Executing Joy in Unity

Philippians 2:1–4 KJV 1900

1 If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies, 2 Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. 3 Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. 4 Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.

Philippi was a good church. I believe Kentucky is a great church.

We don’t have any major doctrinal problems.

We don’t have any major immorality.

From my own personal viewpoint, the thing I most hate in our church, the thing I most hate is spiritual apathy, indifference to the things of the Lord, indifference to holy truth, indifference to spiritual issues. That’s the thing I most hate. But the thing I most fear is discord, disunity, conflict and division. And I’m quite sure that Paul must have felt the same way because every time he wrote a letter to a church he brought up the issue of unity.

We are not talking about an outward unity but rather an inward unity.

An outward unity would mean the church building is holding us all together. Kind of like a bag of marbles.

A bag of marbles has unity. They are all pushed and packed inside the bag. When the bag is removed the marbles take off in all directions.

Paul is talking about an inward unity. Kind of like the pull of magnet. The force within the magnet pulls the metal with a force from within.

We want to be pulled together with the force and power of Jesus Christ.

We are drawn together by the power of Christ because we are drawn to Christ through each other.

Unity is not based on Containment but Relationship.

This is true unity of the Spirit.

This type of unity is very fragile.

Remember back to our study of Ephesians: Ephesians 4:3

Ephesians 4:3 (KJV 1900)

3 Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

Endeavoring means we are making a constant effort to keep the unity of the spirit.

Keeping inward unity takes tremendous effort.

Now to set our context.

Philippians 1:27 (KJV 1900)

27 Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel;

In this relationship of the church, we have a responsibility.

Philippians 1:29 (KJV 1900)

29 For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake;

Philippians 1:30 (KJV 1900)

30 Having the same conflict which ye saw in me, and now hear to be in me.

Living the gospel is a struggle. A battle waging in and around us.

There is nothing easier than to allow the flesh to rise up and destroy unity.

United we stand, Divided we shall fall!

The last line of the fable The Four Oxen and the Lion is the phrase "united we stand, divided we fall."

"A lion used to prowl about a field in which four oxen used to dwell. Many a time he tried to attack them; but whenever he came near they turned their tails to warn another, so that whichever way he approached them he was met by the horns of one of them. At last, however, they fell a-quarrelling among themselves, and each went off to pasture alone in the separate corner of the field. Then the Lion attacked them one by one and soon made an end of all four. United we stand, divided we fall."

Motivation of Unity

The question of

Why do we need Unity?

Why do we need to maintain Unity?

Why One Spirit?

Why Strive Together?

Philippians 2:1 (KJV 1900)

1 If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies,

The word “if” is a first class conditional clause, meaning “if and it is true” or “if as the fact is”.

So, we could put the word Since there.

Philippians 2:1 (KJV 1900)

1 Since there be therefore any consolation in Christ, Since any comfort of love, Since any fellowship of the Spirit, Since any bowels and mercies,

Is Christ Compassionate? the answer is yes.

Is Love Comforting? the answer again is yes.

and so forth.

Philippians 2:1 (KJV 1900)

1 Because there be therefore any consolation in Christ, Because any comfort of love, Because any fellowship of the Spirit, Because any bowels and mercies,

Because you have encouragement in Christ, because you have consolation of love, because you have fellowship of the Spirit, and because you have bowels and mercies.

Notice, Paul is dealing with everyday present spiritual experiences.

Every saved person receives encouragement from Christ.

Every saved person receives the consolation of love.

Every saved person experiences the fellowship of the Spirit.

Every saved person receives affection and compassion.

So basically, Paul uses two relationships that we as believers have and then the natural flows of these two.

Paul starts with

Relationship with Christ Jesus Our Lord!

The first one is

If Encouragement in Christ!

that should be our first motive.

The word encouragement, paraklesis, means to come alongside and help somebody.

The Holy Spirit is called the paraclete, the one who comes alongside and helps. It has the idea of coming alongside someone to encourage them, to counsel them, to help them, to exhort them. And what he is saying is, you who are in Christ have experienced His help. He has come alongside you. You who are in Christ have benefited from the union with Christ through the intended, encouragement, exhortation, counsel and help that you have received.

