One Unified Posture (4:1-7)

One Unified Posture (of Heart and Mind): Philippians 4:1-7 Pray & Intro: Truth under Attack – the Supreme Court ruling on same-sex marriage Read Passage & Explain/Apply: I. Take Your Stand Together (v. 1) A. Paul loves people. 1. Love and long for (pain of separation from ones so dearly loved) 2. Joy and crown  I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth. (3 Jn. 1:4)  Crown – wreath worn on the head to signify victory, glory, or prestige (1 Thess. 2:19 NIV) B. Verse 1 is a transition and a link.  Stand firm thus (this way) 1. As citizens of heaven, live in light of eternity. 2. Against a common enemy. – As citizens of heaven we face opposition, so we must stand united in one mind—that of Christ Jesus. (Satan uses the flesh mutilators and enemies of the cross to derail and distract) 3. Follow the example of those who are following Jesus. (discipleship)  Don’t put our heads in the sand or roll over and play dead. 4. Strain forward with everything you’ve got to gain complete intimacy with Jesus, knowing who you are in Christ (no confidence in the flesh but complete confidence in the righteousness of Jesus) 5. All the way back to 1:27 * 6. 4:1 also looks forward to the subsequent practical matters of standing firm together: a. A very personal and practical example of practicing harmony. (vv. 2-3) b. (The unified posture of heart and mind for working together in this family) Be joyful, be gentle (or reasonable), be prayerful (as opposed to anxious), be at peace. (vv. 4-7) c. The necessary focus on what is excellent and praise-worthy in Christian thought-life, and following a godly model to enable us to stand firm. II. Please Practice Harmony (vv. 2-3) A. Ministry is all about people. [see Intro to altered sermon] B. Always remember that there are people at the other end. – Bruce Jenner C. Paul employs gentle but urgent persuasion. 1. He doesn’t command them but instead entreats them to be reconciled. (Paul is wise here to help people’s hearts respond appropriately.) 2. Addressing a plea to each woman, so as not to take sides. 3. And I don’t know about you, but at first glance, I’m more than a little surprised that Paul uses people’s names here. a. Women played an important role in the founding of Macedonian churches (Acts 16-17)  Acts 16 in Philippi, Lydia and a slave girl b. These are two different women, and we don’t even know them or what they’re disagreement is over. (but the people Paul writes to probably do… or maybe not)  So why does Paul call them out by name? – B/c he loves these ladies “who labored side by side with me in the gospel” and he loves this church. D. Nothing kills harmony like two individuals trying to steal the show. – attitudes 1. Php. 2:1-5 and the others-first mentality that reflects the mind of Christ  And you know how much I love Rom. 12:10 – Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. 2. Romans 12:3 and 12:16 remind us of the necessary humility required for harmony. a. For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. (Rom. 12:3) b. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. (Rom. 12:16) 3. Personal squabbles or animosity cause broader divisions in a community…  And a divided church is a terrible witness. E. Paul encourages another leader, his “true yokefellow” to intervene as a third party for reconciliation. 1. This may actually be a proper name, Syzygus. [rendered loyal Syzygus] (And although there’s no direct historical evidence of anyone else having that as a proper name, there are other examples of compound words being used as proper names.) – Venezuelan named their kid Usnavy.  2. Truth be told, we don’t know who it is. Apparently, we don’t need to. a. Someone known within the congregation, probably of tact and influence b. His job is to help them take hold of harmony. (aggressive – seize, apprehend) 3. Paul employs the metaphor to make his point, which is either a play on the person’s name or serves its purpose without needing to name the leader (who would be clear to the reader, evidently). – striving (working, competing) side by side F. Paul’s approach to this whole thing emphasizes for them the importance of relationships in the body of Christ and standing firm together.  We must see in our relationships that the gospel changes everything. 1. What if we focused on the fact that our faith is our unifying factor? – NOT on our difference of opinion about homeschooling, private schooling, or public schooling.  Getting back to partnership in the gospel. Be of the same mind in the Lord! (including Clement – names are written in the book of Life)  Siblings in Christ. 2. Get back to striving together for the gospel instead of striving with one another! (Have the same mindset—the mind of Christ)  Set aside differences of opinion and personal preferences to work peacefully side by side for the progress of the gospel. (We need to pursue growth in grace, and there are people around us who remain outside of grace.) III. Be joyful, be reasonable (gentle), be prayerful (as opposed to anxious), be at peace. (vv. 4-7) A. For unity, rejoice in the Lord. For standing firm, rejoicing in the Lord. B. Let your reasonableness (or gentleness) be evident to everyone. 1. It can mean gentle, kind, tolerant, merciful, lenient, accommodating, tactful, reasonable. (It’s the manner in which you handle people.) 2. It’s living proof that your joy is in the Lord, not in earthly things. Not in being right. Not in political powers. – It’s living proof that you love people more than your own opinion. C. Don’t panic. Pray. (Mt. 6:27 And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?) 1. Do not be anxious about ANYTHING, but in EVERYTHING… (Caring deeply isn’t wrong; worrying is.) 2. Prayer – the Lord is at hand. (He is near!!!) 3. Supplication (first is any petition to God; this second is urgent pleading with God) a. Bring your worries to God!!! b. With thanksgiving (an attitude of gratitude is your protection against anxiety and praying wrongly) D. Be at peace. (so I cheated with this one b/c this is a continuation about prayer) 1. The peace of God a. Surpasses all human understanding b. Guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus