Right Thinking In A Troubled World - 7
Notes
Transcript
Handout
Turn with me to Philippians chapter 2.
Introduction - In Philippians chapter 2, there are three verses that explicitly mention how we as believers ought to think.
Paul uses the word mind. (vs. 2, 3, 5)
It is the word φρονέω phroneō, which means to think or to exercise our mind.
In our text, it is translated as the word mind- or compounded in this chapter with another word. We see this compound word in verse 2, ‘like-minded.’
What is Paul discussing? He is speaking to the church at Philippi about right thinking.
The local church at Philippi was a church that was experiencing adversity. (Philippians 1:29)
Philippi was the first place that Paul preached after having received a vision from God entered into Macedonia.
Acts 16:9 “9 And a vision appeared to Paul in the night; There stood a man of Macedonia, and prayed him, saying, Come over into Macedonia, and help us.”
Paul enters into that area of Macedonia and the first place on his stop is the city of Philippi.
Of course Paul, is writing to them from a position of adversity.
Paul’s design for this local church is that they would navigate the waters of this life, being able to live triumphantly as representing Christ through right thinking which would result in right living.
Paul speaks this way to this local church while demonstrating from a jail cell, how a Christian can still be full of joy in the midst of great difficulties.
It reminds of that wonderful verse found in Hebrews 12:2 concerning the Lord, “2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
Our joy is based on our Lord and Savior, and our eternal life with Him.
The long view encourages us in the midst of difficulty.
Our thoughts are as we saw in the first chapter “For me to live is Christ,” and for me “to die is gain.”
Paul said on another occasion, mentioning this long view that God revealed to Him in Romans 8:18 “18 For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.”
In the previous chapter we noted:
Right thinking involves a biblical understanding of the purpose of our lives.
In we have a wrong understanding of why we are here, we are miserable indeed.
We will certainly live the life of unmet expectations.
Secondly, we stated that right-thinking is single-minded.
I thoroughly enjoyed listening to Pastor’s message Sunday Night concerning the Lord being the King of our castle.
In fact we come to realize this, it is not our castle—- it is His!
Thirdly, we realize from Philippians 1:27 that we must be intentional in our thinking.
There are some things we should not think on.
There are some things we ought to think on.
How do I filter these thoughts? Filter them through the Word of God.
Philippians 4:1–9 “1 Therefore, my brethren dearly beloved and longed for, my joy and crown, so stand fast in the Lord, my dearly beloved. 2 I beseech Euodias, and beseech Syntyche, that they be of the same mind in the Lord. 3 And I intreat thee also, true yokefellow, help those women which laboured with me in the gospel, with Clement also, and with other my fellowlabourers, whose names are in the book of life. 4 Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice. 5 Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand. 6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. 7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. 8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. 9 Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.”
Lastly, we must be Christians that are settled on truth. (Our thinking must be grounded upon the Word of God.)
This means we must spend time in the Word of God. Endeavor to know the Word of God.
Christians must be settled in our thinking.
In order for us to cultivate biblical thinking, we must be spending time in the Word of God.
as we understand what the Bible teaches, we determine we will not back down, we will not change course, we will not be moved.
We do not live lives of situational ethics. We live our lives according to the Word of God.
With that being said we come to this second chapter.
Let’s read verses 1 through 5.
Philippians 2:1–5 “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. 5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:”
Let’s pray
Paul as He opens this second chapter continues in His exhortation to this church at Philippi concerning their thinking.
Paul knew what some church workers today do not know, that there is a difference between unity and uniformity. True spiritual unity comes from within; it is a matter of the heart. Uniformity is the result of pressure from without. This is why Paul opens this section appealing to the highest possible spiritual motives (Phil. 2:1–4). Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, vol. 2 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1996), 73.
True unity in the local church comes from yielding to God. If we as a church body are going to experience deeper unity and fellowship one with another, it will take place as God’s people give themselves to the Lord.
“People can rob us of our joy. Paul was facing his problems with people at Rome (Phil. 1:15–18) as well as with people in Philippi, and it was the latter who concerned him the most. When Epaphroditus brought a generous gift from the church in Philippi, and good news of the church’s concern for Paul, he also brought the bad news of a possible division in the church family. Apparently there was a double threat to the unity of the church; false teachers coming in from without (Phil. 3:1–3) and disagreeing members within (Phil. 4:1–3). “Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, vol. 2 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1996), 73.
