Be Likeminded One with Another
Message 3 in “One Anothers” series
Chuck Sligh
September 22, 2013
TEXT: Philippians 2:2 – “Fulfill ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.”
INTRODUCTION
We are in a series on the “One Another” commands and teachings in the New Testament, instruction that helps a church function in peace and harmony.
• First we saw that we are “members of one another” and as such, we all have a function and a role in the body of Christ and in a local church body, so we should get on with it!
• Second, we saw that we are to “love one another” and that means not simply talking or singing about it, but actually showing love in tangible, real ways through ACTION.
Our text today tells us that we should be “likeminded with one another.”
One of Satan’s primary strategies to combat the effectiveness of local churches involves creating disunity and discord among its members.
Illus. – I’ve heard of churches splitting over the most ridiculous, trivial things.
• I once read about a church that split over whether to use Charmin or White Cloud toilet paper in the bathrooms. (Now there’s a tissue…I mean issue…for the ages!)
• Another church split over whether to use 75 watt or 100 watt light bulbs in the church during the Energy Crisis back in the 1970’s.
Someone has accurately said, “To live above with those we love, oh, that will be Glory. To live below with those we know, now that’s another story.”
One thing that strikes me about the New Testament is that it doesn’t hide the fact that there were problems in the early church. Yes, in the book of Acts, we read of one advancement after another. Yet hand-in-hand with advancement and victories, there was also CONFLICT:
• In chapter 6, there was discord over perceived unfair treatment of minorities and neglect of the widows. – This led to the selection of the first deacons.
• In chapter 9 we read of dissension over allowing the new convert Paul (who had previously been a persecutor of the church) to minister in the church.
• Acts 11 tells of disunity over Peter winning a gentile to Christ.
• And in chapter 15 we’re told of doctrinal disagreement and a personal clash between Paul and Barnabas over Barnabas’s nephew, John Mark.
The key thing to see is that disagreements and problems WILL arise in a church. The question is first: are these problems dealt with and resolved? and second: HOW are they dealt with and resolved?
It’s vitally important that God’s people seek to live together in unity and accord. Discord and disunity will turn the lost away from Christ.
Jesus prayed in John 17:21 – “…that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.” What will help the lost to believe that God sent Christ?—Harmony among God’s people.
So—how can we have unity at Grace Baptist Church? Let me share three steps to being likeminded, or in one accord, in Grace Baptist Church:
I. NUMBER 1, REALIZE THAT THERE CAN BE NO TRUE UNITY WITHOUT AGREEMENT ON BASIC DOCTRINE.
Biblical unity is first based on the basis of agreement on the key doctrines of the faith. If you believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, you obviously cannot have unity with someone who denies that central, cardinal, distinctive truth of Christianity.
It may come as a surprise to you that the word “unity” is only found three times in the New Testament, and in TWO of those—both of which are in Ephesians 4—Paul was talking talking about unity concerning DOCTRINE.
Amos asked, “Can two walk together, except they be agreed?” (Amos 3:3), to which the obvious answer is NO. There must be agreement on basic doctrine before there can be true unity in a church.
II. THE SECOND STEP TO BEING LIKEMINDED IS THIS: WHEN SOMEONE COMMITS A PERSONAL TRESPASS AGAINST YOU, FOLLOW GOD’S ORDAINED STEPS OF MATTHEW 18:15-17.
What I’m about to share with you is one of the most important truths for a local church to hear, so listen very carefully.
When someone in a church offends you, generally speaking, God wants you to quickly forgive and let it go, and not be prickly and sensitive. The writer of Proverbs says, “He who covers a transgression seeks love; but he who repeats a matter separates very friends.” (Proverbs 17:9)
What sometimes happens when someone says or does something that offends us is that we don’t just let it go, but we go and gossip to someone about it. Folks, that’s just plain sin! If you can, just let it go and forgive-and-forget and go on as love demands. There are just too many really important things to be concerned about than to nurse personal offences.
