Sermon Tone Analysis

I find it ironic that today is mother’s day and the passage that God has for us is about overcoming divisions.

Please do not read into this coincidence more than we should.

But it is true on a day where we honor our mothers, it is appropriate to think about relationships.

In particular Paul is laying out how to handle division in the church and what habits and focuses the church should cultivate to move forward towards the high call of being like Christ.

Division

What is shocking about the division Paul mentions is who is involved.

These are not fringe church goers known for their bad tempers and loud mouths.

Rather these are women who fought side by side with Paul for the gospel.

They were on the front lines of evangelism and discipleship.

These women are told to agree in the Lord which points to the fact that there is no heresy or immorality Paul is addressing.

Reading all of Paul’s New Testament letters would prove that he is not timid in addressing such sin.

Apparently the division is that these two women cannot get along.

As all of us know, in every family there are times and places where it is difficult to get along.

Think about brothers, and sisters, husbands, and wives, and even how those extended family relationships can get.

In every group of friends or family there will come a time where conflict arises.

How does Paul address these two women who fought side by side with him for the gospel?

First, Paul Pleads With Them

I entreat Euodia and I entreat Syntyche to agree in the Lord.

He does not demand anything based on his authority or position as an apostle.

The appeal is personal and passionate.

There is not calculated shaming happening.

Can you envision an elderly father running in between two of his daughters that have been feuding.

With tears in his eyes, and a tone of painful hope, he asks his daughters to stop the fighting and work through their issue.

Paul desires unity in the church because Jesus came that we might be one.

Jesus prayed in .

Jesus prayed for unity, Paul pleads for unity.

Second, Paul asks for someone to get involved.

There are times and places where simply sitting down over coffee will not result in working through a conflict.

Often times the question, “Is there anything else gets over looked or not fully answered.”

It is also true that when conflict comes often times a third perspective is needed to help everyone see the other persons perspective or work through things in such a way that miscommunication does not happen.

The person that Paul selects to help walk through this conflict is not named.

All that is said is this person was a true companion.

It would be someone who had a position of authority in the lives of these ladies and in the church.

It might have been an elder or pastor.

It could have been a leading figure like Epaphroditus.

While the figure is not named, it is clear that everyone hearing this letter would know who it was.

Often times people don’t know who to go to when working through conflict.

I would commend to you a few different places.

If it is a marriage issue, your small group or bible study leader.

And if you feel your shame is too great to open up to them, I would commend to you one of the elders and his wife, or perhaps a little know secret is that Pastor Dan is trained in Conciliation or conflict resolution through Peace Makers.

I am always happy to help as well, but have seen Dan work through conflict with people and see true repentance and reconciliation.

Third, Focus on Agreeing in the Lord

The verb literally means to think or to set one’s mind on the Lord.

Paul is not looking for unity at the expense of truth.

They must agree on Jesus, and allow Jesus to be the common ground that their relationship is founded on.

This is also not an agreeing on every subject.

Paul does not expect them to agree on every single point of doctrine and how it applies to life.

Paul is rather looking for like-mindedness.

Paul is appealing for a mental attitude that adopts the same basic direction as other believers, the same fundamental aim, the same orientation and priorites…a gospel of Jesus orientation.

Agreeing on the gospel and where we head with Jesus is simple.

For our church we have defined the gospel this way:

The Gospel is the good news of the Kingdom of God that has come through Jesus.

Jesus is the Christ, the one and only Son of God.

Jesus lived in perfect obedience, dying on the cross taking the punishment we deserve for sin, satisfying God’s anger, and adopting us into his family.

Jesus was resurrected, conquering sin, death, and the grave.

If we would repent of sin and believe the gospel, we will follow Jesus by the power of Holy Spirit all the days of our earthly lives, or until He returns to set all things right, and restore His creation.

Notice this definition and the scriptures in general don’t call for strict adherence to anything less focusing on the kingdom of God, the Christ, Jesus, and the sacrifice made to rescue sinners.

As it has often been said, Jesus is the only common ground we need.

When Jesus is not enough is when we are adding to the gospel and becoming a Pharisee ourselves.

We don’t want to add a thing to the gospel because Jesus plus anything ruins everything.

It is true however that many disputes in the church go unresolved.

Often it is the case that those in these disputes never take the time and energy to study scripture together to have them centered together on the one thing that is true.

In some cases a hard heart sets in and neither side wants to be corrected or sharpened.

Both sides become so convinced they are right that mere facts will not sway them, the priority then becomes winning at any cost.

In other cases emotional black mail is employed with a phrase like, “Your stance hurts my feelings.

Don’t you trust me?”

This is a manipulative way to handle conflict and shows a lack of Christians maturity.

D.A. Carson said it best, “ Where there are disagreements of principle, argue them out.

Take out your Bibles, think things through, find out why you are disagreeing, and be willing to be corrected.”

Where there are disagreements of principle, argue them out.

Take out your Bibles, think things through, find out why you are disagreeing, and be willing to be corrected.

In every case we must identify what take absolute priority and begin with that.

Focus on what you have in common.

Once again DA Carson said it best, “Personal differences should never become an occasion for advancing your party, for stroking bruised egos, for resorting to cheap triumphalism, for trimming the gospel by appealing to pragmatics.

Focus on what unites you: the gospel, the gospel, the gospel.”

Where there are disagreements of principle, argue them out.

Take out your Bibles, think things through, find out why you are disagreeing, and be willing to be corrected.

Carson, D. A. (1996).

Basics for believers: an exposition of Philippians (p.

103).

Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books.

Carson, D. A. (1996).

Basics for believers: an exposition of Philippians (p.

103).

Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books.

Carson, D. A. (1996).

Basics for believers: an exposition of Philippians (p.

103).

Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books.

So how does one keep unity in the church, what should we do to keep conflict in check and move forward agreeing in the Lord?

Rejoice in the Lord

According to Acts 16, he and Silas were arrested and thrown into prison.

Beaten, bruised, their feet in stocks, they displayed not a whiff of self-pity.

Far from it; they began a midnight chorus of praise.

Now Paul finds himself in prison again.

He is not writing this epistle from a chalet in the south of France or taking a few minutes out from the happy pleasures of paddling in the waters of the Bahamas.

He is under arrest.

And what does he say?

“Hang in there, brothers and sisters, as I am trying to hang on myself”?

Not a chance!

“Rejoice in the Lord always.

I will say it again: Rejoice!”

This command to rejoice is so simple it is embarrassing to have to be reminded of it.