MINISTRY: With The MIND Of CHRIST-VIII
—Philippians 2:14[part-2 of :12-18](2:1-18)
Attention:
Lose The Cat:
A couple who lived in a large city owned a cat. The husband did not like the cat at all & never wanted the cat in his home. But his wife loved the cat. One day the husband got fed-up with the cat’s obnoxious behaviors so he decided to get rid of it.
He drove 10 blocks away from home & dropped the cat there. By the time the husband was returned home, with a self-satisfied smile on his face, the cat was already walking up the driveway.
The next day, he decided to drop the cat 20 blocks away, but the same thing happened.
He kept on increasing the number of blocks until he left town completely, but the cat kept on coming home before him.
At last, he decided he would drop the cat waaaay out in the country somewhere. So he drove quite a few miles out of the city. He turned right, then left, over the bridge, down a long dirt road thru the woods, over some railroad tracks, then right again & then another left & so on & so forth until he finally reached what he felt was a perfect spot. And he dropped the cat there.
Some time later, the man calls his wife at home & asked her, “Jen, is the cat there?”
With a puzzled voice, his wife Jen says, “Yes, honey, why do you ask?”
Frustrated the husband tells Jen, “Put that cat on the phone. I am lost & I need directions.”
Proper Direction can be elusive for many people!
Decisions made in ignorance are very poor decisions!
God’s people, individually & gathered as the Church, are EXPECTED to minister with the highest level of wisdom, understanding, & trustworthiness...WITH The MIND Of CHRIST JESUS, their Savior & Lord!....in Whom alone “are hidden all the treasures of wisdom & knowledge”(Col. 2:3)....
It’s one thing to know Jesus as your Savior, but it is quite another to live by His direction as your Lord!
Need:
The apostle Paul counseled the Philippian church to minister empowered with the mind of Christ Jesus.
God’s people are to minister with the mind of Christ Jesus.
How do God’s people minister with the mind of Christ Jesus?
4 characteristics of ministry with the mind of Christ Jesus.
So far in our study of Php. 2:1-18, we’ve found that:
‘MINISTRY: With The MIND Of CHRIST’...
1. ‘LOVES As JESUS LOVES’(:1-4)
2. ‘GIVES As JESUS GIVES’(:5-8)
3. ‘RECEIVES AS JESUS RECEIVES’(:9-11)
4. DEMONSTRATES A CHRIST-EMPOWERED WALK(:12-18)[part-1--:12-13]
....TODAY we’ll continue looking into verses :12-18, where we’ll find that....
4—MINISTRY with the mind of Christ...
DEMONSTRATES A CHRIST-EMPOWERED WALK(:12-18)[Part-2--:14-18]
Explanation:(:14-18)
:14—“Do all things without complaining & disputing,”
The Church is urged to be aware of, & refrain from, personal “complaining” & “disputing” among themselves.
“Complaining/Murmurings/Grumbling”—goggusmov—Noun Masc.—1) A murmur, murmuring, muttering—1a) A secret debate, 1b) A secret displeasure not openly avowed. Strong—A grumbling. Used 4X--Jn. 7:12; Acts 6:1; 1Pet. 4:9; Php. 2:14.?From—gogguzw—1) To murmur, mutter, grumble, say anything against in a low tone.
“Disputing/Arguing/Reasonings”—dialogismov—Lit.=‘thoroughly questioning/estimating’—Noun Masc. - Genitive Plural Masc.—1) The thinking of a man deliberating with himself—1a) A thought, inward reasoning, 1b) Purpose, design; 2) A deliberating, questioning about what is true—2a) Hesitation, doubting, 2b) Disputing, arguing. Strong—Discussion, i.e. internal--Consideration, by implication--Purpose, or external--Debate. Used 14X.?English=‘Dialog’.?From—dia—Through, With, In, Throughout, During, By, the means of; The ground or reason by which something is or is not done; On account of, Therefore. Strong—Through(in very wide applications, local, causal, or occasional); a primary preposition denoting the channel of an act.—&—logizomai—To take an inventory, i.e. Estimate(literally or figuratively).
