Christmas/New Year/MINISTRY: With The MIND Of CHRIST-III
—Philippians 2:1-18[part-3--2:2b-4 of 2:1-4]
Attention:
Unanticipated Cure:
The owner of a drug store walks in to find a guy leaning heavily against a wall.
The owner asks the clerk, “What's with that guy over there by the wall?”
The clerk replies, “Well, he came in here this morning to get something for his cough. I couldn't find the cough syrup, so I gave him a bottle of laxative.”
The owner screams, “Are you nuts! You could get us in big trouble!...You can't treat a cough with a bottle of laxatives!”
The clerk calmly replies, “Of course you can! Look at him; he's afraid to cough!”
The drugstore clerk approached the challenge of the cough with temporary & even dangerous results!
Mind-over-matter is not always a proper solution!
Church members do the same, when they minister WITHOUT the power of God, thru the self-righteous, self-centered, feeble, & ineffective power of the flesh!
The way God’s people approach the challenges of life is very telling....
God’s people are to minister WITH the mind of Christ Jesus, our Savior & Lord!....
Need:
The apostle Paul counseled the Philippian church to minister empowered with the mind of Christ Jesus.
And so, God’s people are to minister with the mind of Christ Jesus.
But, How do God’s people minister with the mind of Christ Jesus?
4 characteristics of Christians who enter ministry with the mind of Christ Jesus.
Before Christmas last year, we began to explore the depth of meaning
in the truths presented in 2:1-4 & following....
....TODAY we’ll continue our examination of those truths, seeing that....
(CONT...)1—Christmas/New Year/Ministry with the mind of Christ...
LOVES As JESUS LOVES(:1-4)[Part-3--2:2b-4]
:2—“fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.”
:2b—“fulfill my joy by"..."having the same love,...”
The “fulfillment” of the apostle Paul’s “joy”, could only come to him, when there was a genuine or authentic integrity(“same”), in the churches & in the individual Christians that he ministered to!
•Biblical Christian ‘integrity’ is obvious, palpable, & tangible, in individual Christians, & so, it can & should define the Church as well!...That is, Biblical Christian ‘integrity’ is obvious, whenever the Church allows Jesus to unite them in mind, thought, & “love.”
“Love”(see :1)—agaph—Noun Fem. - Accusative Sing. Fem.—1) Brotherly love, affection, good will, love, benevolence; 2) Love feasts. Strong—Love, i.e. Affection or benevolence; specially(plural)--A love-feast. R.H. Mounce—Agaph is selfless love, which cannot be turned in on itself. J. MacArthur—‘...one of the rarest words in Greek literature, but one of the most common in the New Testament.’
:2c—“fulfill my joy by"..."being of one accord,...”
Describes being so joined or together in thought & intent, that you are ‘with’ the “soul” of all other true Christians.
“Of One Accord/Joined In Soul”—sumqucov—Adj. Nominative Plural Masc.—1) Of one mind, of one accord. Sumqucov is made up of two words: “sun”(together with) & psuchos(soul, self, inner life, or the seat of the feelings, desires, affections). So the word refers to being united in spirit or harmonious(A&G). Paul desired the Philippians to be united in their affections - one in Christ in all desires! Used only here in the NT.(Wayne Steury) Strong—Co-spirited, i.e. Similar in sentiment. Used 1X--Php. 2:2.?From—sun—1) With. Strong—With or together(but much closer than meta or para), i.e. By association, companionship, process, resemblance, possession, instrumentality, addition, etc.; a primary preposition denoting union.—&—quch—Breath, i.e. by implication--Spirit, abstractly or concretely--The animal sentient(perceptive) principle only. Quch corresponds to Hebrew—vpn.
•A ‘test’ of “being of one accord” in the church, is their faithfulness to ‘the mind of Christ’(:5; 1Cor. 2:16).
•And that means that the overall ATTITUDE of Christian individuals & of the gathered body of Christ, is one-&-the-same.
•Another ‘test’ of that “accord” in the local church, is the church’s faithfulness to God’s written revelation & so to ‘biblically based’ doctrine.
