Restoring the Joy
Sermon # 4
“The Unity that Produces Joy.”
Philippians 2:1-11
Over the last few weeks in our series “Restoring the Joy” we have seen how circumstances may cause us to lose our joy but and that in reality it is our attitude that determines our joy not our circumstances.
In our last lesson we learned that our joy is found in having a proper perspective on the eternal, on our citizenship and on hardship. In the last section Paul touched on the need for believers to behave as citizens of heaven by getting along well with one another. Paul warned that disputes and grudges would drive a wedge into the church. Therefore, we are called to work hard at healing and working to mend offenses within the body. We also noted that Paul said in his letter to the Ephesians, that believers are called “to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace” (Ephesians 4:3). In the section of the letter to the Philippians that we are going to examine today (2:1-11) Paul’s major concern is that there not be disunity or conflict in the church.
I want you to note three things about this call to unity..
FIRST, THE MOTIVATION FOR UNITY
(vv. 1-2)
Paul again takes up the theme of unity, the unity which will produce joy, when he says, in verse one of chapter two, “Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, (2) fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.”
Paul uses four “if” clauses to introduce his exhortation to unity. To us, an “if” often conveys a degree of doubt, but the Greek construction used here (called first class condition in Greek) does not do so. On the contrary, these “if’s” can and should be rendered “since” and are assumed to be true.
The “if” is simply a rhetorical way of forcefully saying “since” you have encourage-ment in Christ, since you have comfort provided by love, since you have fellowship with the Spirit, and since you have affection and mercy, then complete my joy.…
I like the way that the translation “The Message” renders the first two verses of this chapter.
“ If you’ve gotten anything at all out of following Christ, if his love has made any difference in your life, if being in a community of the Spirit means anything to you, if you have a heart, if you care--(2) then do me a favor: Agree with each other, love each other, be deep-spirited friends.”
The truth is that we need each other, I read a poem that I think beautifully illustrates this point.
“The reason mountain climbers
are tied together
is to keep the sane ones from going home.’
I don’t know who said it,
Or when, or where,
But I’ve chuckled over it,
Thought about it, and quoted it too.
With a mountain of mercy behind me
And a mountain of mission ahead,
I need you, my sister, my brother,
I need you to be tied to you,
And you need me too.
We need each other…
To keep from bolting,
Fleeing in panic, and returning
To the ‘sanity’ of unbelief.
Wise words, whoever said them,
I’ve placed them in my ‘bible’:
They are my Hezekiah 6:14.”
[Gerhard E. Frost. “Blessed Is the Ordinary.” As quoted in Charles Swindoll. “The Tale of the Tardy Oxcart: And 1,501 Other Stories” (Nashville: Word Pub., 1998) p. 597.]
John recorded Jesus’ prayer for all those who would believe in him in chapter 17, in verse twenty Jesus says, “I do not pray for these alone, but for those who will believe in Me through their word; (21) that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me.”
John describes a visible unity, for it is only a visible unity that the world can see and on the basis of which people can come to believe in Jesus. This unity has to be expressed in everything we do and say. In 1 John 1:7 it says, “But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.” Do you have a member of the household of faith with whom you are on bad terms? Do you have a Christian brother or sister with whom you are not speaking? The context of this verse seems to indicate that to be out of fellowship with our Christian brothers and sisters is to be out of fellowship with God. Unity in the church is that important to the Lord.
In verse one when Paul refers to “fellowship of the Spirit,” this suggests that the Holy Spirit has created the fellowship that Christians enjoy with one another. The fellowship that exists between Christians is a fellowship created by God. It exists not because we have so much in common, but because we are mutually dependent members of Christ’s body.
Not Only the Motivation for our unity but …
SECONDLY, THE MEANS OF ATTAINING UNITY. (vv.3-4)
“Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. (4) Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.”
First, Paul says “Let nothing be done through selfish ambition,” in other words “Don’t be Selfish” the KJV uses the word “strife” (eritheia) the Greek word means “electioneering or intriguing for office” in the South we would call it “politicking.” A person who practices this approach to life does things at the expense of other people in order to elevate themselves. Paul then goes on to say “let nothing be done through…. conceit” - “conceit” (kenodoxia) means a groundless or empty pride in one’s own opinion.
By nature man put himself first, others second and God last, if at all. The Bible teaches that we should reverse that order, God is to be first, others are to be second and we must come last.
But what does it mean to live unselfishly?
•“When a husband is unselfish, he subjugates his own wants and desires to the needs of his wife and family.
•When a mother is unselfish, she isn’t irked by having to give up her agenda or plans for the sake of her children.
•When an athlete is unselfish, it is the team that matters, not winning top honors personally.
•When a Christian is unselfish, others mean more than self. Pride is given no place to operate.”
[Charles Swindoll. Laugh Again: Experience Outrageous Joy. (Dallas: Word, 1991) p.79]
Next Paul says, “but in lowliness of mind” what Paul is talking about is – Humility. In fact the Christian is to regard others as more important than yourself – that is not thinking less of yourself (low self esteem) but not thinking of yourself at all! It is the willingness to put self in second place and if necessary to forgo one’s personal “rights” in order to advance the interest of one’s brothers and sisters in Christ.
