Don't exist, thrive!

Intro

Paul has articulated his love for this church.

Lydia’s house (the result of the Macedonian Call)

Every time he prays, he prays for this church with joy, because they are true partners with him in the gospel. They care about the gospel spreading as much as he does. They are not a burden to him…they are a successful church plant.

He has encouraged them about his current crisis…the most important thing…the gospel is still spreading in spite of Paul’s imprisonment.

He has affirmed their faith, saying that he thinks God is going to do something in his life for the sake of the faith of the church. Paul thinks that God will not allow their prayers for him or their financial gift be in vain.

However, Paul is not sure what God is going to do. He doesn’t know the future. So he tells them to continue to live their lives worthy of the gospel.

nothing is worse than a church who claims to love the gospel but doesn’t live by it, commit to spread it, and fails to embody the hope of it.

On one side of the coin, it would be like a person who knows a bomb is about to go off in a building, but doesn’t tell anyone and simply walks out.

On the other side of the coin, it would be like a person who tells everyone to invest in a company, but not investing in that company themselves.

Paul says: live your life worthy of the gospel of Christ. Don’t share it without embracing it yourself. Don’t embrace it yourself without sharing it.

Now Paul acknowledges that striving for the spread of the gospel is difficult for the church, because they are being persecuted.

This is where we pick up his letter

Thriving as a church is a matter of mathematics

phil 2 1-

Philippians 2:1–2 CSB

1 If then there is any encouragement in Christ, if any consolation of love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, 2 make my joy complete by thinking the same way, having the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose.

Paul uses a deductive argument for what he is about to say.

A deductive argument begins with a premise that is true.

I might say, It is sunny in Slayden. If it is sunny in Slayden, then I will not be carrying an umbrella. Therefore, today I will not carry an umbrella.

Paul’s truthful premises: While facing their persecution,

if there is any encouragement in Christ (Christ suffered and was exalted, He promised not to leave the church alone, He promised to return with the church’s reward)

if there is any consolation (comfort) in love. (The love of God is the only ultimate comfort in life’s greatest conflicts.)

if there is any fellowship (communion or fellowship) with the Spirit. (The Spirit indwells every believer, we all have stories of the Spirit interacting with us)

if there is any affection and mercy (a fruit of the Spirit, the church is the only organization equipped to consistently love the unlovable and forgive the greatest sins)

Then this is what should happen if these things are true:

the church should thrive. Paul defines thriving by speaking fundamentally of their unity.

they should be like-minded

have the same love (The word of God, God Himself, the souls of men, and the prayers of the saints)

They should be in complete agreement.

They should have one mind

Thriving is a matter of mathematics. The church should thrive, because of what Christ has produce in them and for them. A church should be unified in the most extreme sense. If it is not, then there is a problem.

Unity is a command

God has commanded that we not be in conflict, but that we be one. Paul now explains how we achieve this.

phil 2

Philippians 2:3–4 CSB

3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility consider others as more important than yourselves. 4 Everyone should look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.

Humility: don’t do anything trying to get your way.

How to be humble: cultivate this kind of thinking…consider others as more important than yourself. Look out for the interest of others.

There is a difference between boundaries and humility.

Paul is not advocating just letting people do whatever they want to do…even if it is hindering the gospel.

Sometimes, the most unifying thing we can do is set boundaries, or abide by the boundaries God has already set. However, boundaries are always set in humility.

Example: When the mother tells the child not to touch a hot stove, she is setting a boundary…but she is doing it in humility. She wants the best for the child and has set a wise boundary…even if the child doesn’t understand it.

Example: When we as a church say that you can’t vote in business meetings unless you are a member, this is a boundary set in humility. This boundary is set in the best interest of the church and the non-member. The non-member doesn’t need to bear the accountability of a wrong decision, and the church doesn’t need to suffer the consequences of a bad decision made by someone who has not committed to covenant with the church.

Most conflicts in the church are not resolved, because humility has not been acted out. Most of the time, people get upset with other people over preferences.

Sometimes, boundaries are crossed and humility needs to be exercised when confronting the infraction.

In short, Paul is saying that a church should thrive. They thrive because they are unified. They are unified because they act toward one another in humility. People in the church are not trying to get their way, and everybody is looking out for the interests of others.

Proverbs 29:8 CSB

8 Mockers inflame a city, but the wise turn away anger.

prov 29 8

Jesus said: Blessed are the peace makers.

Unity is a command.

Christ is our example

phil 2 5-

Philippians 2:5–11 CSB

5 Adopt the same attitude as that of Christ Jesus, 6 who, existing in the form of God, did not consider equality with God as something to be exploited. 7 Instead he emptied himself by assuming the form of a servant, taking on the likeness of humanity. And when he had come as a man, 8 he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death— even to death on a cross. 9 For this reason God highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow— in heaven and on earth and under the earth— 11 and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Christ could have looked out for His own interests. Instead, He became a servant. Obedient to the point of death.

However, God exalted Him.