1 Peter 4:8 says, “And above all things have fervent charity [“charity” is the word translated by the KJV translators for the Greek word agape, which means “selfless love”] among yourselves: for charity [that is, agape, or “selfless love”] shall cover the multitude of sins.”
But if someone has unjustly treated you, or you feel that it will impact your testimony in some way or it has implications that could go further than your personal feelings, Jesus taught us four steps to follow (EXPAND EACH AS LED):
1) STEP NUMBER 1 is private consultation and admonishment – Matthew 18:15 – “Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother.”
Notice the words, “Tell him his fault between you and him ALONE.” To get on the phone and tell your friends what someone did—that is, to gossip—is the opposite of what Jesus teaches, no matter how bad the offense. Jesus says, “Go and work things out between you and that person alone.”
So gossiping is a SIN, and it’s destructive and it’s not acting in fervent love.
2) STEP NUMBER 2 is consultation with one or two witnesses – Matthew 18:16 – “But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.”
Normally, two believers can come to a loving solution of forgiveness or restoration, but sometimes not. So Jesus says to go with one or two witnesses so every word can be established.
Based on Paul’s teaching about confronting a believer in sin in Galatians 6:1, these witnesses should be spiritual people, not just people who’ll take your side.
99.9 percent of the time, problems will be resolved in such a meeting, for when one or two spiritual witnesses are present, they can give counsel and weigh the various views, and often suggest ways to reconcile.
3) STEP NUMBER 3 –is to tell it to the church – Matthew 18:17 – “And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church:…” – If the witnesses feel that there is a major unresolvable sin involved needing church discipline, then the matter is taken to the church body to deliberate on the matter and for the church body to collectively pray for and counsel the offender to deal with the matter.
4) STEP NUMBER 4 is exclusion from church membership – Matthew 18:17 – “And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican.”
This step is rare if a church body meticulously follows the previous three steps. In my twenty-seven years as a senior pastor, we were able to resolve all offenses in the first two steps. You see, when you follow God’s principles, they work!
By the way, these principles apply on the job and in family relationships too. If you have a conflict on the job, the best thing is to go to that person alone and try to resolve it before escalating up the chain of command. Even the military understands something Jesus taught over 2000 years ago!
God help us to follow God’s ways in dealing with offenses and personal trespasses.
III. THE THIRD STEP TO BE LIKEMINDED IS TO ATTACK THE ROOT CAUSE OF DISSENSION—CARNALITY. – Turn with me to 1 Corinthians 3:3 – “For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?”
The word “carnal,” when used of believers, means being ruled by our selfish natures instead of being ruled by the Holy Spirit, God’s Word and the principle of love.
WHEREVER there’s strife, you can count on it—you’ll find one or more self-serving, selfish, carnal people—and THAT destroys unity in a church.
Look with me at James 4:1 – “From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts [meaning carnal, unspiritual desires here] that war in your members?” So where does strife and dissension come from?—From people’s carnal, selfish, desires; from people wanting THEIR way and having their own agendas. So Christian, if you want to maintain unity in the body, you have to attack the root cause of dissension: carnality—your selfish nature.
And the only way to do that is to live a Spirit-filled life, which is the opposite of carnality. Being “Spirit-filled” is not some spooky experience that will make you swing from the chandeliers or speak in an unknown tongue. To be Spirit-filled simply means to be CONTROLLED by the Holy Spirit.
Now, how do you live a Spirit-controlled life?—Turn with me to Ephesians 4: In Ephesians 5:18 Paul commanded, “And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit.”
In the rest of the chapter and in chapter 6, Paul tells us what the OUTWARD EVIDENCES of a Spirit-filled life are. But back in chapter 4 of Ephesians, Paul tells us the kind of life that LEADS to the Spirit-filled life—that ENGENDERS being controlled by the Holy Spirit. There are many things to look at, but I want to concentrate on those things relating to Spirit-filled living in our PEOPLE-RELATIONSHIPS. Do THESE and they’ll keep you from disrupting the unity of the Spirit the Lord wants to have in a church that is “likeminded one with another.”