•So biblical doctrine must be scrutinized, prioritized, & regularly taught thru the local church!
•Still another ‘test’ of a local church’s “being of one accord”, is the church’s faithfulness to the balance of ministries, both thru it’s outreach & thru it’s in-reach.
:2d—“fulfill my joy by"..."Being...of one mind.”
Again(:2a--“Like-minded”), the “one mindedness” of Christian brothers & sisters is of great importance in fulfilling God’s plan for mankind’s life & living!
“Of One Mind”(See above--“like-minded” & “lowliness of mind”--below)—to en fronountev—Lit. = ‘The One Thing Minded’, OR--‘Thinking the one thing.’——RWP—“ ‘Thinking the one thing.’ Like clocks that strike at the same moment. Perfect intellectual telepathy. Identity of ideas & harmony of feelings.” “One”—eiv(including the neuter[etc.]--en)—Noun Numeral—1) One. Strong—One; a primary numeral.—+—“Mind”(see “like-minded” above)—fronew—Present Active Participle-Nominative Plural Masc.—1) To have understanding, be wise;... 2c) To be of the same mind i.e. Agreed together, cherish the same views, be harmonious;. Strong—To exercise the mind, i.e. Entertain or have a sentiment or opinion; by implication--To be (mentally)disposed(more or less earnestly in a certain direction); intensively--To interest oneself in(with concern or obedience). Used 29X.
Our lives in Christ, should encourage every Christian as a part of an immense ‘family’ of God.
•And the family of God is to “be” of “one-mind” regarding those aspects of our lives that are touched by & forged by our relationship with God thru Christ.
•And also keep in “mind” that there is NO aspect of life & your living of it, that God does NOT touch & effect for the Kingdom of God!
•The ‘unity’ that Christian “one-mindedness” brings, pleases, rather than grieves, those whom God has chosen to fulfill His apostolic calling.
•And those apostles were & are aligned with God’s plan for the ages, as well as for the unending age to come.
•So all God’s people today are still responsible to carefully heed & adhere to the direction God has granted to the church thru the apostles & prophets & preachers.
•Heb. 13:17—“Obey those who rule over you, & be submissive, for they watch out for your souls, as those who must give account. Let them do so with joy & not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you.”
•And so, such unity pleases, rather than grieves, those who SERVE God in ANY recognized leadership capacity(pastors/deacons/committee heads & members, etc.) in the Church, both globally as well as locally.
:3—“Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself.”
The Christian unity described above(:1-2) is made plain in the absence of “selfish ambition” & “conceit.”
“Selfish Ambition/Strife/Selfishness/Rivalry”—eriyeia—Noun Fem. - Accusative Sing. Fem.—Lit. = ‘stimulate quarrels/wranglings’—1) Electioneering or intriguing for office—1a) apparently, in the NT A courting distinction, a desire to put one's self forward, a partisan & fractious spirit which does not disdain low arts, 1b) Partisanship, fractiousness. This word is found before NT times only in Aristotle, where it denotes a self-seeking pursuit of political office by unfair means. Strong—properly--Intrigue, i.e. by implication--Faction. Used 7X.?Perhaps as the same as—ereyizw—To stimulate(especially to anger); From a presumed prolonged form of--eriv—A quarrel, i.e. by implication--Wrangling; of uncertain affinity.
“Conceit/Vainglory/Empty Conceit”—kenodoxia—Noun Fem. - Accusative Sing. Fem.—1) Vain glory, groundless, self esteem, empty pride; 2) A vain opinion, error. Strong—Empty glorying, i.e. Self-conceit. Used 1X--Php. 2:3.?From—kenov—1) Empty, vain, devoid of truth.—&—doxa—1) Opinion, judgment, view; 2) Opinion, estimate, whether good or bad concerning someone; 3) Splendor, brightness; 4) A most glorious condition, most exalted state.
‘True’ Christians will approach others from a position of a heart that is humbled before, by, & in God.