And what he is saying here is because Christ has so consistently and faithfully helped you this is how you ought to respond, by being of the same mind.

If the great blessing encouragement of Christ, if the great blessing of His constant forgiveness and constant strength and constant wisdom and constant blessing and constant benediction in your life means anything, certainly you should respond by endeavoring to be of the same mind. Why? Because that was Christ’s great prayer.

In John 17 He said, “Father, I pray that they may be may know that You and I are one.”

John 17:21 (KJV 1900)

21 That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.

In John 13:35 He said,

John 13:35 KJV 1900

35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.

The great passion of the heart of Christ was the unity of His people.

Does the influence of Christ in your life move you to obedience? Or are you so ungrateful that you will take, take, take, take but never give? That’s the issue.

Disunity is disloyalty to Jesus Christ.

Out of the Encouragement in Christ flows the Love of Christ.

If there is any

Consolation of Love!

, is the second one. What does he mean? Well this is the second incentive and what he is saying is, since the loving tenderness of God in Christ has been all of our experience as Christians, since in salvation and sanctification we have known His love and the comfort of His love, we have known that comforting loving forgiveness and mercy and grace, and it has been so abundant to us, shouldn’t we be constrained to seek that which is precious to His heart, namely the unity of His people? That’s the same idea.

The word here for consolation is worthy of note, it’s the word paramuthion. I like one translation of it in a lexicon, gentle cheering … gentle cheering. Some have translated it comfort. Basically it has the idea of tenderness, tender counsel, literally what the word means if you just took the component parts is to speak to someone by coming close to his side, to come close to someone and whisper in his ear. And by the way, this word is never used in the New Testament in any other than a friendly way.

It’s a word about friendship. It’s a word about intimate love. And that’s exactly what we intend to see here. The word agape has to do with the greatest love, the highest love, the supreme love and so what Paul is saying is, “Look, because you have been so constantly encouraged in your relationship to Christ, because you have so frequently and so often had the gentle cheering of Him coming alongside to speak words of friendship into your own ear, because of that intimate relationship in which He has poured His love and grace into your life, shouldn’t you be compelled to give back to Him that which His heart desires?”

And frankly, I say again to you, because I don’t want you to forget this, that your sin against the unity of the church is not primarily a sin against unity as an entity, it is not primarily a sin against the church as an organization, it is a sin against your intimate personal relationship to Christ and it is the ultimate act of ingratitude to one who unceasingly has poured out both encouragement and comfort in to your life since the moment you were saved. So look at your defiance of that for what it is, it is gross ingratitude of the worst order. You are saying, in effect, Christ, I take everything You give, I want everything I need, I will take all that You supply but do not ask anything in return, do not ask me to give back to You that which is precious to You. It is a violation of a relationship. See it for what it is.

Sin is not that I have violated a code nearly so much as that I have violated a relationship.

That’s why David said in Psalm 51 about his sin when he sinned against Bathsheba, he sinned against Bathsheba, yes, he sinned against Uriah her husband, yes, he sinned against the nation Israel because he was king, yes. He sinned against God’s revealed law, the Mosaic code which forbade that kind of thing, yes. But he said this, “Against Thee, Thee only have I … what?… sinned.” And that is the focus that every man or woman must have about sin.

And Paul speaks in such tender words because he feels such tenderness in his heart toward these people.

There’s no abusiveness here. He’s not battering them. He’s not hammering on them with judgment. There are not threats here. He does not pound on them with the fear of punishment. He asks them to look at the love of Christ, to look at the constant gentle cheering encouragement of Christ in their life, the constant outpouring of grace and remember that Jesus prayed for unity and it was the plea of His heart.

And then he asked the Philippian believers, can you take all of this from Christ and not at least give Him back that which is most precious to His heart? Because if you can’t, you have violated the relationship, the severest of all acts of treachery. You have turned your heel on your own familiar friend. You have betrayed the one whom you have kissed. It is a form of Judas treatment.

1 John 4:11 KJV 1900

11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.

John 15:12 (KJV 1900)

12 This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.

Relationship with The Holy Spirit Our Leader!

If any fellowship of the Spirit!

fellowship = partnership, communion, sharing.

Because you have experienced the fellowship of the Spirit.

