Paul’s Thesis:
Let me give you five reasons you should express humility and pursue unity.
Why Should I Express Humility and Pursue Unity?
REASON #1: I AM ENCOURAGED BY CHRIST’S PRESENCE.
Paul asks these Philippians a rhetorical question that does not need an answer. He asks, "Do you have consolation in Christ?" The obvious answer is yes. Because I am a Christian I have Christ encouraging me when I’m down and bringing me close to him in intimacy and closeness.
What does that mean; "If there be any consolation in Christ"?
The word Paul uses here that is translated "consolation" is the greek word paraklesis and it means ’to call to one’s side, to bring near, to encourage and comfort’.
I remember one time, when I was around 10 years old. I went to summer camp with my church for the first time. This was the longest I had been away from home. I remember the first few nights being so homesick. I cried for my mom and dad. I missed them so much and all I wanted to do was see them and have them come and get me.
I’ll never forget the camp counselor who literally poured courage into my little heart. He said, "Hey, why don’t we go sit outside and talk about it." I sat down with him and he listened as I shared how homesick I was. Then he shared love and compassion with me. He told me I could make it. He told me I could do it. And his presence brought courage back into me. At the very least, it helped me get through the nights there.
That’s usually when I became homesick. During the day, when I was busy with activities I wasn’t thinking about home and wasn’t bothered with homesickness. But when it came time to sleep in the bunks, at night, I lay there in my sleeping bag and became aware of my loneliness.
This is what Christ’s presence does for us. He comes to us, puts His arm around us and says, "Let’s sit and talk awhile." He encourages us to keep going, to be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord and not to grow weary in well doing.
Paul says, "This is why you should express humility, because Christ expresses humility to come and encourage you."
You know, I thought about that counselor, Rock Rioseco. He was cuban, handsome and very tall. He was studying for ministry. I was a little chump kid. I hadn’t even hit puberty yet. He didn’t have to take his time, sit down with me and spend time encouraging me. For him to stop and focus on me, one of his campers, was an expression of humility. He humbled himself and came near to me and gave me his presence, his friendship, his time. And Jesus does the same for you and me.
Jesus expresses humility by coming down to our level and giving us his divine time. The first reason I should express humility in my relationships and take time to pursue unity is because Jesus does the same for me.
How does Christ encourage me?
1. He supports me when others desert me.
"At my first defense, no one came to my support, but everyone deserted me. May it not be held against them. But the Lord stood at my side and gave me strength, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. And I was delivered from the lion’s mouth. The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and will bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom. To him be glory for ever and ever. Amen." - 2 Timothy 4:16-18 (TNIV)
2. He supplies me when others forget me.
"Yet I considered it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, my brother, fellow worker, and fellow soldier, but your messenger and the one who ministered to my need; since he was longing for you all, and was distressed because you had heard that he was sick. For indeed he was sick almost unto death; but God had mercy on him, and not only on him but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow. Therefore I sent him the more eagerly, that when you see him again you may rejoice, and I may be less sorrowful. Receive him therefore in the Lord with all gladness, and hold such men in esteem; because for the work of Christ he came close to death, not regarding his life, to supply what was lacking in your service toward me." - Philippians 2:25-30 (NKJV)
When you begin to see Christ as the sole source of your encouragement, then you are able to reach out to others and express humility and work toward unity.
REASON #2: I AM MOTIVATED BY CHRIST’S LOVE.
The second reason Paul gives for why we should express humility in our relationships is that we are controlled by Christ’s love.
Now in our Bibles it’s translated "comforted" or "consoled".
Paul uses a word here that is interesting. It’s paramutheon, which means "a persuasive address." It seems like Paul is asking, "Are you persuaded by Christ’s love?" Are you convinced by His love?
It seems to be that Paul is saying that love, which we receive from Jesus Himself, is the second reason why each of us should purue unity by expressing humilty.
Where do we find the motivation to reach out to each other and work toward unity? What is it that motivates us to do that?
Let’s take our families for example. Sometimes, when a person is involved in a conflict with another family member, that person finds it hard to find the motivation to try to patch things up.
They may not feel like working things out. And so they have to find something to motivate them to move back into the relationship and begin healing it.
Where do we find that motivation? Well, we find it in the love we experience in our own relationship with Christ.
As we are loved by Jesus, as Jesus loves us, we are then able to express that same love to others.
"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples if you have love for one another." - John 13:34-35 (NKJV)
"What would most people say if they were asked, "What pops into your mind when you hear the word Christian?" What do you think most people would say? Legalistic? Judgemental? Intolerant? I am convinced that way too few of them would say, "The word that pops into my mind is love."
