Unity Through Humility [Philippians 2:1-5]

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Well, aren't we thankful that the Lord Jesus paid it all because if he left one sin unpaid for There'd be no hope for us
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But he paid it all bless the Lord. It's a full and complete sacrifice. It is finished he said upon the cross and and we're his very own people and His people are those who delight in his word as the psalmist said and we're going to come to the
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Word of God and go back To Philippians chapter 2 if you would with me, please and we'll turn there to Philippians chapter 2 for the text in 1976
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I Signed the dotted line and I went into the US Army and went to Fort Dix in New Jersey for basic training we all got off the bus and They dumped out anything that we were carrying right on the right on the driveway behind the barracks
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And the drill sergeants went through it and they they ruffled through it and began to basically humiliate
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Everyone there based upon what you brought if you brought a hairbrush or a picture of mom or whatever
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I mean, they just let us have it and And yelling and screaming and and all that they did but they had a purpose for it and basically what they wanted to do is they wanted to Assimilate at the end of the weeks of basic training a cohesive unit which could fight together a team not individuals, but a team and By the time you were through with basic training
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You felt a bit different than you did when you went into that training because you did come there not knowing anybody as an individual
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And by the time you were done you pretty much knew everyone's name Knew quite a bit about them
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You knew what made them tick how they could perform who was the the one the go -to person to do certain things?
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And the drill sergeants did do their job. I remember reading in the Old Testament even of the life of in the life of King David that he had a group of warriors his mighty men and One of the attributes of his mighty men were was that those men would not break rank
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They would be one unified front and I believe that if there's anything that is so vital and so important and a must for the
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Church of Jesus Christ in the day in which we live a day where There's so much factionism.
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There's so much division. There's so much individualism. There's so much bitterness Fighting infighting
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What the world needs to see and what we need to portray and what we need to guard in the Church of Christ today is unity
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To be a unified body and that's the message this morning that I'm going to pluck out of the beginning of chapter 2 in the book of Philippians and hope for us in this text this morning to see that the
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Apostle Paul is going to communicate his desire For unity in the church at Philippi and of course for us to be able to take it and apply it
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For BBC today within our local church or within any local church In chapter 1
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Paul told them that nothing was going to rob him of his joy Not as imprisonment not his trials not the constant attack by enemies who opposed his ministry
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Not one thing was going to take his joy or his peace away Kind of reminded me of him that we used to sing
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Called constantly abiding which the words go like this It's just it depicts a
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Christian attitude that we ought to have There is a peace in my heart that the world never gave a peace.
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It cannot take away All the trials of life may surround like a flood, but I've got a peace that has come here to stay
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Constantly abiding Jesus is mine Constantly abiding rapture divine.
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He never leaves me Lonely whispers. Oh so kind. I will never leave you
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Jesus is mine That's song and I believe what Paul is saying to us is
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As Paul writes this this text is is that yes, it is well with our souls
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Yes in our standing with Christ as Savior and as him as the head of the church
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Things are quite well But that does not mean that we aren't to strive for something Paul wrote to the
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Ephesian Church in Ephesians chapter 4 the first few verses that they ought to endeavor for the unity of the spirit within the church
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Paul wrote it not only to the Ephesian Church, but to the Roman Church in chapter 15 verse 5
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Colossians 2 2 and Here in Corinthians I Mean back in Corinthians also, which we'll look at one of those verses and in Philippians So in five
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New Testament churches for Paul felt that it was necessary To talk to them to encourage them and to give them warning about unity
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And so the message this morning for us is the subject of unity in the title of the message
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Particularly this morning is unity by humility unity by humility
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Unity, isn't that something that is so lacking in the world in which we live if we think about it We are hard -pressed to find lasting peace wherever we look
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There is animosity between nations if we look at our cities as we watch the news
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If we look at our cities and neighborhoods in meant much of our country there many of them are torn apart full of strife bitterness
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Shootings abound there are factions gangs looking for fights Gangs or people looking to do whatever they can to harm other people
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There are quarrels and fights in families and among family members on the job
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You hear of the unions and the disputes between management and the unions and strikes in our government
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We have partisanship where we see this constant duel among political parties
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There ought to be a state of peace and there ought to be a state of harmony, but that is not the case
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Groups and individuals are only concerned about their own agenda and they demand their own rights
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Most people are looking to their own needs and not saying to themselves And they are saying to themselves what is in it for me and the fundamental institutions of society are constantly being torn up by pride and divisive means and What is that?