This problem was not unusual for we read the same type of exhortation in 1 Corinthians 1:10 “Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.”
In the first chapter, Paul exhorts them in hope, that they would be found in this way, faithful to the Lord. (See 1:25-27)
In this chapter, Paul gets to the central message of the epistle.
We notice that Paul’s message points Christians to the Lord Jesus Christ. (Philippians 2:5)
With as much influence as Paul wielded in the lives of these Christians, He was not concerned with them just following Him, — but rather He says, Follow Me as I follow Christ (1 Corinthians 11:1)
I looked at the 1st chapter, just to see how quickly Paul focuses His message on the Savior and I discovered that no less than 17 times in 27 verses, Paul mentions the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
The message is clear.
The attention of the Christian ought to be His/Her fellowship with Christ.
Everything that Paul states in the first chapter is in relation to His Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
And this ought to be the central thread of our lives as well. If there comes a time in your life when you are indifferent to what the Lord wants in your life, there is a problem.
Paul opens this chapter by introducing three defining reasons we ought to have right thinking.
Notice verse 1.
Philippians 2:1 “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,”
These three reasons are presented in light of the exhortation what we find in verses 2-5.
In verses 2-5 we read, Philippians 2:2–5 “Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:”
These verses which discuss right thinking are preceded by this three defining reasons for our right thinking. We might call them the cause and encouragement to right thinking.
The first is:
Our consolation in Christ.
This first reason for our right thinking— is this wonderful fact, our consolation in Christ.
The preposition ‘if’ is not here to make us wonder whether these things are true, but rather is stating that these things are true and because they are true for the believer all that follows should be heeded.
If you are like me, you might be wondering exactly what Paul means here by penning these words.
In my mind I think of a ‘consolation’ prize.
A consolation prize in our modern way of thinking is “a prize given to a competitor who narrowly fails to win or who finishes last.”
I am reminded of the Ladies Celebration—- and they keep everyone happy by handing out a lot of consolation prizes in lieu of only one Grand Prize and Second Place winner.
It is a way of consoling someone who is ‘second place’ which one might say is first loser.
This is not the meaning of the text here.
John Philips in looking at this first reason for our right thinking describes this as the supreme basis for his appeal for us to submit our lives to the Lord.
This by the way is the supreme basis for everything in the Christian life. That is— we look to the Lord Jesus Christ. We realize that He is our God and that He gave Himself for us. We realize that we are bought with the precious blood of the Lord Jesus Christ.
The word that is translated as ‘consolation’ in our text means comfort, encouragement, exhortation and strengthening.
This word brings to our minds the ministry of the Holy Spirit as the Comforter. (John 14:16,26)
We are reminded of John 14:26 where the Lord states, “But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.”
How many are glad for the comfort that the Lord gives us?
We also think about having recently come through the Christmas season of what is spoken about in Luke 2:25 of Christ being “the consolation of Israel.”
“The Spirit of Christ is to take the disturbed or upset person and console him, comfort him, encourage him and strengthen him.” Leadership Ministries Worldwide, Galatians–Colossians, The Preacher’s Outline & Sermon Bible (Chattanooga, TN: Leadership Ministries Worldwide, 1996), 267.
In this, as we will see in just a little bit, that we are to be like-minded. We are to be Christians who comfort, encourage, exhort and strengthen.
Barnabas, if you will remember, was a great example of this in the life of the apostle Paul and others— so much so that He was called the son of consolation in Acts 4:36.
Here in our text the phrase consolation of Christ and comfort of love ought to be understood together.
The love of Christ stirs a person to keep the unity with other believers. Leadership Ministries Worldwide, Galatians–Colossians, The Preacher’s Outline & Sermon Bible (Chattanooga, TN: Leadership Ministries Worldwide, 1996), 268.
The word ‘comfort’ is translated from a Greek word which is found nowhere else in the New Testament.
It is an interesting word. This word translated as comfort is made up of two words, one word means ‘toward’ the other word means ‘to speak.’ Put together the basic sense is to speak friendly toward. But this word further gives the idea of “ to urge, to win over, to spur on, to encourage, to persuade, and to convince.”
The love of Christ urges us forward.
The love of Christ wins us over.
The love of Christ spurs us on.
The love of Christ encourages us.
The love of Christ persuades us.
The love of Christ convinces us.
