A QUEST FOR UNITY

I HAVE YOU ON MY MIND

Here Paul is imprisoned and instead of thinking about his terrible condition. He is think about others. Not himself, he is not having a pity party. He is not scheming or playing the blame game. His thoughts go to those in Philippi.

What does he remember them for? Does he think about all the terrible things that happened to Him in Philippi Acts 16 illegally arrested, placed in stocks, beaten. Through all these circumstances God was glorified. Lydia the maker of fine purple was baptized with her whole household, Philippian jailer and his household were baptized

Acts 16:25 NASB95

But about midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns of praise to God, and the prisoners were listening to them;

Acts 16:40 NASB95

They went out of the prison and entered the house of Lydia, and when they saw the brethren, they encouraged them and departed.

Paul could have been focused on all the bad things that has happened. How he was wronged and put into prison, but no, Paul does not have time for all that negativity. He was not going to let negativity rule his mind and his heart.

What did Paul think about?

He thought about the converts he had while in Philippi

He thought about their participation in the gospel

You see God was still working in and through them. Even with the current problem of some ladies having a little squabble with each other that is bleeding over into the church.

You wanna know why we have disunity in our relationships sometime. Its because we friction. I heard described like this when a couple came in to see the preacher for marriage counseling. the preacher said if one block is moving and one is standing still there is friction. If one block is moving one direction and the other in another direction then there is friction. but if they are moving together then there is no friction. Which one are you he ask. are we going in the same direction.

He thought about their financial support

Paul was filled with joy when he thought about them.

Are we thinking about all the bad and negative stuff people have done or din’t do to me or are we choosing to remember the good.

I wonder do we bring joy to each others hearts or sorrow?

Are we all moving towards God and holiness.

Are focused on the gospel and sharing it with the world?

I HAVE YOU IN MY HEART

Now we move a little deeper in our relationship with one-another. One preacher once observed that many of us would have to confess that we have you on my nerves.

Do we love each-other? do we have genuine bonds of fellowship? Dow we have a relationship with one another?

You can’t disguise genuine love for people. Love is the evidence of salvation

1 John 3:14 NASB95

We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love abides in death.

If Paul didn’t love them would he have suffered on their behalf. Would he write the difficult stuff?

Philippians 1:8 NASB95

For God is my witness, how I long for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus.

You have to have a relationship with people in order to feel this way about each other. I amazed that people think we can be apart from each other. that we don’t need each-other we don’t need the church. That we can go a whole week with seeing or talking with one another. How can you practice love of the brethren?

Do we have concern for one another?

those in Phillipi were concerned for Paul and sent Epaphroditus

1 John 3:18 NASB95

Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth.

Do we really have each other on our hearts?

I HAVE YOU IN MY PRAYERS

Who are you praying for? Look across this room. What are you praying for them. Sometimes during the week I like to come in to the this room and go and sit where you sit and just pray fro you. Right now my prayers usually consist of 3 things. That you will grow more in love with the Lord than you ever have before, That you will grow in your love for one another. and that you will have a heart to serve others and share the gospel. That you will be a true disciple of jesus Christ. Notice what Paul prays for.

love may abound more and more

grow in knowledge and discernment -

so that you may approve the things that are excellent. That is mark of spiritual maturity. Did you know the bible doesn’t speak to every single thing that we deal with or happens to us. not every little minute detail. did you know that the bible doesn’t tell us everything we should do? Did you know it doesn’t tell us everything we should not do? You see there are some thing that we need to practice spiritual discernment. The more mature we get the more can discern. When we were babies we called every four legged animal a bow-wow but as we get older we understand there are cats dogs horses cows etc. We must mature in order to see what is good and what is bad. 1 Corinthians 10:23 “All things are lawful, but not all things are profitable. All things are lawful, but not all things edify.” If we are always trying to find the loophole so we can do what we want to do then we are not mature. If we are not restraining ourselves from doing or not doing some things things that we might have the right to do but they not be whats best for us or others then we are not mature, we are not able to discern.

Mature Christian character -

sincere - tested by sunlight, not afraid to stand in the light or pass thru the sieve - we need to have character that passes the test. Don’t cause others to stumble.

bear fruit

John 15:5 ““I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.”

a couple questions that might help us to practice spiritual discernment.

will this cause others to stumble?

doe this help me get to Heaven?

Will this help others get to heaven?

Will I be ashamed or embarrassed if Jesus was with me or returned?

Who are you praying for? What are you praying for them? Are you just praying for their health?

you are not going to stay mad at each other or fight with each other if you are praying for each other.

How are we going to have a spirit of unity? We are going to...

have each-other in our minds

have each-other in our hearts

have each-other in our prayers

HOW DO WE DEVELOP THAT?

take a directory home and run down the list of people (some may be here some you may not have seen in a while) spend some time thinking about them (not negatively but positively)

I want you to call, take out to lunch, invite someone over, go visit someone who you don’t know real well.

I want you to pray for each one on the directory everyday. pray for the spiritual well being, for their faithfulness, that would grow in spiritual maturity, that they would love others with the love of Christ, that we would be one in spirit in mind and function.