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What's at stake? Well, it's at stake our our homes Marriages families countries and yes, even our
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Local churches when it comes right down to it. This is a tragic. There is a tragic absence of peace in the world as There was no doubt in Paul's days.
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So Paul's words to us here in Philippians chapter 2 are relevant for us Our world needs
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Concord. Our world needs peace and our world needs unity and it needs to see peace and Concord and unity in the local church
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So what is the message of the of the church to what unhappy and divided society?
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Well, it certainly isn't to tell them that they need to throw down their weapons and to be nice to each other
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And it isn't a message of universal brotherhood that will help a torn and lost world
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You see people who are mean and people who are bitter and nasty and fighting among themselves
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Cannot change their lifestyle. They cannot change the way that they treat each other.
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They cannot change their heart unless God does something what is necessary is is they first must receive power from God from on high through the wonderful rebirth
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Regeneration the powerful gospel of Jesus Christ the power comes from that life -changing message and the local church is not
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Only commissioned to preach God's gospel, but we brethren are also called to live it out before a perishing world
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In our text Paul tells us what the source of the problem is in the world
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He tells us exactly why there is discord and why there is strife in Here in God's Word We see why the world is in such a turmoil if you turn with me to Philippians 2
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I'll read in verse 2 and 3 Fulfill you my joy Paul says that you be like -minded
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Having the same love being of one accord and of one mind Let nothing be done through strife or vain glory
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But in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. I also believe that Paul wrote these words to a
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New Testament Church he was in monitoring them to be careful among themselves because there was a possibility for Trouble to enter in to Christ churches for division and for factionism
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Disunity threatens the spiritual vitality and harmony of every church and Paul's words exhort us
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To be careful and what we ought not to do and how we ought not to behave And no church is exempt every church needs to be circumspect concerning this matter
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It is the necessity for as I was speaking earlier for the troops to stay in line It is a necessity for us to keep rank
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You've heard me say this or pastor Mike say this, you know The the shield of faith that they had was a shield possibly that was two feet by four feet
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It was beveled on the edge and they would stand and lock those shields together in March forward together as a unified front
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Together if one was off if anybody was doing their own thing there could be a gap in the line and therefore the enemy might be able to creep in if We are going to fight and move forward as one in Spiritual struggles against the forces of darkness.
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It must be in unity In chapter 1 in verse 27 Paul wrote these words only let your conversation or your manner of life
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Be as it become at the gospel of Christ that whether I come and see you or else be absent I may be
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I may hear of your affairs that you've stand fast in one spirit with one mind
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Striving together for the faith of the gospel. We see that word striving together
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Wrestling in a company with that's what it means to seek jointly to work together.
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We're on the same team That's what he's saying here and we're to be striving together for the faith of the gospel
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Paul says there that they are not only to strive for the faith of this gospel But they are to strive together to strive as one now in chapter 2 and in verse 2
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Paul says in his own words. Do you want to know how to really make me happy or To fill up my cup of joy.
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He says fulfill ye my joy Basically what he's saying there is make my joy complete and how can they do that?
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It's interesting to see Paul's joy is closely associated
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With the degree of unity that is amongst these believers. Do you notice that that when
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Paul looks at them? Something that brings joy to his heart is is that they are unified that they are together that they are on the same page speaking the same thing same purposes same desires same passions and When he sees that in the church, that is what will fulfill or complete his joy
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How do they do this? How is it that this joy can be full notice the words that he uses?