•And that is the way it is, because ‘True’ Christians ‘value’ others, thru the lens of their own “lowliness of mind.”
•‘True’ Christians are ‘honest’ about their moment-by-moment potential for sinfulness....
•And so they are ‘honest’ about their moment-by-moment dependence upon the ‘salvation’ that comes from the glorified Jesus!
•God’s people are ‘honest’ about their need to be saved from the wages of their personal sinfulness!
“Lowliness of mind/Humility of mind/Humility”—tapeinofrosunh—Noun Fem. - Dative Sing. Fem.—1) The having a humble opinion of one's self; 2) A deep sense of one's (moral)littleness; 3) Modesty, humility, lowliness of mind. Tapeinofrosunh is humility, not the making of one's self small when he is really great, but thinking little of one's self, because this is in a sense the right estimate for any human being, however great. Strong—Humiliation of mind, i.e. Modesty[unassuming/unpretentious]. Used 7X.?From—tapeinov—Depressed, i.e. figuratively--Humiliated(in circumstances or disposition).—&—frhn—The midrif(as a partition of the body), i.e. figuratively & by implication, of sympathy--The feelings(or sensitive nature; by extension[also in the plural]--The mind or cognitive faculties).
In their ministering, ‘True’ Christians consider that “others”(unqualified) are to be highly “esteemed” or ‘valued.’
•No ‘True Christian sees him or herself as being above or “better than” another person—No matter the other person’s color, or community, or society, or accent, or language, or location!
‘True’ Christians put into action, their Christ-driven “esteem” or ‘judgments’ of others. ‘True’ Christians also live by a personally Christ-driven “lowliness of mind” regarding themselves.
•God’s people pointedly do that, being willing to ‘surrender’ their own WANTS & needs for the benefit of others!
•True’ Christians do that, so that neither “selfish ambition” nor “conceit” drive the choices of their hearts!
“Esteem/Regard/Consider/Esteeming”—hgeomai—Present Deponent(middle/passive) Participle - Nominative Plural Masc.—1) To lead; 2) To consider, deem, account, think. Hgeomai & nomizw denote a belief resting not on one's inner feeling or sentiment, but on the due consideration of external grounds, & the weighing & comparing of facts. Hgeomai denotes a more deliberate & careful judgment than nomizw. Strong—To lead, i.e. Command(with official authority); figuratively--To deem, i.e. Consider; middle voice of a (presumed)strengthened form of agw. Used 28X.?English -=-‘Hegemony’(leadership over, or dominance over).
With such a Christ-honoring ‘attitude’ in place within the heart of Christians, God’s ‘intention & expectation’ is that NOT EVEN ONE of us will take advantage of the other!
•And when that “esteem” with “lowliness of mind”, reigns in a church body, THEN the world—which is without Christ—sees ‘LOVE in Christ’ in action! They cannot help but be witnesses to what can & should be the supreme course of action for any person &/or people group!
:4—“Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.”
With a lack of “selfish ambition” & personal “conceit”(:3), the Christian individual, will be seen by others, as setting a pattern for ‘mutually’ maintaining “the interests of others”(:3).
And so, the gathered church, will likewise be seen by others, as setting a pattern for ‘mutually’ maintaining “the interests of others”(:3).
*OBVIOUSLY, it is expected of every individual to “look out for” their “own” individual “interests.”...
•We are all answerable to God for the way we act on our God-ordained responsibilities to our spouse, children, family, education, job, career, church relationships, etc.
God commands us in:
•2Thes. 3:10—“If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat.”
•Rom. 12:1-16—“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good & acceptable & perfect will of God. For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith. For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, so we, being many, are one body in Christ, & individually members of one another. Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith; or ministry, let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching; he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness. Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good. Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another; not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer; distributing to the needs of the saints, given to hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless & do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice, & weep with those who weep. Be of the same mind toward one another. Do not set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own opinion.”
•No one should come away from the church with the idea that the Christian life is built around Christians who ‘sheepishly’ react to & live by the ‘petty satisfactions’ of their own flesh... Much less the ‘petty satisfactions’ of the lost, & those of the world.
