Introduction: A great saint from ages past once prayed, "Lord make me an instrument of thy peace". What a lofty goal, to be used of God to bring peace to the lives of others. Jesus said this would be a common characteristic of God’s children. He said, "Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called the children of God". If this is true, then Christian homes and churches should be havens of peace and unity in the midst of a world that is torn by controversy and conflict. Unfortunately, this is not always the case. One day a man decided to conduct an experiment. He put a dog and a cat in a cage together. Initially there was a great struggle. Then they began to live peacefully together. Then he put in the cage a monkey, a tiger, and a bear. After an initial conflict they began to live peacefully
together. Then he put three baptists in the cage. In a short time nothing was left living in the cage. We laugh, but unfortunately Christians often cannot seem to get along. It was true of Corinth, where paul proclaimed, "I hear that there be divisions among you." In James’ letter he addressed a church saying, "from whence come wars and fighting among you?"
And in our text today, Paul addresses an apparent problem of disunity in Phillippi. In chapter four we see that there are two women "Euodias and Syntyche" who are apparently having a conflict. Perhaps the members of the church are taking sides around these two women. Paul addresses this problem with the most comprehensive and beautiful text on church unity in the Bible. In it he tells us how we can be instruments of God’s peace. (READ verses 1-8)
If we are going to be used of God to promote peace and unity in our church and our homes there are four things we must do.
I. CONDUCT A PERSONAL INVENTORY (1)
A number of years ago a movie came out called, "The Right Stuff". The movie was about the space program, and the implication from the title is that one must have the right stuff, the wherewithall to make it as an astronaut. Paul tells us if we are going to be peacemakers that we have to have the "right stuff". What is it? He says, "if there be any" In other words, "Do you have any?":
a) Consolation in Chirst--The word interpreted "consolation" here can also be translated "encouragement" or "help". Its from the same root Jesus used in designating the task of the Holy Spirit. It can mean helper or strengthener. Do you have any help from being in Christ? If we are going to be used of God to bring unity to the Body we must have the help of Christ. When that sharp word is directed towards us, or when we find out that we are the object of the latest church gossip, when our flesh cries out for revenge, we need the help that comes from being in Christ,Christ who when reviled, reviled not again. I definitely need his help in this area. Some don’t need as much help as others. There are two extremes in the pastorate. On one side there are the "Mr. Rodgers’ neighborhood pastors." They are very mild and tend to be doormats. On the other side of the spectrum are the "John Wayne Pastors". The John Wayne Pastors are quick to conflict. "This church aint big enough for the two of us pilgrim". I unfortunately tend more toward John Wayne. I need Christ to temper my natural bent toward conflict. Paul says look at your life. Do you have the help of Christ available to you?
b) Comfort Of Love---Some interpret this "comfort of his Love", and I believe this is accurate. You see, we are not called just to be tolerant of other believers. The world can be tolerant. We are called to love other believers in spite of their sin, in spite of their flaws. The only way we can do this is if we ourselves have experienced unconditional love. We cannot give this type of love unless we have recieved it, unless we know what it means to be loved of God in spite of our weaknesses and sin, just as we are without one plea. Paul asks, "have you experienced this unconditional love of God that looked beyond your fault and saw your need?"
c) Fellowship of the Spirit---Fellowship means sharing or having in Common. What Paul is asking is, "do you have a kinship with other believers that comes from being indwelt by the same Spirit?" The bond of the Holy Spirit goes beyond all other ties. Ravi Zacharias told of a man who was in Bucharest, Romania just after the fall of the Iron Curtain. He didn’t know the Romanian language. As he walked down the crowded street he heard someone humming a familiar hymn. He walked right up next to the man and began humming the same hymn. The Romanian man stopped pointed up to heaven and placed his hand on his heart. The american man did the same and they embraced there on the sidewalk. The Bond of the Spirit went beyond cultural barriers, racial barriers, language barriers, and geographical barriers. Paul asks, "Do you have a bond with other believers through the Spirit?"
d) Bowels or Mercy--This means tender compassion towards people. In other words, do you have a soft heart towards people? Have you ever been like Jesus "moved with compassion" over someone elses pain or confusion, or even their sin. Are you cold, calloused, and unforgiving or are you tender and compassionate toward others?
Paul says conduct a personal inventory. See if you have what it takes to promote peace and unity. All believers possess these things. Unfortunately all do not walk in them. Where do you lack? Ask the Lord to reveal it to you and help you in that area.
Conduct a personal inventory. Then....
II. CONSIDER THE PASTORAL INCENTIVE (2)
Why should we be instruments of God’s peace? There are many reasons, but Paul says, "Do it for me!" "Make my joy full or complete by being likeminded, having the same love being of one accord, of one mind."
Nothing is more satisfying to a pastor or a spiritual leader than when those he is ministering to are unified. Unity doesn’t mean simply the absence of conflict, and it doesn’t mean uniformity. It doesn’t mean everyone acts the same, thinks the same, looks the same etc... It means working peacefully together in the bond of love for the glory of Christ!
