Mark #8: Uncommon Sacrifice Series

Ten Marks of a Prevailing Church

Mark #8: Uncommon Sacrifice

Philippians 2:1-17

August 12, 2001

Intro:

A. [Will You Wash My Dishes?]

Sometimes we get a distorted idea about what love is.

One night, a man decided to show his wife how much he loved her.

After dinner he began to recite romantic poetry, telling her he would climb high mountains to be near her, swim wide oceans, cross deserts in the burning heat of day, and even sit at her window and sing love songs to her in the moonlight.

After listening to him go on for some time about this immense love he had, she ended the conversation when she asked, "But will you do the dishes for me?"

B. Today as we continue our series on the marks of a prevailing church, we come to Mark #8: Uncommon Sacrifice.

1. I’m afraid that we talk a lot about the sacrifices we are willing to make for God and others and rarely actually do anything for anyone.

2. But if the church is to prevail against the gates of hell, then we must be a people of sacrifice.

3. Not willing to just ask, "How much do I have to do?" but "How much can I do?"

4. When we think about sacrifice, one of the first passages of Scripture to come to mind is Philippians 2 where the apostle Paul talks about our minds in relation to sacrifice; first…

I. To sacrifice is to be like-minded

Philippians 2:1-2, 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, 2 then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose.

A. Now I realize that being like-minded may not seem to be what you would think of as being a sacrifice, but I assure you that being like-minded is very much of a sacrifice!

1. Paul was encouraging the people in the city of Philippi to be like-minded to have the same love, to be one in spirit, and to be one in purpose.

2. In order for that to happen, everyone does indeed need to be like-minded.

3. Paul says that we need to agree with one another.

4. Now why would we need to do that?

5. Well, Paul also wrote in Ephesians 4:4 that there is only one Spirit.

6. He meant that there is only one HOLY Spirit; there are of course other spirits that work for the other side.

7. Whenever brothers and sisters in Christ are not like-minded—there is more than one spirit—which means that one or more of those spirits is not the HS.

8. Whenever brothers and sisters in Christ don’t have the same love, there is more than one spirit.

9. Whenever brothers and sisters in Christ don’t have the same purpose, there is more than one spirit.

10. That’s why it is so important that we talk and fellowship and pray together in order to become like-minded.

11. We talk and fellowship and pray together in order to be like-minded, to have the same love, to be one in spirit, and to be one in purpose.

B. Are we like-minded?

1. Do we speak as one for the Kingdom of God?

2. Are we all like-minded?

3. Do we all have the same love?

4. Are we all one in spirit?

5. Are we really one in purpose?

6. Do we agree with each other about the best ways for Somerset to share the love of God with those around us?

7. Are we even in agreement that that should be our purpose?

8. I wonder sometimes.

9. When I hear negative, critical talk about a church member or a church leader—I wonder.

10. When I see people who still aren’t making an effort to get to know others—I wonder.

11. When I see a lack of workers to get things done—I wonder.

C. Now do you see what a sacrifice it is to be like-minded?

1. Do you see what a sacrifice it is to be one in spirit?

2. Do you see what a sacrifice it is to have the same love?

3. Do you see what a sacrifice it is to have the same purpose?

4. It takes time and effort to get to know others in the church.

5. It takes time and effort to find out where we disagree.

6. It takes time and effort to find ways to agree.

7. It takes time and effort to fellowship.

8. It takes time and effort to pray together.

9. It takes time and effort to come together as a team to work together to further God’s kingdom.

10. Being like-minded is a lot of work.