Pursuing Reconciliation - Phil 4:1-9
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Pursuing Reconciliation
Pursuing Reconciliation
Things are changing here
I’m filled with thankfulness to the Lord
Matthew, the discipleship manual for the early church
9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
22 “Now I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be guilty before the court; and whoever says to his brother, ‘Raca,’ shall be guilty before the Sanhedrin; and whoever says, ‘You fool,’ shall be guilty enough to go into the fiery Gehenna (Valley of Hinnom).
23 “Therefore if you are presenting your offering at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24 leave your offering there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and present your offering.
44 “But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,
48 “Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
Be imitators of God’s character
Exactly what the opening of the sermon on the mount expresses.
We don’t want knowledge for the sake of knowledge.
We don’t want to just say be reconciled and not provide any tools to do it. So today, we are zooming in to look at how does the Bible tell us to be reconciled to one another.
This is an aspect of love, and fits the broader scope of Jesus sermon in Matthew 5-7.
1 Therefore my brothers, loved and longed for, my joy and crown, in this way stand firm in the Lord, my beloved. 2 I urge Euodia and I urge Syntyche to think the same way in the Lord.
3 Indeed, I ask you also, genuine companion, help these women who have contended together alongside of me in the gospel, with also Clement and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life. 4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!
5 Let your considerate spirit be known to all men. The Lord is near. 6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and petition with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. 8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is dignified, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, consider these things.
9 The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.
Let’s Pray
At the heart of reconciliation is conflict. There is no need to reconcile without some sort of conflict in the mix.
There can be conflict and there be no sin.
Food Preference
Pepper Jack Cheese or Cheddar Cheese?
2 Categories of Conflict:
Disagreement
Offense
Examples of these:
37 And Barnabas wanted to take John, called Mark, along with them also. 38 But Paul kept insisting that they should not take him along who had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not gone with them to the work.
39 And there was such a sharp disagreement that they separated from one another, and Barnabas took Mark with him and sailed away to Cyprus.
1 Then Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Cushite woman whom he had taken as a wife (for he had taken a Cushite woman); 2 and they said, “Has Yahweh indeed spoken only through Moses? Has He not spoken through us as well?” And Yahweh heard it.
Miriam and Aaron are in sin here.
23 But He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to Me; for you are not setting your mind on God’s interests, but man’s.”
Stumbling Block = Offense
27 Then Gideon made it into an ephod and placed it in his city, Ophrah, and all Israel played the harlot with it there, so that it became a snare to Gideon and his household.
A good example
165 Those who love Your law have much peace, And nothing causes them to stumble.
2 Categories of Conflict:
Disagreement (Num 12:1-2, Acts 15:39)
Offense (Jg 8:27, Mt 16:23)
When is reconciliation needed?
When either party can’t let it go. When it is continuing to effect the relationship.
When it poses harm to someone else
Disagreement - negotiating how to coexist
We use pepper jack on certain things, and cheddar on most things
Offense - negotiating how to right the wrongs
This is where our text brings us today as this is where most people avoid reconciliation, because it hurts.
1 Therefore my brothers, loved and longed for, my joy and crown, in this way stand firm in the Lord, my beloved.
I’ll tell you, for a long time these verses seemed like a string of unrelated but poignant thoughts. Upon a deeper study of the book, Philippians 4 seems to be yet another example provided of the humility that Paul is calling the church too.
Therefore
Paul has been building the entire letter around 1 theme, imitating the humility of Christ.
Ultimately, this leads to our willingness to participate in the gospel regardless of the circumstances we are in
5 Have this way of thinking in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, although existing in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped,
7 but emptied Himself, by taking the form of a slave, by being made in the likeness of men. 8 Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
1 Therefore my brothers, loved and longed for, my joy and crown, in this way stand firm in the Lord, my beloved.
my brothers - this is an internal thing
loved and longed for
my joy and crown
Paul loves these people! They have been practicing humility by supporting his ministry. The Philippians get it.
in this way stand firm in the Lord (humility)
my beloved.
Can you hear the endearment in Paul’s words? His care? His love?
2 I urge Euodia and I urge Syntyche to think the same way in the Lord.
think the same way!
What way?
Think how Jesus thought! Humbly!
3 Indeed, I ask you also, genuine companion, help these women who have contended together alongside of me in the gospel, with also Clement and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life.
genuine companion - 3rd party is involved
Who are Euodia and Syntyche?
They have contended (competed/struggled) in the gospel with Paul
and with Clement and the fellow workers
their names are in the book of life!
They are believers!
Why does Paul bother writing this?????
If you haven’t added this question to your exegetical tool box, please do. Ask the question as to why the author, in this case Paul, includes this here. Or why does he say it that way?
Why does Paul bother writing about who they are? If Paul knows of the conflict going on, do you not think the church will know who he is talking about?
Paul is setting up his next statement:
4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!
What are we to rejoice in?
The faith and work of our brothers and sisters in Christ!
When you are in conflict with a brother or sister in Christ, take the time to thank the Lord that they know Him!
Thank the Lord for the faith seen and unseen by you
Far too often we downplay the significance of the belief of our brothers and sisters in Christ.
Did you know, that we will spend eternity together, not just in perfect relationship with God, but with one another!
In the same way that God invites us to participate in this with Him today, we can do so with one another as well!
