Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness. And being found in human form, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death — even death on a cross. Therefore God also highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Philippians 2:5 - 11 (NRSVA)
Confirmation for me will always carry pictures of balloons being batted back and forth in an impromptu “volleyball” game, and potato chips disappearing like they’re being sucked down by a vacuum cleaner (or 12 of them to be precise). Amid the times of fun there were times of learning about our faith.
For our confirmands, today marks the end of theory and the beginning of walking as co-laborers with Christ as responsible members of this church. In fact, ladies and gentleman, you graduate from “being-served” to being servants. You are no longer to be thought of as “tomorrow’s church;” your tomorrow is here. You are now beginning to create what this church will be in the future. This church is becoming what it will be, and, increasingly so, you will determine what it will be to the rest of the world – for good or bad.
The very best place to be is in a church that is unified and handling well the threats to unity. The very worst is a church that is splintered and fractioned, getting worse each year. Talk about extremes! A unified church is a healthy, risk-taking place, where people care deeply, but are also caring. In a splintered church, factions center on personal preferences, rather than ministry. And you are making it one or the other!
Paul wrote to the Philippian believers, specifically requesting they be unified in their relationships and purpose. Paul wrote to humans; so he knew there would be threats to unity. Common sense tells us that where there is good, evil will eventually show-up and there will be a collision.
Throughout the last two thousand years churches have had only one main problem – disunity!
God speaks to us today through the apostle’s plea – to remain in God’s will you must be in unity. Our question, of course is, how in the world can we do that? The answer to unity isn’t easy, but it can be easily stated:
Be Christ-like!
It’s hardly enough to say “be Christ-like” and leave it at that. We need to know: what constitutes Christ likeness; how do you do it; what does it look like when you’ve got it?
Reasonable and serious followers of Christ want to know how to stay unified in a world where so much pulls at our relationships. Paul unpacks for us the ingredients and recipe for Christ-like unity:
1. Communion
1If then there is any encouragement in Christ, any consolation from love, any sharing in the Spirit…. Philippians 2:1a
It is impossible to ACT like Christ if you do not WALK WITH Christ! This above all things could solve the problems of churches around the world in any age. Believers who get away from a close walk with the Master cannot reproduce Christ likeness in the flesh. Paul said that the encouragement (strength) of the Philippian church was from being united in Christ.
Belonging to Christ daily will produce a natural "belongingness" with each other that transcends our sinful nature like a trump card. We may be sinful and imperfect, but as we stay close to Jesus, He works His perfect work in us to help us be in communion with one another.
The spiritual principle is that it is when you are in genuine fellowship with Christ your fellowship with anyone for whom Christ died will get better because of His humility changing your ways and attitude.
2. Compassion
…any compassion and sympathy Philippians 2:1b
Compassion and sympathy are the same word in Greek. They are from the root word which in English is "spleen." That little organ helps purify your blood. It is located in the visceral area, and the ancient Greeks thought of it as the center or seat of emotion. After all, when you get upset, the first place you’re liable to feel bad is the mid-section.
I ate some dinner on the run from a fast food place Wednesday night before our Cradle to the Cross rehearsal. My mid-section didn’t stop complaining until about 4am Thursday morning. It has an effect on you!
Christian compassion is a matter of being vulnerable enough with each other and the needs of lost people, so that we are moved viscerally and volitionally to do something about those needs. Our methods may conflict at times, but our goal will always keep us united.
In 1988 the USS Vincennes shot-down an Iranian airliner with 290 people aboard. It was a mistake. Public opinion polls showed most Americans were opposed to giving compensation to the families of the victims. The cruel treatment of American hostages was still fresh in our minds. But then President Reagan approved the compensation. He was asked by reporters if such payment could send the wrong signal. He said, "I don’t ever find compassion a bad precedent."
You cannot be Christ like without compassion. Remember, it was God standing there looking out over Jerusalem, weeping over the people who’d disowned Him throughout the ages.