•Neither should anyone come away from the Church with the idea that the Christian life is built around ignorantly & blindly following the ‘denominational’ or ‘non-denominational’ Church!
Argumentation:
Amos 3:3—“Can two walk together, unless they are agreed?”
Gen. 17:1—“When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to Abram & said to him, “I am Almighty God; walk before Me & be blameless.”
2Cor. 6:14-18—“Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will dwell in them And walk among them. I will be their God, And they shall be My people.” Therefore “Come out from among them And be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, And I will receive you.” “I will be a Father to you, And you shall be My sons & daughters, Says the LORD Almighty.””
Acts 20:35—“I have shown you in every way, by laboring like this, that you must support the weak. And remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”
Mat. 5:43-48—“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor & hate your enemy.’ “But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, & pray for those who spitefully use you & persecute you, “that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil & on the good, & sends rain on the just & on the unjust.” For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so? Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.”
Mat. 22:37-40—“Jesus said to him,” ‘You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, & with all your mind.’ “This is the first & great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ “On these two commandments hang all the Law & the Prophets.””
Rom. 12:9—“Let love be without hypocrisy[“sincere”/“dissimilation”/‘undisguised’/“unfeined”]. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good.”
Rom. 12:16-21—“Be of the same mind toward one another. Do not set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own opinion. Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men. If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men. Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. Therefore “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; If he is thirsty, give him a drink; For in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”
Illustration:
The overall operation of the church SHOULD be agreed upon by each of the ‘members’ working/operating collectively.
‘Church’(the intentional gathering of God’s people) is not something intended for one individual alone. And yet, every ministry of the gathered body-of-Christ is intended to help, encourage, & even thrill each individual of the church!
Sadly, some people act like it’s all about ‘what they can get’ out of their relationship with the church. An attitude like that, hinders such people from making the connection to the fact, that each brother & sister in Christ, is expected to ‘MUTUALLY’ give(not merely financially!), as well as to ‘MUTUALLY’ receive!
Each of us is here at Salem, expects to GIVE—as GOD leads!
•And each of us is here at Salem, expects to RECEIVE—as GOD leads!
ONLY the Self-giving LOVE of God that comes to us thru Christ Jesus, by the Holy Spirit, thru personal faith, will accomplish such MUTUALITY that produces....*LOVE As JESUS LOVES!
Application:
?Do YOU, celebrate Ministry @Christmas & The New Year, with the mind of Christ, by LOVING As JESUS LOVES?
?Are YOU celebrating Christmas & The New Year with the mind of Christ?
?Are YOU Loving others the same way that Jesus loves others & yourself?
CONCLUSION:
Visualization:
Recall the drugstore clerk’s temporary & dangerous cough cure?!
Church members do the same, when they minister WITHOUT the power of God, thru the self-righteous, self-centered, feeble, & ineffective power of the flesh!
God has created His people to operate with the mind of Christ Jesus!...The One Who is our Savior & Lord!
Action:
Christmas/New Year/MINISTRY: with the mind of Christ...
1-C. LOVES As JESUS LOVES—:1-4[Part-3--2:2b-4 of 2:1-4](2:1-18)
1-A. LOVES As JESUS LOVES—:1-4[Part-1--2:1a of 2:1-4]
1-B. LOVES As JESUS LOVES—:1-4[Part 2--2:1b-2a of 2:1-4]
Pnt# 1-C--2:1-4[part-3--2:2b-4] presented 01/04/2026am to:
Salem Baptist Church
1618 Salem Rd.
Bennettsville, SC 29512
Pnt# 1-B--2:1-4[part-2--2:1b-2a] presented 12/28/2025am to:
Salem Baptist Church
1618 Salem Rd.
Bennettsville, SC 29512
Pnt# 1-A--2:1-4[part-1--2:1a] presented 12/21/2025am(Christmas week Sunday) to:
Salem Baptist Church
1618 Salem Rd.
Bennettsville, SC 29512