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He says that you be like -minded He says like -minded that means to think the same way to live in harmony and promoting this great work of the gospel
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And then he says having the same love Loving the same things love for the
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Lord Jesus Christ love for God's Word love for the glory of God Love for the church love for the lost and especially as I said a love for one another
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Even though we're unlovely Even though we're so different even though we come from such vast backgrounds various backgrounds
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We may differ on some points But we must endeavor to be united in true
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Brotherly love one for another and a love that is one for another equally
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Caring for each other serving one another and of course if we love each other have having a love for another
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We're going to sacrifice for each other Then he goes on it says be of be of one accord being of one accord that literally means being one souled
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Or having our souls joined together. This word is found nowhere else in the New Testament It is also translated in some text as united in spirit
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It means a union of soul and is demonstrated when a body of believers Acts together as a unit as if they were one soul
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That is something that we here at BBC need to pray for and Yearn for and strive for MacArthur writes about this
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He says this describes people who are knit together. You'll see that phrase in collages to to he wanted their hearts
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For that church when he wrote to them. He says that their hearts would be knit together. That was his desire for them
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I don't know if you've ever seen anybody knit, but they take two Dislike people pieces of Material maybe two different colors and knit it together.
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It's blended and becomes one Hearts knit together MacArthur says in harmony having the same desires having the same passions and having the same ambitions
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Then he goes on to say that they are to be of one mind in the Greek. This means to think the same thing
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Intent on one purpose Paul expresses the need for a union of heart of feeling of plan and of purpose he wants us to avoid all fightings and Divisions to stop looking around for our own best interests and look on the interests of others
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To demonstrate the grace of God effectually working in us By being united in a common cause of the faith of the gospel as he speaks back there in 127 chapter 1 verse 27
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Barnes and his commentary wrote on this Text saying probably there is no single thing
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So much insisted on in the New Testament as the importance of harmony among Christians Nothing more important than harmony among Christians Brother Dave when you're preaching a message like that about unity and about harmony
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Are you saying then that you know, you're preaching this because this is what the church needs.
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Well, certainly it's what we need Certainly, it's what we must strive for and certainly it's something that we must guard and protect when it's there
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I mean we we love the Lord with all of our heart soul mind and strength and want to obey him and Be one as we we go forward like -minded of one accord thinking the same things
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But could it possibly be too that we're challenged this morning? Because as was happening even in the
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Corinthian Church when Paul wrote them is that there were these little groups being established
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And and when you have a group as large as BBC can there be little groups?
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Certainly there can be and I believe there are times when when those things happen when people are laboring together and that is okay
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But if we purposely do it because of pride or we purposely do it because of Prejudice because we don't want to speak to somebody else or we we think ourselves may be above somebody else then we need to be careful to deal with that and Knock those walls down so that there is a unity amongst us so that we can go together
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As I said earlier in a unified front harmony Nothing more important than harmony amongst
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Christians in music We say there is harmony when there there are a combination of tones or voices
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Which are pleasant to the ear You don't sit where I sit, but I get to sit back in about three -quarters of the way back
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And there when we are singing there are voices all around me and some folks do really well.
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I cannot do it Well, I just kind of carry the the main whatever you call it I'm not I don't know musical terms, but I just sing like most folks sing
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It's probably the top line of the notes along, but there are folks around me that are singing the bottom line There are some that are singing
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Maybe other lines ones that they've learned notes that they've learned to be able to and it sounds wonderful And it sounds beautiful.
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I mean face it when when we sing a cappella the last verse of a hymn Doesn't it sound great?
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I mean many times it just lifts up your heart when you just just hear all the voices of the redeemed of God singing praises unto the
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Lord and singing in harmony That's what we're speaking of here as a church.
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We need to work together We need to think together We need to be on the same page a phrase today is we need to be in sync we need to be agreeable in our actions and ideas and interests our personal relationships within the church need to be peaceable and friendly church life in every church should be and a more harmonious song of ministering together
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And I ask you wouldn't our efforts to reach a divided unhappy and bickering world be greatly advanced if there was this type of harmony and unity and peace prevailing in our churches
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Paul saw a spirit of disunity possibly creeping in Ever so slightly to the
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Philippian Church And that's why I believe he gives the warning in chapter 4 and in verse 2 he speaks to these two women here
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I beseech Yodius and and beseech syntyche that they be of the same mind in the Lord the only
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Time in this whole epistle, which has a theme of joy and rejoicing and no matter what our circumstances
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Paul deals with a little bit of an issue here It's the only time that there's a negative tone in all of this book and it seems to be pointing to these two women who?
