If…Then Sept. 6, 2009
‘If’ is a short, two-letter word that can carry very powerful meaning. If I had a million dollars, then I would be happy. I need to lose weight…if only I had the time to exercise. If only I had taken that other job, I wouldn’t be where I am today. If someone would ask me, then I would help them. I would do anything God asked me to do…if I could only hear His voice. I would be a better person if only…
What ‘if’s’ do we have in our lives that we think about, or even dwell upon at times? What would we do when those answers were realized? Would we really be any different? What then?
Today we’re going to look at some ‘if-then’ scenarios in the 2nd chapter of Philippians.
Philippians 2:1-4 (New International Version)
Imitating Christ’s Humility
1If 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, 2then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. 3Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. 4Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.
• Encouragement from being united with Christ.
I think we all like to be encouraged when we take on some kind of task, right. Whether we are young or old, it feels good to know that someone is supporting us in what we are trying to do. By encouraging others, we can give them the boost that they need to feel confident in what they are trying to accomplish. Young toddlers, with the encouragement of their parents, take their fist steps…you can do it! Children at a track meet perhaps run a little faster when they hear their friends cheering them on…go, go, go! Students working on final exams are encouraged to hear others tell them that they have worked hard all year, they know the material…they’ll do just great! And people taking on new ministries in the church feel the support when someone pats them on the back and lets them know they are in the right place, using their God-given talents to bless others…and they do great things for God.
1 Thessalonians 5:11 tells us ‘encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.’ It is good to encourage each other, it helps us to grow together and accomplish things together.
But something that should give us a real confidence boost is realizing that we are part of not just a team of fellow believers, though that is great! We are united with Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God, and we have eternal life through Him, and He is with us in everything that we do… THAT is encouraging. Do you have ANY encouragement in that?
• Comfort from his love
Once during Queen Victoria’s reign, she heard that the wife of a common labourer had lost her baby. Having experienced deep sorrow herself, she felt moved to express her sympathy. So she called on the bereaved woman one day and spent some time with her. After she left, the neighbours asked what the queen had said. "Nothing," replied the grieving mother. "She simply put her hands on mine, and we silently wept together."
Sometimes it’s not what we say or do, it’s just being there for someone that gives them comfort in a difficult situation. But that simple action of ‘being there’ is a powerful testament of what love is all about. Love is not a feeling, it is an action. And we are most comforted when we know someone genuinely cares enough to do something to help us during our trying times. Whether it’s a letter or card we send in the mail, a phone call, a visit, or simply taking the time to pray, all these are comforts to others who need that support. And God comforts us…
II Cor. 1:3-4 “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.”
• Fellowship with the Spirit
Fellowship=a sharing of common interests, goals, experiences, or views. When God has come into our lives, it comes with change. Change from living for ourselves and the things we want to living for God and the things that He wants. Being in fellowship with the Spirit means that we are bonded to Him and to His purposes. Our interests, our goals, our view of others, and yes our experiences will be different if the Spirit of God is within us. We must give up on the idea of controlling everything in our lives ourselves and allow the Spirit to work in and through us. In Galatians we read this: 16So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. 17For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want.
We must learn to want what the Spirit wants, and be willing to do that, even if it means doing things we may be uncomfortable doing, or have some level of fear of…because these things are for God and the building of is Kingdom, they are worth it, right? Do you have ANY fellowship with the Spirit?
• What about any Tenderness & Compassion?
A soft spirit and a kind heart are wonderful things. Things that one would expect are part of a person’s character. But I have met some folks who don’t seem to care about anyone but themselves and only ever seem to think about themselves…especially some drivers out there!
As Christ-followers though, we ought to have at LEAST some tenderness and compassion towards others. And I feel that it should be something that becomes more and more a part of who we are and how we conduct ourselves each and every day.
Think about how someone would react to a professed ‘Christian’ having no feelings for others hurts and sorrows, who couldn’t care less if someone they knew did not have anyone else to tell them about the Good News of Jesus Christ, who only thought of themselves and how they fared through this life…how sad and pitiful that would be; a Christian who didn’t care, it would almost be impossible, or would it? How much tenderness and compassion have we shown to others lately?
Paul asks us these ‘if’ questions with a simple yet small caveat for each of them. If we have ANY of these things…we don’t have to have them completely or in their entirety…just ANY. Any encouragement, any comfort, any fellowship, any tenderness and compassion…If we have ANY of these, THEN…
‘If’ almost always can be followed by ‘then’. If you do this…then that will happen. If you hit your thumb with a hammer, then you will experience pain. If you are this tall…then you can go on this ride. If you commit a crime, then you can expect to be punished. One of my favourite verses: 2 Chronicles 7:14 if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land. (New International Version)
Paul writes this as an ‘if/then’ scenario. If we have any of these things in our lives…then, just to make him happy (and God too), we should see some of the following results in our lives:
• Like-minded: we shouldn’t fuss over a bunch of little inconsequential things, but instead we should have the mind. 2 Corinthians talks a bunch about our minds…but what stands out to me when I read it is this: I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought. If we are like-minded, it will keep us on the same track, not ending up fighting amongst ourselves and having divisions in the church. Let’s simply follow where God is leading us by His Word.
• Same love. What love? The same love that God has for us. It’s unconditional, it is all encompassing. It will go to the greatest lengths to reach us…will we do the same for each other, and for those who are outside the church?
• One in spirit and purpose. We sing that song, we are one in the spirit we are one in the Lord. But do we really mean it? If we are ‘one’ then we must act as one, with common goals and purposes. If we try and go in a hundred different directions, with no goal in mind, how will we ever accomplish anything? But if we focus ourselves, focus our gifts and talents, if we focus our purposes…we can accomplish great things for God.
If we do these things, Paul says his joy will be complete. He’s happy already with this church in Philippi, but if they can add these things to their toolbox…he would be perfectly pleased! And I believe that if we as the church today can work together with a common purpose, we will be happy, God will be happy, and this community will be changed for God’s glory!
And that is vitally important. It is for God’s glory, not ours that we should try to do anything in His name. Shame on me and shame on us if we try to make a name for ourselves and desire to get the glory ourselves in anything that we do. That is vain conceit…oh, look what we did…look at us, look at us. I just can’t get enough of me, I’m so goooood...
No, we are to look at OTHERS as better than ourselves. We must be humble, not haughty; considerate, not conceited. Yes, we have to look after ourselves and our families, it would be awful not to. BUT, we cannot forget that there are a lot more people outside of the church than are in the church today. A recent Gallup poll suggests that less than 28% of British Columbians attended ANY kind of place of worship (church/synagogue/other place of worship) in a 7 day period. That leaves 72% of people who do not attend ANY place of worship on a regular basis. That’s a lot of people. Are we interested in their eternal destination? Are we concerned for those who do not have a relationship with God, who do not have unity with Christ, who do not know the comfort from His love, or have fellowship with the Spirit of God, who have not experienced the tenderness and compassion of what it’s like to live your life for Jesus? Are we concerned more about ourselves than for them?
I would hope that you and I can make a difference in one or more people’s lives. By sharing what God has done for us, and what He can do for others. How our lived have changed could lead others to have their lives changed too. Are we willing to do that?