Let’s look at them:
1) First, Spirit-filled living means GETTING CONTROL OF YOUR TONGUE – Ephesians 4:29 – “Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.”
Most problems in a church start with loose tongues.
Illus. – In World War II signs were posted to keep intelligence from falling into the wrong hands that said, “Loose Lips Sink Ships.”
Well, that’s not the only thing loose lips sink—They can sink a person’s SELF-CONFIDENCE; they can sink a person’s INITIATIVE; they can sink a person’s MOTIVATION. Loose lips can hurt, damage, destroy.
Paul says, “let NO corrupt communication come out of your mouth.”
What is “corrupt communication?” Well, it covers a lot of things, like profanity and dirty jokes, but here Paul primarily refers to any speech that is destructive or tears down. You can’t live in the Spirit if you talk evil about others, or if you talk TO others in hurtful, demeaning, or destructive ways.
So what kind of speech should come from your mouth?—Paul says only EDIFYING speech that MINISTERS GRACE.
• “Edifying” means words that build up, encourage, inspire.
• “That it may minister grace” means words that INSPIRE others to have a greater desire to serve God and do right.
Some people are chronic gripers and complainers. You know, some people are blessing WHEREVER they go…and others are a blessing WHENEVER they go! When gripers go away, you breathe a sigh of relief, don’t you?
But other people are INSPIRING to be around! They’re uplifting, positive, courageous, hopeful.
Don’t you love to be around people like that? That’s the kind of person a Spirit-filled believer is. There’s no division with a bunch of Spirit-filled church members who speak EDIFYING words that minister grace.
2) Second, Spirit-filled living means STOPPING DESTRUCTIVE HABITS – Ephesians 4:31 – “Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamor, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice.”
I’ve met people who walk through life in a cloud of anger and resentment. Their root problem is failing to forgive someone for something they’ve done.
When you don’t forgive, you’ll manifest these symptoms Paul mentions here.
• The first is BITTERNESS—resentment about the actions or words of another person you have not forgiven.
• The next two symptoms are WRATH and ANGER.
> “Wrath” means “furious outbursts of anger”—losing your temper.
> The word translated “anger” here refers to the SLOW SEETHING TYPE OF ANGER that is not resolved in your heart.
Outbursts of wrath eats away at those you lose your temper with; seething anger eats away at your OWN soul. Both are destructive, so it’s better to just forgive!
• The next symptom is CLAMOR, which means “shouting and screaming.” – Bitter people often become caustic and argumentative.
• The next is EVIL SPEAKING—words that hurt and cut.
• And finally there’s MALICE—a desire to hurt and get even—to pay someone back, to make her pay for what she’s done.
All of these result from a refusal to forgive. Hebrews 12:15 says, “Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled.” – Who is damaged by a refusal to forgive?
• First, it troubles the person who is bitter – “lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you” – The first victim when you refuse to forgive is YOURSELF!
• But refusing to forgive doesn’t just hurt YOU; Hebrews 12:15 goes on to say “and thereby many be defiled.” I wonder how many children are sadly DEFILED by ugly outbursts of temper, seething anger, shouting and screaming, and cutting remarks from a parent boiling in the cauldron of bitterness. I wonder how many wives or husbands are DEFILED due to spouses whose bitterness has spilled over with poisonous eruptions of temper, simmering anger, strife, and hurtful speech.
Don’t defile yourself and those around you because of bitterness! FORGIVE and go on with your life—no matter what you’re dealing with; or how bad the offense is; or who committed the offence. The price you’ll pay to stay bitter is too high, too costly.
3) Third, Spirit-filled living is PRACTICING CONSTRUCTIVE HABITS – Ephesians 4:32 – “…be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.”
Let’s look more closely at the constructive traits Paul mentions:
1) First, he says that we should be KIND.
The Greek word here means “pleasant, gracious, kind, benevolent” as opposed to “harsh, hard, bitter or sharp.” A harsh, hard, bitter, sharp person is a walking cleaver—tearing apart the fabric of unity in the body.
Paul says we should be pleasant, gracious, kind, benevolent. Have you ever noticed that whenever there’s strife, usually one particular person, or the same people are in the center of it?