Yet love is precisely what we are to be known for. Even outsiders know the "inside" secret that love is to be the primary characteristic of our lives. Our Lord Jesus said, "By this all men will know that you are my disciples if you have love for one another." We are known for our positions on moral and ethical issues. We are known for being out-of-touch with today’s world. We are known for being "holier-than-thou." But how many people know us by our love?" - Rick Duncan, Pastor
REASON #3: I AM CONNECTED WITH CHRIST’S SPIRIT.
Paul moves on to give us his third reason for expressing humility in the pursuit of unity. It is that I am connected with Christ’s Spirit.
Paul’s word choice is koinonia, which means a fellowship or companionship between two people.
Let me ask you a question. Under what circumstances is this true? Under what circumstances is it true that I am connected with Christ’s Spirit?
7 Where can I go from Your Spirit?
Or where can I flee from Your presence?
8 If I ascend into heaven, You are there;
If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there.
9 If I take the wings of the morning,
And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,
10 Even there Your hand shall lead me,
And Your right hand shall hold me.
11 If I say, “Surely the darkness shall fall on me,”
Even the night shall be light about me;
12 Indeed, the darkness shall not hide from You,
But the night shines as the day;
The darkness and the light are both alike to You. - Psalm 139:7-12 (NKJV)
"If you love Me, keep My commandments. And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever -- the Spirit of Truth..." - John 14:15-17a (NKJV)
So from these two passages we learn that there’s no place God’s Spirit cannot go and there is no time God’s Spirit isn’t with you, when you are a follower of Christ.
Now notice that in John 14 we see the Holy Trinity. The Father is in John 14, The Son is speaking, and The Spirit is being promised to all those who believe and trust Christ.
Here you have the Holy Trinity, Three persons in one.
Now as I read these next few verses I want you to think about the Trinity; God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. They all dwell together. How do they live together?
Paul says,"2 fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. 3 Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. 4 Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others."
The Trinity perfectly lives out what Paul writes about. Paul tells the Philippians, I want you to be like-minded, have the same love, be of one accord and of one mind.
What does Paul mean here? Well, look at the Trinity. Look at how God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit handle their relationships with each other.
Paul says, "Be like-minded". What does it mean to be "like-minded"? The word is froneo and means "having the same understanding. setting one’s mind in a direction."
Being like-minded, I believe, has to do with what we are committed to. What am I committed to? What direction am I committed to?
When Paul says, "Be like-minded" he says "I want your mind to be heading in the same direction." He wanted their minds to be focusing on the same things.
I think it has to do with being committed to the same mental direction.
This is not easy, it takes work. It requires us to express humility. Take Jesus for example. God the Father had told him to go to earth and die for the sins of humanity. But Jesus, at one point, struggled with this direction. There was a moment when jesus was tempted to not be like-minded with his Father.
In the Garden of Gethsamane Jesus humbled himself and expressed his humility this way, "Father, if it is your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but yours, be done." - Luke 22:44 (NKJV)
To stay like-minded is hard. You have to often go against your feelings. Everything Jesus was feeling was going against what His Father wanted Him to do. But Jesus exercised mind over feelings, and stayed like-minded with His own Father.
Now, the difference between the Trinity and us, is that with the Trinity, Unity is Guaranteed. With us, it’s not.
The word Paul uses translated like-minded, is written in the present tense and in what we call the subjunctive mood.
In Greek, the subjunctive mood is the mood of possibility or potential. The action described may or may not occur depending on circumstances.
What Paul is implying is that this passage is no guarantee of unity. You can’t absolutely guarantee that you and other people will be able to be like-minded all the time like the Trinity is. But Paul is letting us know, it’s possible. If Jesus, in His humanness, could struggle to overcome his own desire to avoid His Father’s plan, then you and I can potentially do the same.
What Paul is giving us is a way to remain Godly but he is not giving us a guarantee by any means. You cannot control the reactions of other people, you can only control what you do. And you can be godly no matter what other people are doing.
So, the third reason I can express humilty is because I am connected with Christ’s Spirit.
REASON #4: I AM SOFTENED BY CHRIST’S TENDERNESS.
What is another way I can say this? Restate it.
What does that mean? Explain it.
Under what circumstances is this true? Prove it.
So, what? What difference does this make? Apply it.
How does possessing this gift help make me humble and able to pursue unity? Apply it.
REASON #5: I AM RECEIVING CHRIST’S MERCY.
What is another way I can say this? Restate it.
What does that mean? Explain it.
Under what circumstances is this true? Prove it.
So, what? What difference does this make? Apply it.
How does possessing this gift help make me humble and able to pursue unity? Apply it.
