Mark Twain once said, "I built a cage and in it I put a dog and a cat. After a little training I got the dog and the cat to the point where they lived peaceably together. Then I introduced a pig, a goat, a kangaroo, some birds, and a monkey. And after a few adjustments, they learned to live in harmony together. So encouraged was I by such successes that I added an Irish Catholic, a Presbyterian, a Jew, a Muslim from Turkestan, and a Buddhist from China, along with a Baptist missionary that I captured on the same trip. And in a very short time there wasn’t a single living thing left in the cage."
1 Therefore if there is any encouragement in Christ, if there is any consolation of love, if there is any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and compassion, 2 make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose. 3 Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; 4 do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.
MESSAGE: If you’ve gotten anything at all out of following Christ, if his love has made any difference in your life, if being in a community of the Spirit means anything to you, if you have a heart, if you care—then do me a favor: Agree with each other, love each other, be deep-spirited friends. Don’t push your way to the front; don’t sweet-talk your way to the top. Put yourself aside, and help others get ahead. Don’t be obsessed with getting your own advantage. Forget yourselves long enough to lend a helping hand.
In a church there is a surprising diversity in the congregation. We are old and young, wealthy and not-so-wealthy, from nearby and from distant locations, from different church backgrounds, and embracing a variety of views on the issues of the day. Like Baskin Robbins Baptist Church, our members come in at least 32 flavors—and the flavors change weekly.
Christians love our labels and sometimes we judge each other by the labels we wear.
Two men met on a plane and one man asked the other, " Are you a Christian?" "Yes I am." "Wonderful!". "Are you Protestant, Catholic, or Orthodox?" "I’m a Protestant." "That’s great. So am I." "Are you Calvinist or Arminian in your theology?" "I’m happy to say that I’m a staunch Calvinist." "That’s fantastic. So am I." "If you don’t mind my asking, Are you a Calvinistic Baptist or a Calvinistic Presbyterian?" "I’m a Calvinistic Baptist." "What a coincidence. I’m a Calvinistic Baptist too." " Are you a Northern Calvinistic Baptist or a Southern Calvinistic Baptist?" "By heritage and by choice I am a Northern Calvinistic Baptist." "Unbelievable! So am I." "May I ask if you are a Northern Regular Calvinistic Baptist or a Northern Conservative Calvinistic Baptist?" "I’m a Northern Conservative Calvinistic Baptist." "This is truly astounding. There are only 200 of us in the world—and two of us happened to meet on this plane." "Tell me, sir, would you happen to be a Northern Conservative Calvinistic Baptist Convention of 1844 or a Northern Conservative Calvinistic Baptist Convention of 1868?" "I am a Northern Conservative Calvinistic Baptist Convention of 1844." "This is a miracle!" "Are you a Northern Conservative Calvinistic Baptist Convention of 1844 King James Version or a Northern Conservative Calvinistic Baptist Convention of 1844 New International Version?" "I am a Northern Conservative Calvinistic Baptist of 1844 New International Version,"
With that the first man ceased to smile, turned away and refused to speak any further to that heretic.
Satan loves it when Christians split hairs. First we split hairs, then we split churches One major danger for every church is DISUNITY.
I. The Resources for Unity 1 Therefore if there is any encouragement in Christ, if there is any consolation of love, if there is any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and compassion,
The word speaks of "comfort, and cheer." The ideal is of someone standing with you to help and strengthen you. If we are to experience this help and encouragement as a group of believers, harmony is essential.
Unity is a precious gift of the Spirit. It is to be prized, to be sought, and to be guarded at all costs. When it is lost, it is hard to regain. Paul understood this truth and sensed that underneath the surface there were cracks in the church that if not repaired would fragment the congregation.
Verse 1 contains four "if" statements. Those do not express doubt. In the Greek this actually expresses a certainty—"If such-and-such is true―and I know that it is …"
Since they had been encouraged by Christ. Since they had experienced God’s love. Since they had enjoyed the fellowship of the Holy Spirit.
Paul says that in light of all that, it shouldn’t be such a great thing to ask that you maintain the unity God has given you.
II. The Requirements for Unity 2 make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose. Three-fold requirement for unity
A. The Shared Mind. The NIV speaks of "being like-minded" while Peterson says "agree with each other." Being like-minded touches what we believe. Unity begins with a shared statement of faith.
Doctrine matters. It is possible to "major on the minors" in our Churches. But it is equally possible to "minor on the majors" by de-emphasizing those Christian truths that form the foundation of our faith.
Doctrines as the existence, personality and Trinity of God, the inerrancy of Scripture, the deity of Christ, the bodily resurrection of Christ, salvation by faith alone, and the personal return of Christ. These things are non-negotiable because they have joined true Christians across the centuries.
B. The Shared Heart. Paul speaks of "having the same love." This is how we feel about each other.
T.S. Rendall said, "Love always comes to visibility." Love is an action, not just an attitude
Several years ago the Mayo Clinic performed an experiment that illustrated the value and virtue of love. They took a healthy dog that belonged to one of the medic, put him to sleep, and broke one of its legs. After resetting the bone, a cast was placed on the leg. Instructions were given that no one should show affection to the dog after he awakened. Water and food were placed nearby, but no one smiled or spoke to the dog. The dog refused to eat and drink. Gangrene set in and the dog became dangerously ill. Again, the doctors put the dog asleep, treated the affected area, and gave new orders to treat the dog kindly when it awoke. They found that when they showed affection and gave their attention to the dog that it began to improve rapidly.
