Greetings! - Reject

Good Unity

There’s this little Psalm that has at times perplexed me.

, “A Song of Ascents. Of David. Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity! It is like the precious oil on the head, running down on the beard, on the beard of Aaron, running down on the collar of his robes! It is like the dew of Hermon, which falls on the mountains of Zion! For there the Lord has commanded the blessing, life forevermore.”

I read it and then I came to the part about oil coming down the head, onto the beard, then onto the robes of a priest, and there they lost me.

It just sounded like a sticky, oily, mess.

That is until recently.

I’ve recently fallen in love with old school shaving.

I have started using double edged razors, and straight razors.

They are ridiculously sharp.

There has been a pretty steep learning curve.

And I like to say, one little mistake stays all week.

So if you see me with random cuts on my head and face, it’s not because of domestic violence, and I haven’t been getting in fights.

It’s me trying to figure out how to learn to shave again.

But in the process, I’m finding it’s something that I love to do.

Before my shower, I take a little metal bowl, and I fill it with hot water, and soak a badger hair brush in it.

When I get out of the shower, I empty the bowl, shake off the water from the brush, and I begin to rub the brush with shaving soap.

I then take that brush, with soap all over it, and swirl it around the metal bowl.

As I swirl it around, a thick warm lather builds.

Kind of like whipped cream cream, but warmer.

Once I have a good amount of lather in the bowl and on the brush, I apply it to my head and face.

The warm prickliness of the brush and soap feel like a nice head message, as it opens the pores on my head and face.

Then I proceed to shave my head and face.

The last thing I do, is I take a few drops of beard oil and rub it through my beard.

The result is that not only do I have a smooth shave, but I’ve had a nice relaxing experience.

Amanda jokes that it takes loner for me to prepare my bald head, then it does for her to style her actual hair.

But it’s become one of my favorite times of the day.

In the same way that my shaving ritual seems high maintenance and strange, when the Psalmist talked about oil on the head and beard, it probably sounds weird.

But

3rd Try

There’s this Psalm that seems strange to us, .

“Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity! It is like the precious oil on the head, running down on the beard, on the beard of Aaron, running down on the collar of his robes! It is like the dew of Hermon, which falls on the mountains of Zion! For there the Lord has commanded the blessing, life forevermore.”

As I read that, perhaps the idea of oil on the head, running down onto a beard, then onto the collar of a man’s robes just sounds sticky and gross.

That Psalm, isn’t a lesson on beard care, nor is it a passage about the yearly average rainfall of Mount Hermon.

It’s a passage talking about unity among brothers and how it’s a good thing.

It’s called a Song of Ascent.

It would be sung by the Jews as they made their pilgrimage to Jerusalem.

They were songs of ascent because they were ascending to Jerusalem, going uphill.

It was a city on a hill.

Once a year, all the men of Israel, were required to leave their families and travel to the center of the nation to worship God.

As far as national security goes, this is dangerous.

Who’s going to defend the borders?

Yet, their travel was a demonstration that they trusted God, since He had promised to not let their enemies even desire their land.

And as they traveled, they’d sing these songs, these songs of ascent.

Though not actual brothers, in their allegiance to God they were closer to brothers.

To leave your family behind:

To leave the borders unguarded.

This is not something easily understood.

In the same way, unity among Christians, the Church, and the bond that we have is a confusing thought to the world around us as well.

It’s almost as foreign to people as hearing about oil dripping off a man’s beard and onto his clothes and this being a good thing.

This unity is a good thing, it’s a blessing.

This unity, this fellowship is why Paul would be willing to say that though he’s in jail, its good, because it benefits the church.

This unity is what caused Philippi to send the messenger, Epaphroditus, over 700 miles to deliver supplies and money to a man named Paul, who was under arrest in Rome.

This unity is what would cause the Philippian Christians and other Macedonian Christians, out of poverty, to send money to the Jerusalem Christians, whom they’d never met.

And this unity, this fellowship, is why 12 of us will be traveling to the Czech Republic later this week to a church we’ve never been to, and no little about.

Today’s sermon is one that I will preach again in 2 weeks when we are in the town of Kromeriz, in the Czech Republic.

2 churches, hearing the same message.

Though we are separated by thousands of miles, language, and history, the same spiritual truths ring loud to our hearts and ears.

Let’s read a bit more about this fellowship, this unity in our final verses from Philippians.

Please open your Bibles to .

Not only is this unity a good thing, but it’s required, it’s commanded.