Bitter, sharp people seem to carry an emotional club that goes from person to person beating them over the head. When people react to them—the result is strife.
2) The Greek word translated “tenderhearted” here is found only twice in the New Testament.
It’s closely associated with the word “compassion.” The only other place it’s found is 1 Peter 3:8 where it’s translated pitiful – “Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful [literally, “full of pity”]….”
So we’re not to be hard-hearted and uncompassionate—but tenderhearted, compassionate, merciful, full of pity.”
3) Finally, Paul says that we’re to be FORGIVING.
This isn’t the word used in the Greek for when God PARDONS our sins—something only GOD can do. The Greek scholar Kenneth Wuest says the word Paul chose means “to do a favor to [the offending party], [to] do something agreeable or pleasant to [him], to show one’s self gracious, benevolent, to forgive in the sense of treating the offending party graciously.” In other words, we’re not to REACT IN KIND to offenses. In fact, we’re to go further—we’re to do FAVORS to an offender who doesn’t deserve it; to do things agreeable or pleasant to him, though he did the opposite to you;…to show yourself gracious and benevolent in the face of abuse and unkindness and offense.
Illus. – I recall a jealous woman in our church a few years ago whom I’ll call Sally (to protect the guilty…that’s not her real name). Sally resented the prominence another woman had in the church because this woman did so much for the Lord in our church, versus almost nothing Sally did except criticize and complain.
One day Sally called her and said some very hurtful, critical remarks to this dear servant of the Lord.
This woman refused to be baited and only listened quietly. Broken and hurt, she could have struck back and retaliated. Instead, she made a meal for Sally and dropped it by her house and showed her kindness in return for her unkindness.
Proverbs 21:14 says, “A gift in secret pacifies anger…” Sally not only couldn’t start a fight with her, but her UNKIND WORDS were returned to her with KIND DEEDS. How can you have a fight if only one person is swinging? This woman was kind, tender-hearted, forgiving to Sally—and because she was, she was able to help keep unity in our church.
This teaching doesn’t mean offenses should not be addressed, as we saw when we talked about the steps in Matthew 18; but it does mean we must respond to offenses in a benevolent and Christ-like spirit.
• Number 4, the Spirit-filled life means WALKING IN LOVE – Ephesians 5:2 – “And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savor.”
What does it mean to “walk in love?” Hey, this isn’t rocket science, folks: to “walk in love” means to LOVE PEOPLE WHEREVER YOU WALK!
It means that love exudes from you everywhere you go.
• When you get together with folks at church—LOVE pours forth instead of jealousy or strife or judgment.
• When you get around folks who just kind of rub you the wrong way—you show love to them and bear with them and are just as kind and courteous to them as your are with your best friends.
• When someone has a need and you have the ability to meet that need—you sacrifice your own needs for that person.
That’s walking in love.
CONCLUSION
Well, let’s get this down where we live.
Let me ask you some questions before we go home this morning.
• First, is there someone who has offended you in some serious way that you feel must be resolved? – If so, resolve in your heart NOT to talk about that person behind his or her back, but to follow God’s plan to go to them IN PRIVATE and try to resolve it so that you and that person can restore fellowship with one another.
• Second, do you have an acid tongue that hurts and tears at others?—I urge you to repent this morning, and ask God to replace your hurtful words with uplifting words.
• Third, is there someone you’re bitter against, whom you have not forgiven for something they’ve done, whether on purpose or unintentionally? Bitterness will eat at your heart and defile you and those most important to you. This morning, no matter what that person has done against you and no matter how much it hurts, forgive that person and be released from bitterness.
• Fourth, do you make a conscience effort at home, at work and at church to be kind, tender-hearted, forgiving and loving? It’s a dog-eat-dog world out there. Make your home and your church sanctuaries from the hardness, the crudeness and the meanness of the world by… putting away a bad temper, and seething anger, and shouting and arguing, and evil speaking, and malice and…replacing it with kindness, tender-heartedness, forgiveness and by walking in love everywhere you go.