C. The Shared Soul. The NIV says "being one in spirit and purpose." Peterson’s translation: "Be deep-spirited friends." This is how we relate to each other. Greek literally means "same-souled." Idea of your souls are "unanimous" in their love for each other. A. T. Robertson says "like clocks that strike at the same moment."
On any football team there are many players and many positions. The best coaches stress that the team wins together and loses together. If one player does well, everyone celebrates. If one makes a mistake, the whole team suffers together. Let the church remember that we’re all in this together. When one wins, we all win. When anyone loses, we all lose. In God’s family there are no "benchwarmers." We all have a role to play.
Matthew 18:19 reminds us of the incredible power of this kind of unity. When two or three agree on earth regarding the doing of God’s will, God says it will be done in heaven. "Agree" is the Greek word from which we get the English word "symphony." When our hearts reach deep agreement regarding God’s will, God says Amen from heaven. A united church experiences God’s power—and a divided church does not.
III. The Results of Unity 3 Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; 4 do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.
The final two verses tell us about the attitudes that both lead to unity.
New Attitude Toward Others
"Andy Griffith Show." The first episode Sheriff Taylor invited his Aunt Bea to come and live with Opie and him. Opie had a hard time accepting her. Andy tried to help the situation by taking Aunt Bea fishing and frog catching with them. Aunt Bea failed miserably. She finally deciding that is not going to work out, so she decides it is best if she leaves. The morning Andy is taking to her to the bus station, Opie runs down the stairs and says, "We can’t let her go, Pa. She needs us. She can’t catch frogs, take fish off the hook, or throw a football. We’ve got to take care of her or she will never make it."
First, no more selfish ambition. This word is sometimes translated "factions" or "strife." It speaks of a competitive spirit that destroys unity by dividing the church into groups and cliques. We divide into so many ways in the church today. Denominations, secondary doctrines, personal preferences, even ages and musical styles.
It’s not wrong to have opinions and preferences. But God will not bless you if you decide that you must have your own way at all costs.
Second, no more vain conceit. This phrase translates a word that means "arrogance." Picture a balloon full of hot air. It speaks of those people in every church who are full of empty ideas loudly spoken.
Someone has said that the mental cases most difficult to cure are those people who are crazy about themselves. There are none so empty as those who are full of themselves. Those who live for themselves are those that live in vain.
New Attitude Toward Yourself
Robert J. Ringer wrote a book, Looking Out for Number One.
It was the best-selling book in America for 46 weeks.
I wonder how well a book called Looking Out for Number Two would do?
First, true humility. The phrase "lowliness of mind" is a word that meant to grovel before someone else. Paul takes this negative word and elevates it into a Christian virtue. It means to have a proper estimate of yourself so that there is no need for self-promotion.
Someone once asked Augustine, "What is the first mark of true religion?" "Humility," he replied. "And the second mark?" "Humility." "And the third mark?" "Humility." True religion always begins and ends with humility. Unless you humble yourself before the Lord, you can never be saved. Unless you humble yourself you can never be used.
Second, new estimation of others. When Paul calls us to esteem others as better than ourselves, he uses a word that means "far surpassing." Sunday School called "ME-THIRD": Jesus first, others second, me third.
How does one develop humility? C. S. Lewis says that the first step is to admit that you are a proud person. Not easy because there is something in us that rebels at the thought of admitting that we are filled with pride. If pride caused Lucifer to fall from heaven should we be surprised that pride still lurks inside the human heart? You will begin to grow spiritually as you think less of your abilities and more of your imperfections.
Winston Churchill knew how to not think more highly of himself than he ought to think. He was once asked, "Doesnt it thrill you to know that every time you make a speech, the hall is packed to overflowing?" "It is quite flattering," replied Sir Winston. "But whenever I feel that way, I always remember that if instead of making a political speech I was being hanged, the crowd would be twice as big."
It may seem dangerous and realistic to live this way in a fallen world and to open ourselves up to being trampled on. And it seems impossible because we are constantly told to build our own self-esteem.
Dangerous, unrealistic, and impossible but it is also the Word of God. What God wants is truly impossible without God’s help. That’s why Paul exhorts us to let the mind of Christ dwell in us. Without Christ’s help we simply can’t—and won’t—live this way. But with his help all things are possible.
Will people take advantage of you? Some will―but do it anyway. Will people laugh at you? Yes, but do it anyway. Will some people use you for their own ends? Jesus lived this way—and they crucified him. Can we expect anything better?
A.W. Tozer, in his book, The Pursuit of God, tells us how to gain greater unity. "Has it ever occurred to you that one hundred pianos all tuned to the same fork are automatically tuned to each other? They are of one accord by being tuned, not to each other, but to another standard to which each one must individually bow. So one hundred worshipers [meeting] together, each one looking away to Christ, are in heart nearer to each other than they could possibly be, were they to become Îunityâ conscious and turn their eyes away from God to strive for closer fellowship."