Paul begins this conclusion with a command, “Greet every saint ...”

Intro

Please open your Bibles to

Read Philippians 4:21-23.

Today’s sermon is one that I look forward to preaching today … and again in a couple weeks.

I’m going to preach it to us here at Southwest Christian Church.

This Thursday, 12 of us make our journey to the Czech Republic.

And there in the town of Kromeriz, I will preach it again to the saints that are there.

2 churches hearing the same message.

What a wonderful thing to know that even though we are separated by thousands of miles, we share in something spectacular together.

And so we greet one another in Christ Jesus.

Good Unity

We come to the end of Paul’s letter to the Philippians.

He loves them.

They love him.

And he begins his conclusion with a command.

A final request of sorts.

And that final request, the final command is greet every saint in Christ Jesus.

It’s a command to greet one another.

When we see the word greet we think of a greeting.

“Hi”

“How are you?”

The word is much stronger than that.

This greeting is an embrace.

It’s to hold someone close.

describes the sweetness of this greeting by saying:

“Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity! It is like the precious oil on the head, running down on the beard, on the beard of Aaron, running down on the collar of his robes! It is like the dew of Hermon, which falls on the mountains of Zion! For there the Lord has commanded the blessing, life forevermore.”

Some of the language might be lost on us.

The Psalmist comments on how good unity is:

It’s good and pleasant.

Then he says that it is like precious oil on the head of Aaron, running down onto his collar.

Perhaps oil on the head running down onto beard then onto the collar sounds like an icky mess.

But it wasn’t supposed to sound gross at all.

This was called a Song of Ascent.

As the Jews would make their pilgrimage to Jerusalem, they’d sing these Psalms.

They were ascending to Jerusalem, going uphill.

These were peaceful and soothing songs.

It was like oil running down from Aaron’s beard and onto the collar of his robe.

I’ve recently fallen in love with pampering my face and head.

Where you see “greet”, think of embrace.

says,

I’ve started doing old school shaving.

Embrace every saint.

Before my shower, I get a little metal bowl and fill it with hot water.

“Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity! It is like the precious oil on the head, running down on the beard, on the beard of Aaron, running down on the collar of his robes! It is like the dew of Hermon, which falls on the mountains of Zion! For there the Lord has commanded the blessing, life forevermore.”

Love every saint.

Then I soak a badger hair brush in it.

Verse 1 outlines the whole premise.

Be united with every saint.

When I get out of the shower, I empty the bowl, shake off the water from the brush, and I rub the brush with shaving soap.

Unity is good and pleasant.

I then take that brush, with soap all over it, and I swirl it around in that metal bowl.

But then the description of unity might see

As I swirl the brush around, a thick warm lather builds.

Kind of like whipped cream, but lighter.

Once I have a good amount of lather in the bowl and on the brush, I apply it to my head and face.

The warm prickliness of the brush and soap feel like a head massage, as it opens up the pores on my head and face.

Then I proceed to shave my head and face.

When I’m all done, I rinse off any excess soap, and I take an alum block.

I rub that over my face and head.

It feels cool.

If there are any knicks or small cuts, it gently closes the wounds.

The last thing I do, is I take a few drops of beard oil, and I rub that through my beard.

Amanda jokes that it takes longer for me to prepare my bald head then it does for her to style her actual hair.

But it’s one of my favorite times of the day, and a great start to a busy day.

The oil on the beard was not only refreshing and good for the skin, but it was a blessing from God.

“Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity! It is like the precious oil on the head, running down on the beard, on the beard of Aaron, running down on the collar of his robes! It is like the dew of Hermon, which falls on the mountains of Zion! For there the Lord has commanded the blessing, life forevermore.”

He continues and says that it is like the dew of Mount Hermon.

The waters that fall on the mountains, go down and end up watering the valleys.

This is all a blessing.

This is something that we should desire.

It’s something to pursue.

It’s something to want.

But not only are we to want it, but it’s something that is commanded by God.

It is His will.

It is His desire, for us to have unity.

The final line of the Psalm says, “For there the Lord has commanded the blessing, life forever.”

So as we begin, this greeting, this unity, this fellowship of the saints is something that we should desire.

Because it’s good, it’s soothing.

Not only is it something that was commanded in , but it’s a command here in Philippians.

Not only is it something that was commanded in , but it’s a command here in Philippians.

Unity within the church.

Fellowship among Christians is something that is expected.

Unfortunately, this unity is often more of a Confused Unity

Sometimes in our attempts to be unified, we end up dividing.

