God Calls us to Selfless Unity
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Good morning Church, today we are going to be looking at Philippians 2:1-4. but first I want to start with a story,
Attention
In the winter of 1925, a deadly diphtheria epidemic threatened the children of Nome, Alaska. The only way to get the life-saving serum to the isolated town was through a relay of sled dog teams braving the harsh Arctic elements. This journey’s final and most grueling leg was led by a dog named Balto. Despite the extreme cold, exhaustion, and treacherous conditions, Balto and his team worked together in perfect unity, each dog playing its part, to deliver the serum and save countless lives. If even one dog decided to go its own way or refused to cooperate, the whole team would have suffered, the sled would have slowed down, and they would risk not reaching their destination in time. This incredible story of teamwork and determination is a powerful reminder of what can be achieved when individuals come together with a common purpose.
Need
Much like Balto’s team of sled dogs, our church community must unite to achieve our collective mission. In our fast-paced, individualistic society, it’s easy to become self-centered, focusing on our own needs and ambitions. This mindset can seep into our church life, leading to division, conflict, and a lack of genuine community. We all desire a supportive, loving, and unified church, but achieving this requires practicing humility and selflessness. The Apostle Paul, writing to the Philippians from prison, understood the importance of unity and selflessness for the health and growth of the Christian community. His words in Philippians 2:1-4 point to principles that are crucial for us today. We need to understand and apply these teachings to foster a community that reflects the love and unity of Christ.
Passage
Please open your Bibles to Philippians, chapter two, verses one through four, and follow along as we read.
Philippians 2:1–4
So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.
Historical Setting
Paul’s letter to the church in Philippi was written during Paul’s imprisonment. Paul, who had founded the church early on, had a deep love and affection for the congregation. He had just finished encouraging the believers at Philippi to live in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. This conduct was especially notable because it was in the face of external opposition. Now, in contrast to this external pressure, Paul shifts focus to the internal dynamics within the body of believers. Here, we will see that he urges the Philippians to maintain unity and selflessness in their relationships with one another.
Textual Idea
We see that Paul encouraged the Philippians to foster selfless unity by embodying Christ, being of the same mind, and, through love, rejecting selfishness and pride and prioritizing others’ interests.
Sermon Idea
Our main idea for today is this,
We are called to foster selfless unity by focusing on one Christ, one Mind, and one Humility.
We are called to foster selfless unity by focusing on one Christ, one Mind, and one Humility.
Transition
This passage shows three ways in which God DESIRES selfless unity from believers.
First, God desires selfless unity that reflects Himself
Second, God desires selfless unity from a shared mind,
and lastly, we see that God desires selfless unity through one love
Division Statement One
Our first point then is this,
God desires selfless unity that reflects Himself
God desires selfless unity that reflects Himself
Explanation
Looking back at your text we read verse one again,
So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy,
In the ESV translation we see that this passage begins with the word "so," or “therefore” in the NIV. This transitional word shows a strong connection between what Paul has been saying up to this point and what he is going to say next. By using “therefore,” Paul bridges his upcoming appeal for selfless unity within the context of the Philippians’ shared struggle. This Unity he is going to advocate for is a critical component in the face of outside adversities. In a sense, because believers are called to stand firm in one spirit and contend together for the gospel, as we see in Chapter 1, verse 27, they must now also embrace the same mindset of selfless unity in Christ to complete Paul’s joy.
After establishing this transition, Paul lays out the basis for his appeal by listing four realities of the shared salvation that they have. While the “therefore” at the beginning of the verse looks back to build the foundation for why they must have unity, the four “IF”s look forward to the divinely bestowed realities of a walk with Christ.
The first reality that Paul brings to the attention of the Philippian hearer is that of encouragement in Christ. The Greek word for encouragement, “paraklēsis,” conveys the idea of coming alongside someone to provide assistance, much like the Good Samaritan did for the man on the side of the road in Luke 10. This encouragement in Christ is built on the relational union between Christ and believers. Paul’s use of this first phrase is clear: the encouragement believers receive in Christ should compel them to live in a manner worthy of the gospel.