“Paul is appealing to his friends to keep to close the comforting and consoling power of the Lord Jesus Christ and the stimulating power of love.” (Phillips)
The kind of love that is spoken about here is that which is shed upon us by God and is selfless and sacrificial love. (Romans 5:5-6)
When we think of Christ and His love for us, He loves us even though we are utterly unworthy of being loved.
One expositor said it this way, “Imagine the spirit of unity that would exist within a church if every member would let the love of Christ flow through him. There would be no bitterness, anger, or strife—no action that would hurt another person whatsoever.” (POSB)
Leadership Ministries Worldwide, Galatians–Colossians, The Preacher’s Outline & Sermon Bible (Chattanooga, TN: Leadership Ministries Worldwide, 1996), 268.
We have not only this supreme appeal, but secondly a supernatural appeal.
Paul states, Philippians 2:1 “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,”
Our fellowship of the Spirit.
There is fellowship that exists among God’s people because we are joined together by the Holy Spirit of God.
The mind of the Holy Spirit is set upon unity and fellowship—all centered around Jesus Christ and His mission., The Preacher’s Outline & Sermon Bible (Chattanooga, TN: Leadership Ministries Worldwide, 1996), 268.
John 15:26 the Bible tells us that the Holy Spirit points us to Christ.“26 But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:”
John 16:14 the Bible tells us that the Holy Spirit lifts up or magnifies Christ. “14 He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.”
What motives are there for unity in the church? Christ is the greatest incentive; if we are in Christ, we ought to be able to live with one another! Warren W. Wiersbe, Wiersbe’s Expository Outlines on the New Testament (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1992), 563.
We have not only the supreme appeal, the supernatural appeal but lastly the supporting appeal.
Our bowels and mercies.
This phrase bowels and mercies speaks to tender and compassionate mercy that the Lord has for us and that we ought to have for one another.
James 5:11 “11 Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy.”
The example that is given is to look at the case of Job. Look at how the Lord treated Job.
The fact that believers are one in Christ should have a binding effect upon us. In the body of Christ, there is no room for cliques, isolated groups, politicking, or divisions.Rod Mattoon, Treasures from Philippians, Treasures from Scripture Series (Springfield, IL: Rod Mattoon, 2004), 42.
When Charles Evans Hughes was appointed Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, he moved to Washington and transferred his membership to a Baptist church there. His father had been a Baptist minister, and Hughes had been a lifelong witness to his own faith in Christ. It was the custom in that Baptist church to have all new members come forward during the morning service and be introduced to the congregation. On this particular day, the first to be called was a Chinese laundryman, Ah Sing, who had moved to Washington from San Francisco and kept a laundry near the church. He stood at the far side of the pulpit. As others were called, they took positions at the extreme opposite side. When a dozen people had gathered, Ah Sing still stood alone. Then Chief Justice Hughes was called, and he significantly stood next to the laundryman. A Christian who only associates with people of the same intellectual, academic, or professional interests is not living up to what Scripture mandates. We are to be a blessing and encouragement to all believers. If we have this attitude, it will help keep our church together.
Rod Mattoon, Treasures from Philippians, Treasures from Scripture Series (Springfield, IL: Rod Mattoon, 2004), 42–43.
These three appeals are made concerning the command we find in verse 2.
As we close this lesson, look at verse 2 with me.
Philippians 2:2 “2 Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.”
What kind of thinking ought the Christian to have?
First of all we ought to be likeminded.
If we were to merry up a phrase from verse 1, we would say because of the consolation of Christ and the comfort of His love.
This is the highest appeal to being like-minded.
Secondly, we are to have the same love, one for another.
The Holy Spirit of God—- the fellowship of the Spirit, He unifies us, and points us to Christ.
John Phillips in His commentary examples Peter and John as examples of the unifying effect of the Holy Spirit.
Peter he states is a doer. John however is a dreamer. Before the Lord departed Peter is told by the Lord that He will give His life for the cause of Christ, to which Peter points to John and asks, What about John?
The Lord tells Him, that is none of your business.
But after the coming of the Holy Spirit, the day of Pentecost— we see Peter and John knit close together in harmonious fellowship.
Then lastly, we are to be of one accord and of one mind.
You and I are to exercise compassion and mercy toward one another.
Yes there are decisions you will make out of compassion for your brothers and sisters in Christ.
Yes there are constraints you may put on your life, because of your mercy and compassion of others.