Sermon Tone Analysis

*Philippians VII: Moving Toward Unity*

*Philippians 2:1-4*

*/December 9, 2007/*

 

 

I’m sorry, today I’m going to start with another history lesson.

·         You forgot to groan!

This isn’t about the Philippians, but about the *early* *church*.

*A church divided*

 

Q: What are the three *main* *divisions* of Christianity?

A: Roman *Catholic*, *Orthodox*, and *Protestant*.

Q: Do you know why these groups *split* from each other?

Q: In other words, why do we have *denominations*?

By the end of the *first* *century*, the early church developed an *authority* structure of *regional* *bishops* who were *over* their *area*, but did not have authority over each other.

They *met* together for the occasional *council* to decide *theological* issues, but otherwise they were *autonomous*.

At the same time, they all considered themselves *one* *church*.

·         Of these bishops, the bishop of *Rome* held an *honored* position.

·         He was called “the *first* among *equals*.”

*The East-West Schism *

 

By the end of the *5th century* AD, this *balance* of *power* began to *fall* *apart* and the church began to have two separate groups:

 

The *Western* church, in Italy and to the west (which later became the Roman *Catholics*), and the *Eastern* Church, which came to be know as the *Orthodox* church.

They *still* considered themselves to be *one* *church*, but they became increasingly *divided* for a variety of *reasons*:

·         The Roman *Empire* began to fall *apart*, and the church no longer had a *common* *government* to hold them together.

·         They were separated by *language* (Latin in the West and Greek in the East).

·         Disagreements about *church* *practices*, such as whether or not *communion* *bread* should have *yeast* (That’s a big deal!).

·         They also disagreed about whether *priest* should *marry* – now that is a big deal!

·         The biggest *theological* *fight* was whether the *Holy* *Spirit* proceeded from the *Father*, or the *Father* and *Son*.

·         There was a huge fight over who got to *evangelize* *Bulgaria*.

But the biggest difference came down to the *chain* of *authority*.

The Catholic Church *submitted* to the *bishop* of *Rome*, now called the *Pope*, but Orthodox still saw him as “first among equals.”

*The last straws*

 

Tensions rose and fell for a good *500* *years*, until the *11th* *century*.

The *Normans*, who were part of the Catholic Church conquered some of the Greek territory and began to *force* the *Orthodox* churches to *adopt* *Catholic* practices.

In response, the primary *bishop* of the *Orthodox* Church, the Patriarch of Constantinople, told the *Catholic* churches in his territory to *adopt* *Orthodox* practices.

·         They *refused*, so he *shut* them down, and things went *downhill* from there.

The Pope, Leo the Ninth, sent a *delegation* to *mend* things, but the man he sent was *arrogant* and *hot*-*headed*.

Unfortunately, the *Patriarch* of Constantinople was *also* arrogant and hot-headed.

Not surprisingly, things did *not* go well.

·         Long story short: the meeting ended with them excommunicating each other.

This is considered the beginning of the “*Great* *Schism*” (“schism meaning “division”).

Things *might* have still been repairable, except that during the *Forth* *Crusade* (150 years later), the *Catholic* army *destroyed* Constantinople.

One ancient account:

 

For three days they *murdered*, *raped*, *looted* and *destroyed* on a scale which even the ancient Vandals...would have found unbelievable.[They]

destroyed indiscriminately, halting to refresh themselves with *wine*, *violation* of nuns, and *murder* of Orthodox [priests].

·         And all this done in the name of *God*, *brother* against *brother*.

What was it that *Jesus* said – the *world* will know that we are his *disciples* by our love, *right*?

*Sermon summery*

 

In today’s passage, Paul makes a *plea* for *unity* in the body of Christ.

Had it been *heeded*, *all* of that could have been *avoided*.

·         If *Christians* heeded it *today*, a lot of *pain* could be *avoided*.

Let turn to Philippians 2:1-5, page 831 in your pew Bibles.

Today’s sermon we will talk about what *unity is*, what it *isn’t*, and *how* to get it.

·         By the way, you will be interested to know that the *Catholic* Church and the *Orthodox* Church finally got around to *lifting* those *excommunications* – 42 years ago, last Friday (12~/7~/65).

If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose.

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.

Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.

/Philippians 2:1-4 NIV /

 

 

*Internal attacks *

 

*Last* *week*, Paul talked about how Christians should respond to *attacks* from the *outside*, but the *greatest* *damage* to the church has always comes from the *inside*, not the outside.

Q: *Statistically* speaking, do you if you are more likely to *die* from something *internal* or *external*?

You are at least *15* *times* more likely to die by *internal* *causes* than external.

·         I wonder how many *more* *christians* have been *spiritually* injured by *events* *within* the church than *attacks* *without*.

When I was back in college we were studying *Colossians* in my *Greek* class.

We got to a passage that said:

 

Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry.

/Colossians 3:5 MIV/

 

The main *emphasis* is on “*Greed*” because Paul singles it out for further explanation.

Our professor, Mark Duzik said that he though that “greed” was a reference to a *lust* for *power*.

We said it seemed strange that Paul put more emphasis on that then on *sexual* *immorality*.

Then he said, “That because you’re *not* *married* and all you can think about is *not* *having* *sex*.

We laughed nervously, and he, “I‘m serious.

Sexual *immorality* certainly is *damaging*, but it’s nothing compared to the damage caused by *power* *struggles* and *disunity* in the church.”

·         Based on our little *history* *lesson*, I think he was *right*.

*Make my joy complete*

 

In verse 2, Paul says, “Make my joy complete...” which is a very mild rebuke.

Things are going reasonably well in Philippi, but Paul’s biggest *concern* is a *lack* of *unity*.

First, he reminds us of the *benefits* that we have as *Christians*:

 

1.

If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ – both in the sense of being *encouraged* by Christ and being *pushed*, encouraged to grow.

 

2.

If any comfort from his love – *solace* in the *hard* *times*.

3.

If any fellowship with the Spirit – the *indwelling* of the Spirit that each of us received at salvation.

4.

If any tenderness – God’s *affection* for us (“bowels”).

 

5.

If any compassion – *mercy*, *pity*, not getting *punishment* we deserve.

*Shared benefits*

 

These are all things that we have *received* from *God*, which we should in turn *give* to *each* *other*:

 

·         Since God is *merciful* to us, we must be *merciful* to others.

·         Since Christ has *comforted* us, we should *comfort* others.

·         Since we have *fellowship* with the Sprit, we should bring others *into* *fellowship*.

In the *light* of all God has done in us, Paul call us to unity, by saying “be like-minded.”

And the passage gives us *four* *changes* we need to make to *grow* in *unity*.

*/1.

Move from discord to harmony/*

 

...by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose.

/Philippians 2:2 NIV /

 

Unity requires the *shared* *love* of God that we all hold in common and a *shared* *purpose*.

When Paul says “be *like*-*minded*,” it could be translated as “be in *harmony*.”

·         Think of *symphony*, many different *instruments*, each with their *own* *part*, playing together under a *conductor*, in harmony.

*Unity* does not mean *uniformity*.

Like-minded doesn’t mean we have to *be* the *same*.

Paul uses the *body* as an analogy for the church – many *different* *parts* working together for the *same* *goal*.

·         It *doesn’t* mean we *agree* on everything or always *get* *along*.

Q: What’s the only conflict-free gathering of people?

A: A cemetery!

That’s the only place you will find that many people that close together not fighting!