And THAT exhortation from God, supernaturally flows from “working out your own salvation with fear & trembling”(:12).
*The LACK of “complaining & disputing” is hard evidence, that God’s people are living with an attitude of Loving(:1-4), Giving(:5-8), & Receiving(:9-11)—as Jesus did & does!
*EVERY church that exists, including this one, has those within it who prefer to let their flesh guide them, when they can’t get their way!...
•But any local body of Christ—the local church—gets into REAL trouble whenever such flesh-driven members hold officially recognized positions in the church!
*Let me share my personal experience in my first pastorate:
•The church who called me, had recently split—That’s why they were looking for a pastor-ME!
•Thruout my pastorate time there, there was continual ‘murmuring’, ‘denigrating’, & ‘criticizing’ among the members, about the former members & pastor, who had left on bad terms & established their own church.
•Well, I got tired of hearing the talk, knowing that they were indeed outside of God’s will....
•So one day, ‘Byron’(me/the pastor) decides he’s had enough!...I decided, & told them from the pulpit, that I was going to bring the church van to the front of the church next Sunday. And that we were going to load up & drive over to the other church, where we would ask their forgiveness, & to offer them our forgiveness!
•That scenario did not lead to the outcome I had anticipated, as the deacons soon asked for my letter of resignation!
*IF things don’t go the way I prefer them to go, I myself—your pastor—am TEMPTED to ‘grumble’ & ‘dispute’ the reasons ‘why’ I want this, that, or the other thing!
•I have to force myself, by God’s leading, thru His Holy Spirit, to REFRAIN FROM being unduly forceful or personally resentful!
•I have to surrender myself, to obey God!
•People are known to leave the Church, when they REFUSE to take their personal disappointments, resentments, & bitterness of heart to God for reconciliation.
•At God’s throne is where we CAN receive His perfect wisdom, perfect power, & perfect direction!
In those times, those moments when we might question the church’s or someone’s words or actions, brothers & sisters in Christ approach the Pastor, Deacons, Sunday School Director, Church Council, Chairmen of Committees, etc.
•There are proper avenues to take that are NOT disruptive of the entire church. God’s people operating by the Holy Spirit, do NOT openly “complain” or “dispute”, knowing that to do so, is sin & instigates/foments division.
*Things are especially tough when we(the pastor included) are truly battling what we KNOW to be God’s will, in any particular situation.
•Yet every one of us has to resign him/herself, to the fact that, in all concerns of spiritual welfare & warfare, God WILL MAKE A WAY!....
•We just need to be sensitive to it & obedient to His direction!
Application:
?Do YOU, Minister with the mind of Christ, DEMONSTRATING A CHRIST-EMPOWERED WALK?
?Do YOU Minister with the mind of Christ?
CONCLUSION:
Visualization:
Recall... the husband who asked his wife to: “Put the un-loseable cat on the phone”, so he could get directions home.
God’s people, individually & gathered as the Church, are EXPECTED to minister at the highest level of wisdom, understanding, & trustworthiness...WITH The MIND Of CHRIST JESUS, their Savior & Lord!....in Whom alone “are hidden all the treasures of wisdom & knowledge”(Col. 2:3)....
Action:
MINISTRY: with the mind of Christ...
4. DEMONSTRATES A CHRIST-EMPOWERED WALK(:12-18)[Part-2--:14]
1. LOVES As JESUS LOVES(:1-4)
2. GIVES As JESUS GIVES(:5-8)
3. RECEIVES AS JESUS RECEIVES(:9-11)
4. DEMONSTRATES A CHRIST-EMPOWERED WALK(:12-18)[Part-1--:12-13]
Pnt# 4 — :12-18[Part-2--:14] presented 03/01/2026am to:
Salem Baptist Church
1618 Salem Rd.
Bennettsville, SC 29512