We see this in the world around us.

People divide by:

The color of their skin.

Their income.

Their interests.

Their nationality.

Their past.

Then these divisions work their way into the church.

We will be a unified rich church.

Or a unified white church.

Or a unified American Church.

Or a unified single style of music church.

And yet, they claim to be united because they

This isn’t really unity at all.

I think of our culture’s shallow and misguided attempts at unity.

Being around each other.

Worshipping with each other.

Being in contact with each other.

I’m surprised how often I meet people who say they have left a church because they don’t feel close to anyone.

Then when I ask them about their involvement in the church, it’s not there.

Don’t be surprised if you don’t feel close to the church, if you’re not at the church and in the church.

Reginald Denny’s famous words, “Can’t we all just get along.”

This is something that we are to strive for.

Beliefs and key distinctives are so watered down, that we stand for nothing.

Many churches refuse to call sin sin, and instead call sin a lifestyle, or a preference, that needs to be accepted.

Or we are only united when it works for us.

We protect.

We do this by continuing to meet together regularly.

Being around each other.

Worshipping with each other.

Being in contact with each other.

But the moment something or someone rubs me the wrong way, I’m out of here.

That’s not unity.

says of love, “It does not insist on its own way ...”

Often times we are united as long as everything goes our way.

I’m surprised how often I meet people who say they have left a church because they don’t feel close to anyone.

I’m surprised how often I meet people who say they have left a church because they don’t feel close to anyone.

Then when I ask them about their involvement in the church, and it’s simply not there.

They aren’t involved.

They aren’t united.

They aren’t a part of the mission of the church.

Don’t be surprised if you don’t feel close to the church if you’re not:

This is something that we are to strive for.

We protect.

And so if there is something we are to strive for, it’s for us to continue in fellowship with the saints.

At the church

Confused Unity

If you’re not participating in the church.

If you’re not serving in the church.

Confused Unity

says, “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.”

I think we want unity.

We want that closeness.

We want that fellowship.

We want that promise the God has commanded to His people.

Unfortunately, we are skeptical of it.

We are suspicious of the unity that God offers to His church.

Afraid of getting hurt.

Suspicious that others will hurt our feelings.

That we will be judged.

That someone will find something out about us that we’ve kept hidden.

And so, we keep people at a distance.

We confuse unity, with a lack of intimacy and vulnerability.

The less people have an opportunity to hurt me, then the more opportunity for unity.

True Unity is possible.

Look at what Paul says, “Greet every saint in Christ Jesus.”

It’s what we are to do.

How do we have unity?

By seeing the church the way Christ sees does.

How does Christ see the church?

As saints.

Somewhere along the way, the Roman Catholic Church invented the idea that saints are the elite Christians, who are so good, that their goodness can get passed onto other Christians.

But that’s not how the Bible describes saints.

Saints are:

Separated.

The Bible word is sanctified.

We have been separated from our former life.

says that all Christians used to be dead in their trespasses.

It says that we all used to serve the prince of the power of the air, Satan.

But that is all past tense.

We are no longer that way.

We now share something truly special in common.

It’s as if we are all hostages.

As if we were all kidnapped.

And Jesus Christ came and rescued us from our captor death.

We have this in common.

About 10 years ago, we took our high schoolers to something called Rock N Water.

We would backpack out 5 miles, and camp under the stars.

No tents.

No bathrooms.

No showers.

We brought only what fit in our backpack.

And the camp was strict with what we could and couldn’t not bring.

1 pair of socks.

1 pair of underwear.

We weren’t even allowed to bring a watch.

When we got there, that first night, there were tears.

These students suddenly weren’t so sure about this whole trip.

But by the end of the week.

After living under the stars.

After hiking 5 miles.

After rock climbing.

They were different students.

They were like animals.

We would return to their base camp, surrounded by students who each had different experiences.

But our students were the only ones who lived in the outback for the week.

Our students were noticeably different.

We had shared in an incredible experience together.

And that experience had brought us together.

Church, you have been separated from the world around you in the same way our students were separated from everyone else at camp.

We share this in common.

All Christians have gone through the common experience of being born again, and receiving new lives in Christ.

And if that hasn’t happened to you yet, then this unity will be foreign to you.

Our separation is not just because of something that has been done in the past, we are also separated because of who we are now.

We have been born again.

We are new people.

And since we are born again, we each repent.

Now as you look to us, we should no longer look like everyone else around us.

Christians are

Holy.

All Christians have gone through the common experience of being born again, and receiving new lives in Christ.