My son used to play the baritone in the band. One day before a concert, he began to play his part to the songs they would be playing in the concert. I didn’t recognize one song, and it was a Christmas concert. It wasn’t that my son was a bad baritone player, it was that baritones don’t play the melody. Later that night when the baritones played their part, and the flutes there part, and the trumpets, etc... They all blended together and the music was pretty and recognizable. This is a picture of church unity. Each believer with their different perspective, their different gifts, their different experiences, and backgrounds working together for the Glory of Christ. And the pastor is kind of like the conductor leading the people in this beautiful symphony that brings glory to God. Nothing pleases and encourages a pastor more than to be a part of this. "Why should I try to please the pastor you might ask?" Because, the happier the pastor, the shorter the sermon.
But if that doesn’t do it for you, do it for God! "Behold how pleasant it is for the brethren to dwell together in unity". When Pentecost came the disciples were together in one accord in one place and God responded by sending His Spirit upon them in
power! What more needs to be said?
Consider the Pastoral incentive. Then....
III. CARRY OUT THE PRACTICAL INSTRUCTIONS (3,4)
Paul details two things that we must put into practice to promote unity.
1)Purify Your Motives---"Let nothing be done through strife or vain glory"--the first is a negative. Strife means selfish ambition. It speaks of one who is trying to amass a personal following. Some serve in the church in the name of Christ, but their motives are not directed to His glory but for themselves. Paul says such service produces "vain glory" or empty glory. In chapter one Paul even spoke of those who preached the gospel, not for Christ’s sake but to increase his suffering while he was in prison. Not everyone who appears to be serving Christ is actually serving Christ. When motives are selfish the chances of causing disunity increase tremendously. We must ask God to search our hearts and ask ourselves why we are doing what we are doing, why we are saying what we are saying. One day those hidden things will be revealed.
2)Practice Meekness-- "Let each esteem other better than themselves Look not every man on his own things but every man also on the things of others." This doesn’t mean that we are to think that people are better than we are. It means we are to place their needs above our needs. When it comes down to a conflict between their needs and ours, we are to yeild to them. John Wesley and one of his theological enemies met on a narrow bridge. They could not both cross at the same time. The clergymen said to Wesley, "I never yeild to idiots". Wesly backed his horse off of the bridge and said, "I always do." Seriously, we are to place the needs of others above our own. This cannot happen unless a divine work is done in our hearts. Human nature says "me first", "what about my needs?" This requires daily attention in prayer, constant submission to God, and acting when we don’t feel like it.
David Wilkerson tells a story of a young man that came to his office one day and told him that he believed God was calling him to work with street kids, drug addicts, etc.... However, he told Wilkerson that he didn’t feel any real burden for them and didn’t really want to be around them. He was straight laced and moral and always had been. Wilkerson told him to join one of the ministry teams and just start loving these people even if he didn't feel like it. For a year the young man sat up all night with drug addicts withdrawing from heroin. He witnessed to them on the streets. He cleaned them up and put them in bed, fed them... By the end of the year Wilkerson said, there wasn’t a more loving, caring man on his street ministry team. All because he simply practiced meekness. Paul says, start carrying out the practical instructions. Purify your motives and practice meekness. Finally he leaves us with a great example. He says,
IV. CLING TO A POWERFUL ILLUSTRATION (5-8) There is no greater example of meekness and selfless ambition than Jesus. He is our example. He is our pattern. These verses tell of Jesus humbling himself on our behalf, becoming a man, becoming a servant, going to the cross. Who was he thinking of when he did this. I love the little song that says, "When He was on the cross you were on his mind." Words cannot express what Jesus did in his humility. As best I could I tried to put to words what happened in these verses.
He went from God to man, from creator to creature, from king and ruler of the universe to a carpenter in Nazareth, from fellowship with the Father, The Holy Spirit, and the Heavenly hosts of angels to friendship with prosititutes, theives, lepers, and outcasts, from all the glory of heavenly splendor to the poverty of this world, from creator of the universe to being despised by his own creation, from a heavenly mansion to a filthy manger in bethlehem, from the comforts of glory to the cruel cross of calvary, from this is my beloved Son to My God My God why hast thou forsaken me, from the very embodiment of righteousness to sin itself, from the very giver and sustainer of life to death. This he did to meet our needs. He looked not on his own things but on our things. Let this illustration of meekness fill your mind and your heart. Let this mind be in you which is also in Christ Jesus. He is our illustration, our inspiration, and he must be our strength.
I began by reading the first line of a prayer by St. Francis Assisi. I want to close by finishing that prayer. Pay attention to the words and make it your prayer today.
"Lord, Make me an instrument of your peace. Where there is hatred let me sow love. Where there is injury, pardon. Where there is doubt, faith. Where there is dispair, hope. Where there is darkness, light. Where there is sadness, joy. O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled, as to console, to be understood as to understand, to be loved as to love, for it is in giving that we recieve,
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned, It is in dying that we are born to eternal life. Amen."