1 Corinthians 12:13 (KJV 1900)

13 For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.

Our body is the temple or habitation of the Spirit.

The Spirit is the source of unity.

The essence of this is that the same Spirit that is in me is also in you.

This is why the church is not an organization but rather is an organism. The Holy Spirit gives life to the church.

Out of this fellowship of the Spirit flows compassion and mercy.

If any bowels and mercy!

bowels = is your gut. Metaphorically with affection.

The Holy Spirit is affectionate about you.

Love of Christ is cognitive.

Affection is the feeling of that love.

It is a longing.

To the Jews the bowels were the seat of emotions. It’s where you feel things.

Romans 8:26–27 (KJV 1900)

26 Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.

27 And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.

The Holy Spirit is making intercession for us constantly according to the will of God.

God is relational. God is not this cold, hard, indifferent deity who functions like a machine and if you happen to be a Christian the machine spits out good things. No.

It is a relationship and Christ is there encouraging and exhorting and ministering and giving grace upon grace and comfort and encouragement and cheer and blessing.

And when you fall He picks you up.

And when you sin He forgives you.

And when you need strength He infuses it.

And when you need wisdom He grants it.

And it’s that personal thing because He loves you. And when you sin you violate that relationship, that intimacy. Same with the Spirit.

The Spirit is not a floating fog that sort of mystically makes things happen. The Spirit is a person who lives in you. And the Spirit longs for your good and your blessing. The Spirit longs to pour out benedictions upon you. And it is the longings of the Spirit that you have received through the grace of God.

then he adds the word mercy.

Mercy = tender compassionate sympathy of God through His Spirit.

Have you ever hurt so bad that you just felt it in the pit of your stomach? That’s what he is talking about.

God gives more than we deserve, and

God withholds more judgment than we deserve.

God has a heart of pity and tenderness for us.

We share life in the Spirit. He regenerates us. He sanctifies us. He gifts us with power and resources. He produces fruit that turns to the honor of God.

Because you have received all this, then

Think of Others the way The Holy Spirit thinks of you.

Mark of Unity

The question of What?

What is unity?

What does Unity look like?

What is the nature of Unity.

Philippians 2:2 KJV 1900

2 Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.

If Encouragement in Christ then

Be Likeminded:

If Consolation of Love then

Give Love:

If Fellowship of the Spirit, then

Be of one Accord:

If any bowels and mercies, then

be of One Mind:

Movement of Unity

Philippians 2:3–4 KJV 1900

3 Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. 4 Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.

Harmony

harmony

noun agreement; accord; harmonious relations. Synonyms: friendship, amity, peace, unity, concord a consistent, orderly, or pleasing arrangement of parts; congruity. Music. any simultaneous combination of tones. the simultaneous combination of tones, especially when blended into chords pleasing to the ear; chordal structure, as distinguished from melody and rhythm. the science of the structure, relations, and practical combination of chords. Three words that sound alike but are very much different.

Unity - we want this one.

Union - “two cats tied together by the tail and hung over a clothesline”. You have a union but not unity.

Uniformity- comes from without: everybody says the same thing, looks the same, and acts the same.

We are not brought together by rules or threats. We are bound together by love of the Lord Jesus.

Philippians 2:3 (KJV 1900)

3 Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.

strife = refers to party spirit.

Democrat, republican, Benton or Bryant,

When a party spirit is present, then your group will come first, rather than the Church of the Lord Jesus.

vainglory = proud spirit. Pride is a hurtful thing.

Party spirit is putting someone else down; the prideful spirit is lifting yourself up. We do not need either when it comes to the church of Jesus Christ.

We need Harmony.

Humility

Humility = modest opinion or estimate of one's own importance, rank, etc.

Philippians 2:3 (KJV 1900)

3 Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.

We have to put our differences aside for the sake of the gospel of Jesus Christ. It is not about your position, power, wealth, or fame. it is about Jesus Christ.

As great as I am or as great as you are, it is not about us.

We need Harmony.

We need Humility.

Helpfulness

Philippians 2:4 KJV 1900

4 Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.

Once we have the attention off of ourselves, we are now ready to focus on others.

We are now ready to visit, minister, help, share, feed, cloth, transport, listen, advise, counsel, teach, and serve others.

Are you in Unity?