And if that hasn’t happened to you yet, then this unity will be foreign to you.

Together we strive to live a life worthy of the Gospel.

Understanding that there is a remnant of the crust of sin that lives in this flesh, yet having a new heart that longs to please God.

And so we share this in common.

We are separated as a possession of God’s.

While the rest of the world is not only dead in their trespasses, but they are actually servants of Satan, something remarkable has happened to us.

says, “He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son,”

When you look around this room, you are seeing people who have been rescued from Satan’s domain, and now belong to Christ.

says, “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.”

And the cost for us to become God’s possession, was the life of Christ.

So if you were Paul and considered yourself the chief of all sinners, the greatest sinner there is, or Adam, known for just one sin, the cost is the same.

The life of Christ.

We can’t say that this person is worse than me, or I’m better than her.

Understand, that the price of my sins … is the same as the price of your sins.

We are united in the price that paid for our sins.

To be a saint means we are Holy.

Literally, saints are holy ones.

Positionally, we are different.

They are separated.

Not just separated, but truly distinct from the world around us.

When you watch a sports game how can you tell which team is which?

You look at the uniform.

There is the home team.

They have their distinct colors.

Brighter.

Cleaner than the other team.

Then there is the away team.

Usually darker colors.

There is something about Christians that makes us different from the world around us as well.

We have the Holy Spirit within us.

He is the seal of our salvation.

The mark of God to show that we belong to Him.

So while the rest of the world is in their home uniforms, we are in our away uniforms, marked with the Holy Spirit.

And together we know that this is not our home.

That our true home is with the Lord, and we look forward to that day when we are with Him.

And so what is our unity.

It’s not based on the world’s fallen standards of:

Color of Skin

Nationality

Or favorite sports team.

Our unity is based on something greater.

That we are saints in Christ Jesus.

Separated.

Holy.

And His own possession.

And so Paul says, “Greet every saint in Christ Jesus.”

To greet them means to embrace them.

Why?

Because they are a saint in Christ Jesus.

Separated by Him.

Positionally holy.

We embrace them because they are like us.

Sinners … saved by grace.

You know that about them.

They know that about you.

Church let me tell you about myself.

I am a sinner.

Not just a little sinner.

But if God were to judge me for my sin … I’d be sentenced to the hottest part of Hell.

There, now you know the truth.

Now let me tell you about yourself.

You are a sinner.

Not just a little sinner.

But if God were to judge you for your sin … you’d be sentenced to Hell as well.

There, we all know about you.

Together, we are striving for Christlikeness.

Embracing one another.

Encouraging one another.

There is unity, when we we acknowledge the truth about ourselves, and the hope we have in Christ.

Unity within the church is not just something that we do, but it is something that we have. We have Gained Unity.

Paul is writing this letter to the Philippians from his time in house arrest.

This letter has been filled with prayer, concern and love for the Philippians.

But it’s not Paul passing on his regards. He’s not alone.

He says, “The brothers who are with me greet you.”

The brothers would be Timothy, who is mentioned in verse 1 of this book.

And Epaphroditus, the messenger from Philippi.

While there is always a press for us to be unified.

For us to participate in the body.

For us to include others.

For us to serve others.

That’s us doing something.

There is unity gained already.

If you are in Christ, you are in the church.

And if you are in the church, you are a part of the family of God.

You have unity already.

You are a part of something larger.

The Christian faith is not a new faith, nor is it something that is frequently being reinvented.

says, “Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints.”

You are a part of something that was delivered once for all.

What the prophets taught … you’re a part of.

What Jesus taught … you’re a part of.

What Paul taught … you’re a part of.

What the apostles taught … you’re a part of.

Assuming you believe the truth, those who greet you, or rather, those who embrace you, are much more than even this little church that we are in now.

You are a part of something larger.

This means that those who greet you, those who have embraced you extend much further than you even realize.

says, that you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation.

The church at large embraces you as well.

I remember hearing a story about John MacArthur going to Russia after the Iron Curtain fell.

During the Cold War, many American Evangelicals couldn’t go to Russia.

They were forbidden.

Which means many valuable resources and teachers couldn’t get there.

Finally, the USSR collapsed, and John MacArthur made a trip to Russia.

He was going to teach them truth.

To straighten them out.

He gets there, and he thinks he’s going to tell them something brand new, something they never knew because of communism.

And it turns out they knew it.

They had the Bible.

And they embraced each other and had great fellowship.

