Cooperative in Unity

Psalm 133:1

Philippians 2:2

Cooperative: Working and dwelling in unity with God and the saints

We were not created to live the Christian life alone.

God designed us to walk with Him and with one another.

However, if we’re honest, some of the greatest struggles in the Christian life don’t come from the outside—they come from relationships.

Misunderstandings.

Pride.

Hurt feelings.

Unmet expectations.

And if we’re not careful, those things can rob us of the unity God desires for His people.

Psalm 133:1 says, “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!”

That word “behold” is a call to stop and take notice.

Unity is not common, but it is beautiful when it is present.

It is both good in its nature and pleasant in its experience.

It honors God and blesses people.

I have had a little bit of experience rowing a boat, but not a lot.

But when I was in high school I went to a camp that had row boats.

A friend and I went out thinking the other one knew what they were doing.

It soon became obvious that know one had any experience.

Think about when a team rows a boat, every person must pull in the same direction at the same time.

If even one person rows against the others, the boat slows down or begins to spin.

Progress stops.

Frustration builds.

But when everyone pulls together, the boat glides through the water with strength and purpose.

That’s what unity does.

It moves things forward.

Philippians 2:1–4 gives us the pathway to that kind of unity.

It shows us that cooperation is not automatic.

It has to be cultivated.

It has to be protected.

And it has to be pursued.

I. Cooperation Requires God

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,

It is really vital for us to understand that unity does not begin with us—it begins with God.

Paul points to what we have in Christ before he ever tells us what to do, or how to get it.

Because you can’t have unity with others if you are not first walking in unity with God.

1 John 1:7 KJV

7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.

When our relationship with God is right, our relationships with others begin to fall into place.

Many times we try to fix horizontal problems without addressing our vertical condition.

But disunity among believers is often a reflection of distance from God.

Think about the disciples before Pentecost.

They argued about who would be the greatest.

They competed for position and recognition.

But in Acts 2:1

Acts 2:1 KJV

1 And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.

What changed?

They had been with Christ.

They were yielded to the Spirit.

When God is at the center, unity becomes possible.

A.W. Tozer said, “Has it ever occurred to you that one hundred pianos all tuned to the same fork are automatically tuned to each other?”

If each of us is in tune with God, we will naturally be in harmony with one another.

If we are going to cooperate with others, we we need to first be right with God.

So if cooperation begins with God, then we need to understand what that relationship produces in us.

A. The Comfort that Comes from Christ

Paul speaks of “consolation in Christ” and “comfort of love”

When you are walking with Christ, you are reminded that you are loved, forgiven, and accepted

That security changes how you treat others

Colossians 3:12–13 KJV

12 Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; 13 Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.

When you remember how much grace you’ve received, it becomes easier to give grace

You don’t have to fight for your rights when you are resting in His love

Instead of reacting in anger, you respond with patience

Instead of keeping score, you extend forgiveness

Think about Joseph in Genesis

His brothers betrayed him, sold him, and lied about him

Yet when he had the power to retaliate, he chose forgiveness

He said,

Genesis 50:20 KJV

20 But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive.

Joseph did not excuse their sin, but he trusted God’s sovereignty

And because of that, he was able to restore the relationship

A heart comforted by God is a heart that can cooperate with others

When you are secure in Christ, you don’t have to demand your way

B. The Fellowship that Comes from the Spirit

Paul mentions “fellowship of the Spirit”

That word speaks of partnership and shared life

The Holy Spirit unites believers together

Ephesians 4:3 KJV

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

We don’t create unity—we preserve it

Galatians 5:22–23 shows us the fruit of the Spirit

Love

Joy

Peace

Longsuffering

Gentleness

Goodness

Faith

Meekness

Temperance

Every one of those qualities strengthens unity

When we walk in the flesh, we divide

Galatians 5:20 KJV

20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,

Those things tear relationships apart

But when we walk in the Spirit, we unite

That is not forced getting along—it is Spirit-produced

This means we must constantly ask ourselves, “Am I responding in the flesh or in the Spirit?”

Unity is not maintained by willpower, but by surrender

C. The Compassion that Comes from Mercy

Paul speaks of “bowels and mercies”

This refers to deep compassion

Ephesians 4:32 KJV

32 And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.

Harshness divides

Tenderness unites

Sometimes people don’t need correction first—they need compassion first.

Think about how Jesus dealt with people

The woman taken in adultery

The Samaritan woman

Zacchaeus

He saw beyond their failure to their need

When we remember how patient God has been with us, we become more patient with others.

A church full of mercy will be a church full of unity

When God is at the center and His Spirit is at work, something begins to change in how we relate to others.

II. Cooperation Restores Peace

Philippians 2:2–3 (KJV) 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.

Unity brings peace where there was once tension

Psalm 133 describes unity as precious and refreshing

Like the oil that anointed Aaron

Like the dew that refreshed the mountains

Unity is both valuable and life-giving

Where there is cooperation, there is peace

So what does that kind of unity actually look like in everyday life?

A. The Unity that Reflects Christ

Paul says, “be likeminded…of one accord, of one mind”

This is not sameness—it is shared direction

1 Corinthians 1:10 KJV

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.

That mind is the mind of Christ

5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:

That means we are to think like Christ

To value what He values

To prioritize what He prioritizes

When Christ is the focus, unity becomes the result

Like a choir singing different parts but following the same conductor, harmony is produced when Christ is central

If everyone insists on singing their own tune, there will be confusion

But when everyone follows Christ, there will be unity.