The second “IF” that Paul gives is by saying, “any comfort from love,” which likely points to God’s love for His children. The Greek word “paramuthion,” which is translated here as “comfort,” carries with it the idea of speaking closely with someone to provide solace and encouragement. It is a very similar term to the “paraklēsis” word we already looked at. This emphasizes a relationship between Christ’s encouragement and God’s love. This love from God was demonstrated through the grace of salvation and continues to comfort and sustain believers. It is the foundation for the believer’s unity, and as we will see, it is the key to a selfless aspect of selfless unity.
The third “IF” statement Paul lays out is participation in the Spirit. Here, Paul uses the Greek word “oinonia,” which emphasizes the idea of sharing or a partnership. Paul’s appeal here is to the common sharing in the Holy Spirit that we as believers experience, highlighting the collective Unity. This fellowship in the Spirit means that each believer is a temple of the Holy Spirit and shares in the Spirit’s work, gifts, and fruit. It is the Spirit that empowers, intercedes, and builds unity among the believers, making this shared participation a vital aspect of selfless unity.
Lastly, Paul appeals to the Philippians’ affection and sympathy. The word for affection literally refers to the bowels or internal organs but was often used by Paul metaphorically to describe his deep, visceral emotions. He uses this term to express profound emotional connections, such as his longing for the Philippians with the “affection of Christ Jesus” in Philippians 1:8. The term sympathy is used to emphasize heartfelt empathy and tender concern for others. Paul uses these terms to refer to the Philippians’ own experiences of God’s deep compassion and their emotional bonds with Paul.
Illustration (Analogy)
Imagine a family preparing a garden. Each member brings something different: one has seeds, another has water, another has tools, and another has fertilizer. Alone, none can make the garden flourish, but together, their combined efforts create a beautiful and fruitful garden. In the same way, the realities Paul describes, encouragement, love, participation, affection, and sympathy, are essential elements that create a unified and thriving church when brought together by each member of the Christian community.
Argumentation
Paul’s argument for the foundational realities of selfless unity in verse one finds its base in Christ. He frames these realities, encouragement in Christ, Comfort from love, participation in the Spirit, and affection and sympathy, as conditional or “IF” statements to prompt the believers in Philippi to affirm these truths actively and respond to his following appeal. As members of Christ’s body, believers share an incredible unity and a special bond due to their relationship with Him. As Paul said to the church in Corinth, 1 Corinthians 12:12-13
For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit.
Paul appeals to their experiences of these realities to show that they are not an optional aspect of their faith walk but rather an integral component of the Christian life. The encouragement, comfort, fellowship, and compassion they receive from being in Christ are the very essence of their faith and selfless unity. By living out these realities, believers reflect the Character of Christ, who embodies all of them perfectly, as we saw in our scripture reading earlier this morning in Philippians 2:5-11.
Paul’s own circumstance was a testament to the power and necessity of these realities. His example showed the believers in Philippi that these realities can be practiced regardless of personal circumstances. Earlier, Paul had told the Philippians that God had begun “a good work” in them, and this “good work” was evident in these four realities.
Application
As Paul lays out to the church in Philippi, these realities should already be a part of their daily life if they are in the right relationship with Christ. As we examine our own lives, do we see evidence of them in our lives? As we allow the Lord to draw us closer to Him, these realities will become more and more evident. If, however, you look at your life and see no trace of these realities, then I encourage you to examine your walk with the Lord and ensure that you are pursuing unity with Christ. It is only through this unity in Christ that we, as a body of believers, can have unity with one another.
Transition
Not only does God desire selfless unity that reflects Himself, we also see that
Division Statement Two
God desires selfless unity from a shared mind
God desires selfless unity from a shared mind
Explanation
Look at the next verse, which says,
complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind.
Starting out, Paul says to complete His joy. This plea to the Philippians is based on his appeal to the shared experiences of grace in Christ and the Holy Spirit, emphasizing their unity. Paul is saying, “You already have the first four things I listed due to your identity in Christ; now complete my joy by doing the following.”
