Likeminded with One Another
Series: The One Anothers: The Church’s “Body Builders”
Chuck Sligh
May 22, 2022
NOTE: A PowerPoint presentation is available for this sermon by request at chucksligh@hotmail.com. Please mention the title of the sermon and the Bible text to help me find the sermon in my archives.
TEXT: Romans 15:5-6 – “Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be likeminded toward one another according to Christ Jesus. 6 That you may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
INTRODUCTION
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.
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 conflict 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 discord over allowing the new convert Saul to minister in the church (Saul, you remember, had previously been a persecutor of the church).
• Acts 11 tells of disunity over Peter winning a gentile to Christ.
• And in chapter 15 there was doctrinal disagreement and later in the chapter, 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 1) ARE these problems dealt with and resolved? and 2) 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 you have sent me.”
What will help the lost to believe that God sent Christ?—Unity among God’s people. So—how can we have unity at Grace Baptist Church? Let me share two steps to being likeminded, or in one accord, in Grace Baptist Church
I. NUMBER 1: WHEN SOMEONE PERSONALLY OFFENDS YOU, FOLLOW GOD’S ORDAINED STEPS OF MATTHEW 18:15-17. (Turn with me now please to Matthew 18.)
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 love among yourselves: for love covers a multitude of sins.”
But if someone has unjustly treated you, or you just can’t overlook it, or you feel that it will impugn your testimony in some way, Jesus taught us three steps to follow:
STEP NUMBER 1 is a private meeting to discuss it – Matthew 18:15 – “Now if your brother…sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he…hears you, you have gained your brother.”
Notice the words, “Tell him his fault between you and him ALONE,” not get on the phone and tell Sister Floozy and Brother Scuttlebutt about it! Jesus says, “Go and work things out between you and that person alone.”
STEP 2 is a meeting with the offender and one or two witnesses – Matthew 18:16 – “But if he will not hear thee, then take one or two more with you, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.”
Normally, two believers can come to a loving reconciliation of forgiveness or restoration, but sometimes not. So, Jesus says to go with one or two others to serve as witnesses. 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 percent of the time, problems will be resolved in such a meeting, for when spiritual witnesses are present, they can give counsel and weigh the various views, and often suggest ways to reconcile; and reveal to either party where they might have been wrong and how they can make amends.
STEP NUMBER 3 is to tell it to the church – Matthew 18:17 – “And if he…neglects to hear them, tell it unto the church. But if he neglects to hear the church, let him be to you as an unbeliever and a tax collector.”
If the witnesses feel that there is a major unresolvable sin involved, needing church attention, 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
This step is rare if a church body meticulously follows the previous three steps. In my thirty-three years as a senior pastor, we were able to resolve all offenses in the first two steps except one time. 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.
II. THE SECOND STEP TO BE LIKEMINDED IS TO ATTACK THE ROOT CAUSE OF DISSENSION—FLESHLY LIVING. – Turn with me to 1 Corinthians 3:3 – “For you are still of the flesh: for where there are envy, and strife, and divisions among you, are you not of the flesh, and behaving like mere humans?”
The Greek word Paul uses for “of the flesh,” when used of believers, means being ruled by our sinful 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, fleshly people—and THAT destroys unity in a church. Look with me at James 4:1 – “Where do quarrels and fighting among you come from? Do they not come from your desires that wage war in your members?”
¿So where does Paul say strife and dissension come from?—From people’s fleshly, selfish desires; from people wanting THEIR way and having their own agenda. To maintain unity in the body, we must attack the root cause of dissension: fleshly desires—our selfish, sinful nature.
And the only way to do that is to live a Spirit-filled life—the opposite of fleshly living. Being “Spirit-filled” is not some spooky experience that will make you lose control 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: While you’re turning there, note listen to Ephesians 5:18 – “…do not be drunk with wine, which leads to debauchery; but be filled with the Spirit.” In the rest of the chapter and in chapter 6, Paul tells us some of the OUTWARD EVIDENCES of a Spirit-filled life. 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:
FIRST, Spirit-filled living means CAREFULLY GUARDING WHAT YOU SAY – Ephesians 4:29 – “Let no corrupt communication come out of your mouth, but that which is good for edifying, that it may impart grace to the hearers.”
Most problems in a church start with loose lips.
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 when you see what Paul uses as its opposite, Paul primarily refers to any speech that is destructive or tears down. You can’t live in the Spirit if you talk evil OF 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 IMPARTS GRACE.
• “Edifying” means words that build up, encourage, inspire.
• “That it may impart grace” means words that INSPIRE others to goodness and purity, and a greater desire to serve God and do right.
Some people are chronic gripers and gossipers and talk to others in demeaning and curt and unwholesome ways. When these people 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 impart grace.
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.”
We’ve met people who walk through life in a cloud of anger and resentment. Maybe you’re one of them! 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. Wrathful outbursts eat away at those you blow up to; seething anger eats away at your OWN soul and personal well-being. Both are destructive, so it’s better to just forgive!
• The next symptom is CLAMOR, which means “shouting and screaming.”
Bitter people let their temper get out of control.
• The next is EVIL SPEAKING—Saying words that hurt, cut, wound.
• And finally, there’s MALICE—a desire to hurt and get even—to pay someone back, to make them pay for what they’ve done.
All of these result from a refusal to forgive. Hebrews 12:15 says, “See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness spring up to trouble you, and by it, many are defiled.” –
Who is damaged by a refusal to forgive?
• First, it troubles the bitter person– “lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble YOU” – The first victim when you refuse to forgive is YOU!
• But refusing to forgive doesn’t just hurt you; Hebrews 12:15 goes on to say “and by it, many are 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.
THIRD, Spirit-filled living is PRACTICING CONSTRUCTIVE HABITS – Ephesians 4:32 – “…be…kind to one…another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake has forgiven you.” – Let’s look more closely at the constructive traits Paul mentions:
• 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.
• Then Paul says we’re to be TENDERHEARTED.
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 you see it’s link with compassion – “Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion with one…another, love as brethren, be tenderhearted….”
So, we’re not to be hard-hearted and uncompassionate—but tenderhearted, compassionate, merciful, sympathetic.”
• 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.” [NOTE: Words in block parentheses added for clarity.]
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 or her, though he did the opposite to you; to show yourself gracious and benevolent in the face of abuse and unkindness.
Illus. – I recall a jealous woman in one of my churches I’ll call Sally.
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 accused woman refused to be baited and only listened quietly. Broken and hurt, she could have struck back and retaliated—she certainly had ammunition. 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 of it, 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 constructive 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 gave himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.”
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 are church folk or go out into the community—LOVE pours forth instead of jealousy or strife or judgment. When you get around people 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 you are with your best friends. When someone has a need and you are able to meet or help to meet that need—you sacrifice your own needs for that person.
That’s walking in love.
CONCLUSION
Well, let’s get this down to 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.
May God help us to live in unity and be likeminded with one another.