5 Let your considerate spirit be known to all men. The Lord is near.
considerate, gentle, forbearance, reasonable and gentle, and good sense
17 But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruits, without doubting, without hypocrisy.
5 Let your considerate spirit be known to all men. The Lord is near.
why use considerate instead of the word for gentle or peacable?
considerate is not an exacting word
It is context dependent
“he put cake in her face”
In the context of everyday life is probably not considerate
In the context of a wedding, this is accepted behavior
let your consideration be made known to all men
It means to be aware of your context
It means to listen
If step 1 was to rejoice, to give thanks, step 2 is to listen.
This is not simply hearing, but considering. You obviously see the situation differently or there wouldn’t be any conflict. This means that to resolve it, you have to be bigger than yourself!
5 Let your considerate spirit be known to all men. The Lord is near.
Why does Paul say this here?
Is this near in time or near in space?
Both of these are true, but which is Paul speaking of?
16 However, let us keep walking in step with the same standard to which we have attained. 17 Brothers, join in following my example, and look for those who walk according to the pattern you have in us.
20 For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by His working through which He is able to even subject all things to Himself.
5 Let your considerate spirit be known to all men. The Lord is near.
Paul is continuing his theme of recognizing the coming of the Lord Jesus
The motivation to live as citizens of heaven is because that is what we were made for!
6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and petition with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
This is a popular verse.
Let me ask the question, how many of you think of this verse as being in the context of conflict between believers?
How many of you get anxious in conflict? Do you pre-play the conversation over and over in your head? Do you practice your defense of every question or accusation?
6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and petition with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
Can we take a moment here, and just say that when anyone other than Scripture says this to us we would respond with that’s not helpful.
“Don’t worry about it”
We can’t just turn it off.
6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and petition with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
αλλα - contrast
So Paul has said don’t do this, but do this!
a more literal translation
6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything, the prayers and the petitions with thanksgiving, make these requests known to God!
with thanksgiving
All of this is to be seasoned with thanksgiving
I want you to think of Thanksgiving coming up
great food
Now I want you to think of the same Thanksgiving, with no seasoning, with no salt.
Are you as excited about it?
That is prayer, that is life without thanksgiving.
If you want to change your attitude, change your perspective, develop a heart of thanks to the Lord.
6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and petition with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
in the Greek, this is the last word, I think to let it linger.
and what is the result?
7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Why do we need to guard are hearts and minds in conflict?
Because we think people are terrible!
So and so licked the red right off of my lollipop. They’re a terrible person. And before long, you believe they would steal candy from a baby.
I know this because I’ve been there!
So and so didn’t like what I said about this, but they believe x, y, and z and the next time I have an opportunity I will annihilate their argument.
That sounds just like Jesus doesn’t it.
If we let our hearts and minds go unguarded, we end up in a worse place than where we started.
6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and petition with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is dignified, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, consider these things.
consider - this is a different word
this is an accounting term, it means calculate or verify the account
So what is Paul saying?
You know that list of bad things about a person you are angry with that you can focus on?
Do the opposite of that.
Instead of focusing on their sin, focus on their Redemption.
Let me tell you why Paul can say this:
12 Now I want you to know, brothers, that my circumstances have turned out for the greater progress of the gospel, 13 so that my chains in Christ have become well known throughout the whole praetorian guard and to everyone else,
14 and that most of the brothers, having become confident in the Lord because of my chains, have far more courage to speak the word of God without fear.
15 Some, to be sure, are preaching Christ even from envy and strife, but some also from good will;
16 the latter do it out of love, knowing that I am appointed for the defense of the gospel; 17 the former proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition rather than from pure motives, thinking to cause me affliction in my chains.
18 What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in this I rejoice. Yes, and I will rejoice,
Paul can say this because it is what Paul is doing!
How can Paul do this? Because it is what Jesus has done for Paul!
7 After that, He appeared to James, then to all the apostles, 8 and last of all, as to one untimely born, He appeared to me also.
9 For I am the least of the apostles, and not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.
10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me did not prove vain; but I labored even more than all of them, yet not I, but the grace of God with me.
11 Whether then it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed.
Or in Philippians:
6 as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to the righteousness which is in the Law, found blameless. 7 But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ.
8 More than that, I count all things to be loss because of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own which is from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God upon faith,
Paul can pursue reconciliation with others because he has been reconciled to God!
9 The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.
Paul says imitate me as I imitate Jesus.
So when reconciliation is done, what does it look like?
It looks like the perspective of Paul
It looks like the perspective of Jesus
You may notice from Philippians, we’re not given any information about the relationship between Euodia and Syntyche. In fact, we’re not given any account of resolution between them.
Miriam, Aaron, and Moses - Resolution reached with God’s intervention, but consequence lasts 7 days
Paul and Barnabas - we’re not given a time frame, but we see reconciliation occurred in 1 Cor 9 and 2 Tim 4.
Where there relationships the same?
No. In fact, if all parties are willing to reconcile they will be better. But this takes maturity. It takes humility.
38 But Paul kept insisting that they should not take him along who had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not gone with them to the work.
11 Only Luke is with me. Pick up Mark and bring him with you, for he is useful to me for service.
17 Iron sharpens iron, So one man sharpens another.
If not, strive to be like Paul, strive to be like Jesus. Who both chose to recognize the redemption of their brothers and sisters in the Lord instead of their sins.
Takeaways:
Every conflict presents an obvious opportunity to glorify God
2. Rejoice for the faith of others
3. In everything, with thanksgiving, make your requests known
4. Focus on redemption because you are redeemed
5. Be humble enough to be sharpened
Let’s Pray