The first attribute that Paul stresses the Philippians need to have is the “same mind.” This thought is repeated two more times in the verse as Paul says to be in “full accord” and of “one mind.” The Greek verb phroneō, one of the keywords in the letter to the Philippians, conveys the idea of setting one’s mind or adopting a specific mindset. Paul charges the believers in Philippi to be auto phronēte or “like-minded.” This can literally mean “set your minds on the same thing.” In a few verses in Philippians 2:5, Paul lays out that this mindset is to be the same one that Christ has. The phrase “full accord,” translated from sympsychos, literally means “together in soul.” Paul here is tying together the mind and soul of the individual, emphasizing that both are required for the unity of the body. This is also a reflection of Paul’s charge to them in Philippians 1:27, where he calls for them to stand firm “in one spirit.”
Looking at the only other phrase in this verse, we see that Paul calls for the Philippian believers to “have the same love.” This thread of love reaches back to verse 1, where the believers have experienced the reality of God's love. They are now to take this love that God has shown them and apply it to their own relationships within the body of Christ. In the next couple of verses, we will see how this love plays out within the community through selflessness.
Illustration
We just had the 2024 Paris Olympics. One of my favorite sports to watch is the eight-man or eight-woman rowing competition. This year, the US Men's team secured bronze, and the woman achieved fifth place. Both of these teams are an illustration of unity and shared purpose. As they sit in their boats, the rowers must synchronize their strokes perfectly. Each one of those rowers has to be of one mind, moving their oars in unison, their eyes fixed on one goal: the finish line. The team members have to trust each other completely, each one's effort blending seamlessly with the others. If even one rower in that boat falls out of sync, the boat's speed and momentum are compromised.
Their shared love of the sport and common goal of victory drive them to work together flawlessly. The intense training and hours spent perfecting team coordination culminate in one race for Gold. Just as Paul is urging the Philippians to be of the same mind and have the same love, the teamwork and shared passion of the rowing team mirrors the unity and selflessness Paul calls for in this verse.
Argumentation
The spiritual unity of the church requires that the body of believers share the same mind that is Christ's and have a love for one another that reflects God’s love for us. This call for unity stems from the fact that we are all one body of Christ, where each member is interconnected and dependent on one another. I have heard some say that without unity, the church won’t grow or that without unity, the health of the church will be compromised. I would counter that without spiritual unity, there is no church at all. The unity of believers in Christ IS the church, and as a result of this Unity, we should work together for the same purposes rather than seeking areas of disagreement and division. When the body of believers shares the same mind, it also serves as a powerful testimony to the rest of the world. Jesus prayed for the unity of the church for the purpose of spreading the gospel in John 17:21, which says, “that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me.”
One might argue that the church is made up of people from vastly different backgrounds and walks of life, making perfect unity a difficult task to strive for. But the unity that Paul is calling for here surpasses earthly things. The early church was made up of a wide array of people with different gifts, social statuses, wealth, and education. Spiritual unity is not about uniformity but about aligning our minds with that of Christ.
Application
As believers in the 21st century, we seem to be living in a time of extreme polarization. Watching the news, one can't help but feel that people in the world today are as far from a shared mind as we can be. I don’t think it is not for trying; you often see large figures trying to rally people to their mindset and, while they may agree on a few things, trying to pin unity on something so fickle as our world will always fail. That is why, as Christians, we have the ultimate source to put our minds on in Christ. So, how do we accomplish this? Let's look at it like a pyramid where, at the top, we have the ultimate goal of sharing the mind of Christ. To accomplish this, we have the next layer down, which is to know Christ. We can’t expect to intimately share with someone without knowing them. In order to know someone, you have to spend time with them, which is the next slice of the pyramid. As you spend time with someone, you, by default, grow in your knowledge of them. The more time you spend, the more you will know them. Spending time with Christ can be done in a multitude of ways, but some of the most important include being continually in the Bible, constantly praying with Him, and meditating on what he has taught and shown. And the last block that holds up the entire pyramid is that you must be in Christ. Without saving faith in our creator, there is no way for the other blocks to support themselves. So, you must be in Christ in order to spend time with Him, and as you spend time with him, you will grow to know him, and the more you know Him, the more your mind will sit on the things of Christ and not on the things of the world.