Since true unity is a matter of the heart, how then can it be attained? First, we must admit that we do not really care for others as we should. And the biggest part of our problem is that we are still self-motivated. We must achieve this ‘lowliness of mind’ or humility. The Christian author C. S. Lewis says, “If anyone would like to acquire humility, I can, I think, tell him the first big step. The first step is to realize that one is proud.’ He adds that it is “biggish step, too. At least, nothing whatever can be done before it.” [C. S. Lewis. “Mere Christianity.” (New York: MacMillan, 1958) p. 99]
THIRD, THE MODEL OF UNITY (vv. 5-11)
Paul says, and this is a command, “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus.” The words “let this mind be” (phroneo) means to have this understanding. Since outlook determine outcome, if the outlook is selfish, the outcome will be actions that are divisive and destructive.
Paul advises the church at Philippi and through them the church of today to follow Christ example. But that is extremely hard to do in our modern world. Great, if not ultimate value is attached to wealth, glamour, power and prestige and the accepted ways of doing this involves using other people.
What does it mean to follow the example of Jesus?
“Imagine Jesus as a grump, so negative that people cross the street to avoid eye contact. Or imagine Jesus waking in the morning and making statements like, “What a dull day. I’m sleeping in.” If Jesus doesn’t fit these scenes, neither should you. In the morning get up with zest. Jesus had, sure that God the Father would guide each hour. As dusk approaches, refresh yourself in the tender mercies of the Lord, and don’t let the days’ pressures make you a grump. Live your day like Jesus lived his.” [Life Application Bible Commentary. Philippians, Colossians& Philemon. (Wheaton: Tyndale, 1995) p. 56]
Verse six says, “who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God,” this verses describes the status of Christ as he existed before the creation of the world – in his pre-incarnate state. The words “who being” in the Greek are a present participle indicating continuing existence from the beginning (Genesis 1:1). John 1:1-3, says, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (2) He (that is Jesus) was in the beginning with God. (3) All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.” Jesus said in his high priestly prayer as recorded in John 17:5, “And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was.” Jesus in his essence is equal with God! Everything that God is, Jesus is. He is equal in his divine assets with the Father. Yet Jesus did not consider this equality something to be grasped.
“There are two schools of thought regarding these words about the Jesus’ equality with God: (1) Christ did not have to seize or grasp his equality, it was already his, or (2) Christ did not consider his equality with God as something which he had to hold on to and not let slip from his grasp. Actually both ideas are true!” [Life Application Bible Commentary. Philippians, Colossians& Philemon. (Wheaton: Tyndale, 1995) p. 58]
Verse seven says, “but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bond-servant, and coming in the likeness of men. This verse says, “he made himself of no reputation” or as the Greek literally says, “he emptied himself.”
The same word (morphe) is used when it says in verse six, “being in the form of God” and in verse seven “taking the form of a bondservant” “Paul says that before the incarnation Jesus was in the form of God and was God’s equal. These words do not mean that God has a material form, but only that Jesus Christ possesses all of God’s attributes. They mean that he is God.” [James Montgomery Boice. Philippians: An Expositional Commentary. (Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 1971) p. 111]
Verse eight, “And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.”
Did Jesus just not realize that path He had chosen would lead ultimately to the cross? Of course He did! Was he aware He aware that just how great a sacrifice would be demanded of Him? Without question. Did He just stoically face it all with a grim face and a stiff upper lip? Not at all. The writer of Hebrews tells us (12:2), “looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
Did you catch that, “who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross?” He saw those of us who would benefit from His sacrifice as “the joy set before Him.”
And as a result what ultimately happened? Verse nine, “Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name.(10) that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, (11) and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
Because Christ willing set aside his glory to totally obey the Father’s will, God has “highly exalted” or literally “super-exalted” him. The Father’s exaltation of His son included the granting of a name above every name. So what is that name? Several possibilities have been suggested. Some have suggested it is the name of “Jesus” given to him by his parents. Others believe that it is the name
“Lord” (kurios) as being what Paul meant. His title became Kurios Iesous Christos …. Jesus Christ –Lord!!! No else deserve that title. We have only one Lord and it is Jesus.
Verse ten tells us that verbal acknow-ledgement of the sovereignty of Jesus Christ will be made by every human being who ever lived, whether or not they ever accepted Jesus as their personal Savior, as well as by the entire angelic host, both heavenly and demonic. Some will do so with joy and others with great agony (James 2:19). Those who love Jesus will bow in adoration and worship those who refused to acknowledge him will bow in submission and fear. This does not mean that eventually everyone will be saved. It means that the day is coming when human arrogance will come to an end, when every mouth will be stopped (Romans 3:19) and everyone will admit the truth is truth, even it they hate doing it.
Conclusion
By finishing his account of the story of Jesus with His exaltation Paul reminds us of the final day on which we will also give an account to God of our mutual relationships within the church and explicitly urges to follow the example of Jesus in light of that day!