If you are in Christ and believing truth, you are a part of the faith delivered once for all, and therefore part of the greater church that extends beyond borders.

What’s going to happen these next couple of weeks is a great example of that.

There is a church in Kromeriz, that is excited to embrace us.

Because we are brothers and sisters in the truth delivered once for all.

And the day will come when we will all be gathered together.

All the saints, from all time, will be together.

, has 24 elders singing before Christ, “Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth.”

There is one kingdom of God.

And they greet you.

You have this already.

Earlier, I said that we need to love the church the way Christ loves the church.

We must remember that the love of Christ will continue to surprise us.

As Paul is writing this letter to the Philippians, in verse 22 he says, “All the saints greet you, especially those of Caesar’s household.”

Philippi was a city that proudly was adopted into the Roman Empire.

Many Romans lived in Philippi.

And they knew many who lived in Rome.

So when Paul says that there are people in Caesar’s household who send there greetings, this would send shivers down the necks of the Philippians, because they knew them.

Paul’s imprisonment in Rome means that those in Rome have heard the Gospel, and some of them have even been converted.

There are Romans, people in Rome, people in Caesar’s household; his servants, and attendants, who are now a part of the kingdom of God.

And they send their greetings?!

Nothing testifies to the earth shattering power of the Gospel, by hearing that people very near to the pagan Caesar, have been born again!

This is not something you would expect.

This is a reminder that the Gospel is going out.

Is there someone that you’d love to see become a Christian?

Is there that person that seems utterly hopeless?

This is the person you pray for regularly.

You think this person is too close to the world’s way of thinking.

He’s too tied in.

He’s too intellectual.

He reads the LA Times, and is too sophisticated.

You grieve and pray for this person because you think he’s untouchable.

I’m sure that’s how the Philippians viewed their Roman friends.

Those in Rome heard lies about the Christian religion.

They have been given a negative picture of the faith.

There’s no way they’ll be persuaded.

Yet the Spirit is powerful.

Never think that someone is so bad that they cannot be saved.

Never think that someone is too unlikely to enter the kingdom of God.

Because now, you have Caesar’s household sending their greetings.

You never know if you will get a call from that friend.

And they give you their greeting.

And embrace you as a brother or sister in Christ.

I remember, way back when, Amanda and I worked at Dairy Queen.

We had a co-worker that couldn’t have been further from Christ.

One day, after years away, she came back into Dairy Queen as a customer.

She asked about church.

Then she said that in her time away she had become a Christian.

That was one of the most thrilling conversions.

In 4 days, 12 of us are going to go to one of the most secular nations in the world.

And the Christians there send their greetings.

And my prayer, is that we will see the church there grow, and even more will send their greetings.

That we will have the opportunity to share the Gospel unlikely.

Remember, not only do we pursue unity, but we have gained unity already in the faith.

And lastly, there is Divine Unity.

We see this in the last verse of this little letter, “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.”

We have seen that we greet others.

Then we saw that others are greeting us.

But now we come to the final greeting … it’s from Christ.

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with us.

Now this is surprising.

When it comes to greetings, we do not greet God, or embrace God.

Sure there are people who seem to be spiritual, or religious.

But on our own no one approaches God rightly.

On our own no one wants God on His terms.

We see this demonstrated by our sin.

When we sin we are not greeting or embracing God, but rather, pushing Him away.

Denying His kindness and His affection.

Paul said it this way in

We don’t seek Him.

We don’t desire Him.

We don’t obey Him.

says, “no one understands; no one seeks for God.”

The only greeting we deserve is God’s wrath.

The day is coming when all people will stand before God and be judged.

And the only greeting anyone deserves, is to face His judgment, Hell.

Yet, the surprising greeting of God isn’t that He punished us for our sins or will punish us for our sins.

The surprising greeting of God is that He punished Jesus instead of His people.

The greeting of God is that Jesus came to be with sinners.

He condescended.

He came down from heaven.

He came down to us.

Jesus said He came to seek and to save that which was lost.

And in Jesus coming to be with us, to greet us and to embrace us, He demonstrated the great love of God.

says, “In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.”

And so, as we bring this little book to a close, remember you are not alone.

There is a kind God, who surprises us with His grace.

Not giving us what we deserve, but instead giving it to His Son to save us.

This week many of us leave for the Czech Republic.

If this were the last time I see you.

My request are these words.

That you embrace one another.

Remember you are a part of the Lord’s Church.

God’s grace is surprising.

And to remember the grace of God that is with you and will be with you till you go to be with Him, or Christ returns to us.