Transition
As we grow in our shared mind with Christ, we also see, as an outpouring of that growth, that…
Division Statement Three
God desires selfless unity through one Humility
God desires selfless unity through one Humility
Explanation
Look down at your Bibles again as we read the last two verses in this section.
Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.
While the main focus throughout this passage has been Unity, Paul now focuses more intently on what that Unity looks like in the believers' day-to-day lives. If it could be whittled down to just two words, it would be Selfless Love. We have seen this love threaded through the passage beginning back in verse 1, with the origin of this Love being God himself and then Paul charging the Philippines to share that love. Now, Paul goes into greater detail on how that love plays out in the church.
Paul begins verse three by focusing on two things the Philippians should NOT be doing in order to foster selfless unity. The attitudes of selfish ambition and conceit are the opposite of Unity within the church; they are opposite to acts of love and opposite to acts of humility. The Greek term for selfish ambition, means to have a self-seeking mentality that prioritizes personal gain over the unity and well-being of others. Paul has already used this term in his letter to the Philippians in chapter 1, verse 17, where he talks about those preaching Christ out of envy and rivalry and the goal of outshining Paul while he was in prison. In the same vein here, conceit, points to an inflated sense of self-importance and excessive ambition. The culture that surrounded the church of Philippi was filled with people who were solely focused on their position and status. These attitudes are rooted in pride and disunity, and they undermine the mindset that Paul is urging the Philippians to adopt.
Instead, Paul says, our actions must come from a place of humility. It is through this one love that God has shown us that we have the power to show that love to others by counting others more significant than ourselves. The believers in Philippi must set aside their own personal superiority and genuinely consider others in light of their needs. Paul here uses the work Humility. Humility, means to remove ambitions of self-promotion and status-seeking for the benefit of the community. While humility may sometimes laughed at in our culture today, it was a radical departure from the culture in the Roman society, where humility was looked down on harshly. Humility is also not this weak sense of false modesty or this servility where the individual burns themselves out trying to please others. True humility, born out of God’s love, involves recognizing one’s strengths and weaknesses without exaggerating either one.
Lastly, Paul focuses on the interests of the believers, specifically our own personal interests, in comparison to the interests of others. After so much focus on selflessness, humility, and love for others, it may seem odd for Paul to propose that we do, in fact, need to look out for our own interests. This is probably in response to the fact that some believers were leaning into what is called asceticism, wherein individuals would neglect the body to such an extent to gain higher spirituality that they would injure themselves or reduce their own ability to contribute to the unity of the body.
Even though we are to look to our own interests, the stressor in the verse is on the interest of the community and not on the individual's personal interests. As one commentator said, “Others in the community are not necessarily “better” than I am, but their needs and concerns “surpass” my own.” (Fee, 88). While growth and obedience begin with Christ's work in each individual, the ultimate orientation is toward the good of the body.
Illustration
Imagine with me, if you would, that we are all puzzle pieces of a grand and perfect puzzle only God can create.
Each puzzle piece represents an individual within the church. The tabs that stick out are that person’s individual strengths, and the blanks or holes are that individual's weaknesses. God designed you to be unique, and as you grow in Him, the personal interests you work towards will align with the mind of Christ. But a puzzle piece isn’t designed in solidarity. It is designed with the entire picture in mind. God’s design is that all his puzzle pieces, the individuals that make up the body of Christ, will fit together to create the picture of Christ’s church. (Show a few pieces together) As we look out for the interests of others and focus on living with humility, the puzzle pieces will click into place.
Maybe one persons strength is teaching, and that strength pairs well with someone who has a weakness in teaching. As a result, you work together as a team to help them grow and sharpen one another.
