenly contextualizes 4:8 in this way

“One way to fight anxiety is for Christians to focus their minds on virtues- ‘the real goods of virtue’ as opposed to the ‘false goods of pleasure’. This exhortation for them to consider whatever is true, honorable, and just is without analogy in Paul’s other letters and arises from his desire to restore harmony to the community.”

The reality of struggling with messy relationships is that humans can get stuck in cycles of negativity - psychologist John Gottman refers to this as ”negative sentiment override” (NSO). NSO happens when someone begins to only see the other person through a negative filter. Counteracting NSO requires consciously building a more positive outlook. Of course we cannot pretend Paul knew anything about modern psychology, but he does seem to be advocating for a similar idea; climb out the ditch of anxiety and rejection and move towards positive thought.

What may be gathered from the fact that these virtues are followed immediately by verse 9 is that obedience to “what you have learned and received and heard and seen in me” is what is ultimately of most importance for the church… Life and fellowship.

Of course in this particular situation, there would be no better “practice” of what is worthy of praise than forgiveness and reconciliation with a brother or sister. The God of peace has demonstrated his investment in his “peace program”, as it were, by sending His Son and giving up His Son to model the kind of love and sacrifice that is healing (Philippians 2:1-11) -Gupta/Bird: commentary on Philippians, p.180-181

Go and do likewise.

Conclusion

As we conclude, let's remind ourselves that Christ is greater than personal conflicts or the circumstances we find ourselves in. He calls us to enter in with thanks, not anxiety – trusting God above all. Our text today gives ancient wisdom to counter modern disunity and restlessness. The joy God desires is found as we value people over issues and release control in prayer.

In doing so, we resist the pull of consumer culture that treats relationships as commodities. Instead, we commit to each other, even across disagreements. This week, lead with empathy when facing conflicts. Make efforts to understand others’ perspectives. Keep your mind fixed on Christ, reflecting his virtues.

As we do these things, we'll discover ourselves truly resting in God's heart. Our fellowship will grow. Our witness will shine. And our joy will be full. May we embody the sacrificial love of Jesus as we depart today, committed to one another and to seeing his Kingdom come.