B. The Love that Rejects Selfishness

Paul says, “Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory”

Strife is self-promotion

Vainglory is empty pride

James 3:16 KJV

16 For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.

Selfishness destroys unity

Love builds it

1 Corinthians 13:5 says love “seeketh not her own”

1 Corinthians 13:5 KJV

5 Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;

That means love does not insist on having its way

Love listens

Love yields

Love sacrifices

Many conflicts are not about right and wrong—they are about preference

And when preference becomes priority, unity suffers

But when love leads, we are willing to lay down our preferences for the sake of other people.

That is where peace begins to grow.

C. The Attitude that Pursues Peace

Romans 12:18 KJV

18 If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.

Unity requires effort.

It requires initiative.

It requires choosing peace even when it’s uncomfortable.

It means taking the first step instead of waiting for someone else.

Matthew 5:9 KJV

9 Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.

Not the peacekeepers—but the peacemakers

Peacemakers act, they pursue reconciliation

Think about Abraham and Lot in Genesis 13

Strife arose between their herdsmen

Abraham could have insisted on his rights

But he chose peace over preference

He said, “Let there be no strife…for we be brethren”

That is cooperation in action

Peace does not happen by accident—it happens on purpose

If unity restores peace, then we need to understand what it takes to maintain it.

III. Cooperation Requires Humility

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

Humility is at the heart of unity.

Pride divides

Humility unites

C.S. Lewis said, “Humility is not thinking less of yourself, but thinking of yourself less”

So what does true humility look like in our relationships?

A. The Mind that Esteems Others

“Let each esteem other better than themselves”

Romans 12:10 KJV

10 Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another;

This means choosing to value others above yourself

It means listening instead of interrupting

It means encouraging instead of competing

It means being willing to say, “You matter”

John the Baptist said, “He must increase, but I must decrease”

That is the spirit of unity

When everyone is trying to lift others up, no one is being pushed down

Pride says, “Notice me”

Humility says, “Let me notice you”

B. The Heart that Serves Others

Philippians 2:4 says, “Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others”

Humility looks outward

It notices needs

It acts to meet those needs.

Jesus modeled this in John 13

He washed the disciples’ feet

The Master became the servant

And then He said, “I have given you an example”

Service sustains unity.

When people are busy serving, they are not busy fighting.

A serving church is a united church.

Sometimes the greatest way to solve a conflict is not through words, but through service.

C. The Spirit that Surrenders Self

Luke 9:23 KJV

23 And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.

Unity requires dying to self

Dying to pride

Dying to preferences

Dying to the need to be right

Andrew Murray said, “Pride must die in you, or nothing of heaven can live in you”

When self is on the throne, unity is impossible

When Christ is on the throne, unity becomes natural

And when people truly lay down self and choose humility, something beautiful begins to happen.

There was a small church that had gone through a difficult season.

Misunderstandings had crept in.

People had taken sides.

Conversations had stopped.

And what once was a place of joy had become a place of quiet tension.

Two men in the church had been especially at odds.

They avoided each other.

They spoke about each other, but not to each other.

And the whole church could feel it.

One Sunday, the pastor preached on humility and unity from Philippians 2.

He challenged the church to stop waiting for someone else to take the first step.

After the service, one of those men sat in his pew for a long time.

He knew he had been holding on to pride.

He knew he had been justified in his mind—but wrong in his spirit.

Finally, he stood up, walked across the auditorium, and approached the other man.

With a trembling voice, he said, “Brother, I’ve been wrong in my attitude. I should have come to you a long time ago. Will you forgive me?”

There was a moment of silence.

Then the other man’s eyes filled with tears.

He said, “I’ve been wrong too. I’ve been waiting for you—but I should have come to you.”

Right there, the two men embraced.

And something broke loose in that church.

It wasn’t loud.

It wasn’t dramatic.

But it was real, and walls came down.

Conversations started again.

Joy returned.

And unity was restored.

Not because everyone got their way—but because someone chose humility.

Conclusion

Unity is not automatic.

It is the result of walking with God, choosing love, and living in humility.

Jesus said in John 13:35

John 13:35 KJV

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

That means our unity is not just for us—it is our testimony to the world around us.

People are watching how we treat one another.

They are watching how we handle disagreement.

They are watching whether Christ truly makes a difference in our lives.

And the truth is, every one of us has a choice.

We can hold on to pride, or we can pursue peace.

We can wait for someone else to take the first step, or we can humble ourselves and go first.

We can protect our position, or we can protect unity.

Maybe there is someone in your life right now that God has brought to your mind.

A strained relationship.

A conversation that never happened.

A hurt that has been left unresolved.

And deep down, you know what needs to be done.

Can I challenge you—don’t leave that undone.

Romans 12:18 KJV

18 If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.

That means you may not control the outcome, but you are responsible for your obedience.

Imagine what God could do in our homes…

Imagine what God could do in our church…

If we would simply choose humility over pride, and unity over self.

Today is a good day to take that step.

Today is a good day to say, “Lord, help me to be the one who pursues peace.”

Today is a good day to lay something down so that unity can rise up.

Because when God’s people dwell together in unity, it is good, it is pleasant, and it brings glory to Him.

And it may just begin with you.