As we focus on the mind of Christ and each other with humility, the unity of the Church is formed, and the puzzle picture grows larger and stronger.
Argumentation
Paul’s charge in these verses gives us a glimpse of what a healthy church community should be like when living with humility. If read carefully and with a prayerful heart focused on obedience, these verses can radically transform the church community. Looking out for our own interests comes naturally, but Paul is focused on believers actively looking for ways to support others. Bearing one another’s burdens fulfills the commands of Christ, and such an attitude is in stark contrast to our world today. Jesus himself was the ultimate example of selfless love when he said, “For I am gentle and lowly in heart.” When humility is lived out as the primary lifestyle and the interests of others are prioritized, the strength and health of the Church body is grown in Christ. Through this, Christ works to grow us in our own personal walks. As John said in John 13:34-35, “A new commandment, I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this, all people will know that you are my disciples if you have love for one another.”
Application
While the words “put others before yourself” are easy to say, they can be harder to do in practice. This selfless love for one another is not something that is derived from ourselves; if it were, it would be impossible. Rather, as we grow in our knowledge of Christ and become more like Him, selfless love and humility will be a natural outpouring of our relationship with Him.
God desires that we not only receive His love but that we pour it out in selfless unity to others. I encourage you to look at others around you and focus on them. Find out their needs and their hopes and come alongside them in the way best suited to them. Help each other grow and If we all do this, God will put the puzzle pieces of our Church in the best possible places to worship and glorify Him together in unity.
Transition
God desires selfless unity through reflecting Him, one mind, and a shared humility.
Visualization
Church, as we have worked through these four verses, have you grasped a picture of what our response might be? God desires His children to be unified, and here, Paul has laid out the steps or actions that must be taken to become unified. If we lived with the understanding that God desires, our selfless unity as a reflection of Himself; how much more would we strive to rest in His love and grace? We also would live our lives understanding that God desires our selfless unity from one Mind. That mind is His son, Christ Jesus, and if we lived in that reality, we would work all the harder to grow in our walks with Him. And lastly, if we lived understanding that God desires our selfless unity to come from one humility, our thoughts and actions for others would be driven not by any selfish ambition but by the selfless love of God.
Reiteration
We need to understand these things to live our lives with the knowledge that God desires selfless unity from us and that selfless unity comes from a reflection of God, a shared mind, and one humility.
Action
The question is, how do we apply this in our daily lives in order to build the unity of the body of Christ?
1. Examine your walk with Christ
Paul teaches that selfless unity should be evident in our lives if we are in a right relationship with the Lord. Reflect on your life to see if these traits are present. If they aren’t, take a close look at your walk with the Lord and seek to grow in Him. The Lord desires that you lean on His all sufficient power. Before we can have unity with others, we must have unity with Christ, as He is the foundation of the body.
2. Focus on Knowing Christ
True unity is found in the mind of Christ. Thinking back to the Pyramid, with the top being the end goal of sharing Christ's mind, we as a church must encourage and push each other towards that goal.
3. Practice Selfless humility
Selfless humility flows from knowing Christ. Focus on the needs of others and come alongside them in practical ways. This could present itself as helping someone to their car, sitting with someone for Coffee because they need to talk, or volunteering to help disciple the kids downstairs during church. The possibilities are endless, but it requires that we know each other and selflessly choose to be there for each other. This is how the puzzle pieces of Christ's church fit together, creating a unified body that glorifies God.
Specific Steps
- Bible Intake: Commit to regularly reading the scripture and meditating on what the Lord is teaching you.
- Prayer: Dedicate time every day to praying for others and asking the Lord to show you how you can meet their needs. Meeting together to pray as a body is also essential. Work towards spending time in prayer with others such as in our Wednesday morning and evening prayer times.
- Discipleship: Engage in discipleship with one another. This can take place in various ways, but it does take energy and intentionality. Set aside time to focus on building others up around you.
Appeal
God desires us to live for Him with selfless unity. Doing so will not only radically change our own walk with the Lord, but the body of Christ as a whole will grow to reflect Christ.