3. Cooperation
make my joy complete: be of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Philippians 2:2
One in spirit and purpose. Have you ever heard how they act in Japanese factories? At shift changes the oncoming workers are cheered by the ones finishing their time. They get together and sing the company song. It is done as a symbol of their singleness of purpose - the cooperation of people engaged in a task with a common goal.
When I think of cooperation my mind always flashes to the scene where the men are attempting to move the piano. They’re in the middle of the staircase. The man on the bottom yells to the man on top, "Hey, put a little muscle to this thing - we’ll never get it up these stairs." Says the little guy on top, "UP?"
It is critical for us to be on the same page if we will be the kind of church Christ calls us to be. Christ likeness demands that we check-in with the head of the church, Jesus.
4. Consideration
3Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves. 4Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others. Philippians 2:3-4
There are a few things that need to come to an end in any church that wishes to be Christ like; one of those things is SELFISHNESS!
In every fellowship there are those who wish to be prominent, petted and pacified. When the Roman governor Ambrose was nominated to be bishop he felt so unworthy to be given such an honor he ran and hid for days. It took the intervention of the emperor to even get Ambrose to consider. Today his writings give us invaluable insight into the early church’s history.
The word "humility" comes from two words, "dust" and "midriff." You get the drift? You can’t call yourself humble unless you’re willing to crawl through the dust "...for the least of these my brethren."
To "look to the interests of others" doesn’t mean we ought to be nosy busybodies. It means we ought to see the needs of others and press forward with actions that will be meaningful in meeting those needs.
5. Cross-Bearing
5Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus, 6who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, 7but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness. And being found in human form,8he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death— even death on a cross. Philippians 2:5-8
Paul reminds the church that the man who died on Calvary wasn’t like any other man. HE was God! It says He "made himself nothing." The KJV uses "emptied." The picture is one of sacrifice. In the temple a sacrifice of an animal was made for sin. The blood and water were poured on the altar - an emptying. God was in one form in heaven. Like a glass contains water and can be emptied, so God poured Himself into the form of a man and died for us.
W. E. Orchard said, "It may take a crucified church to take a crucified Christ before the eyes of the world." If a church is to be Christ like (and therefore unified) it will be through cross-bearing.
• Our comfortable seats in our air-conditioned auditoriums are not cross-bearing.
• Paying our tithes is not cross-bearing.
• Serving on committees, workdays and kitchens aren’t cross-bearing.
Cross-bearing is dying for others. Do you have the Christ likeness to give yourself up for poor people in our county? How about people of different skin color? What about the unchurched and uncaring? What about the dirty street people? Beloved, this is a far cry from whether or not we will fry chicken for Homecoming this year! But, it leads to
6. Crown-Wearing
9 Therefore God also highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name, 10so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Philippians 2:9-11
Paul uses a play on the sound of words in verse 8 and 9. The words "humbled" and "obedient" come from the same root; while "exalted" sounds just like them. There is a definite and proportionate relationship to these. The principle is as follows:
YOU WILL BE LIFTED BY CHRIST IN HEAVEN TO THE SAME DEGREE YOU HAVE LIFTED HIM HERE ON EARTH.
Don’t forget that the spiritual far outweighs the material or natural. In the spiritual realm, things are always reversed from the way they were in the natural. That which was high will be made low. The first shall be last.
The rich, self-indulgent man went to Hades, the poor beggar Lazarus went to Heaven. And "...whosoever will save his life shall lose it; and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it." (Mt 16.25)
Christ likeness is the goal. If friends, or a family, church, or even a nation would be unified, enjoying genuine fellowship, then Christ like is what we seek.
A.J. Gordon wrote: "Two little saplings grew up side by side. Through the action of the wind they crossed each other. By and by each became wounded by the friction. The sap began to mingle until one calm day they became attached. Then the stronger began to absorb the weaker. It became larger and larger, while the other withered and declined till it finally dropped away and disappeared. And now there are two trunks at the bottom and only one farther up. Death has taken away the one; life has triumphed in the other."
This is unity, where the spirit of Christ has taken over.