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maybe Possibly were two leading women in the church possibly maybe two of the women that were
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Praying when Paul received the Macedonian call to go into Europe and to bring the gospel for the first time into Europe and maybe they had some type of faction or two opposing factions pops possibly over a
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Personal conflict or something and Paul says they need to be I beseech you I beg you to be of the same mind now you're listening to a human voice read the
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Word of God and purpose to preach the word But do you understand that when the
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Word of God is preached? We're to look beyond the man and we're to look to the
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Word of God and God Speaks to his people through his word through the preaching of the word and here this morning
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We are Listening to Paul begging this church to be of the same mind and The idea and the thought should come to us this morning that that we
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Should be a people who are seeking the same thing thinking the same thing
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Desiring to be on the same page striving for unity Because spiritual stability in the church largely depends upon a mutual love that we have for each other and for us having our hearts knit together in harmony and having peace between the believers and Possibly here
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Paul is warning them in this chapter 4 in verse 2 ever so slightly because Whatever it is that's going on unity
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Possibly could be fading and something is happening to where the Philippian church's testimony could be tarnished
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Because it is a tarnish and it is a blot For the people of God who are called of God and chosen of God saved by God put in the same family
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To be at odds with each other to not be thinking the same to be going in different directions
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Have you ever gone in a in a rowboat with anybody and one person take one or and someone take the other or you got
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To work together, right? Because if not you go in circles, you know, you don't go anywhere You need to row in unison if you ever watch those folks that It's pretty big around here.
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I didn't realize how big it is the crew teams out on Lake Winn -Sigmund Pulling together, you know, five six seven eight folks on that on that little boat
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Pulling together and moving it through the water together in unison with someone in the back calling out the command to row to stroke and what to do and So in the church
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Can our testimony be at stake if we're not in unity? Certainly, it ought to be something that we guard and protect and and strive for Certainly Paul uses the word strive.
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He uses this word wrestle It's going to take an effort to fight and strive to work at at Being one
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Paul was ever so careful here as he warns them Why do we need to be careful
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I believe because there is something within every The very nature of every man woman and child that can cause discord even within God's Blessed churches and Paul tells us what the danger is.
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I must go back to his words in chapter 2 and beginning in verse 3 He says these words That whenever you do anything
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Don't let anything be done through strife or vainglory in the King James It says your your
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Bible might say for strife. It might say Self -ambition don't do anything for self -ambition as that as being your motive the
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Greek word here refers to factionism It it reverse refers to rivalry this this strife
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It refers to pitting two sides against each other Pitting two sides like a little boy playing army
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You got the the green guys and you got the orange guys and they're going against each other It's a spirit of contention the word speaks to pride that motivates people to want to get their own way and we should never act from a principle of Dividing ourselves up into spiritual groups or cliques
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Practically speaking we are prohibited here from stomping on each other to get what we want because we're gonna see later
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It says don't look on your own things, but look on the things of others Don't be so self -focused We should never brag about our talents or gifts or abilities and put other people down because they're not as special as we are
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We ought to put all our prejudices away because prejudices breed disunity. How could we possibly think?
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Evil of someone else or we're better than somebody else when it comes to what the Lord has done to rescue us
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From the sin and the misery and the woe that and the judgment that is do us
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When we think we are better than someone else Because we're stronger or smarter or more gifted or more beautiful or more deserving
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It can only result in discord and misunderstanding and strife The church at Corinth had that problem didn't they in in 1st
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Corinthians chapter 1 if you'd like to hold your place here Turn with me to the 1st Corinthians chapter 1 and we'll briefly take a peek at this
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There was an issue in the church there in 1st
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Corinthians chapter 1 Paul says in verse 11 for it has been declared unto me of You my brethren by them which are of the house of Chloe that there is contentions among you
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Now this I say that every one of you saith I am of Paul and I am of Apollos and I am of Cephas and I of Christ as Christ divided was
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Paul Crucified for you or were you baptized in the name of Paul? And Paul says this to them here's him begging this church also in Verse 10 go back to verse 10 1st
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Corinthians 1 10 now I beseech you brethren by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ that you all speak the same thing
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And that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same
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Spirit see what was happening at the church there is they had their special clubs. I've named them
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I put some names on these this is you know This is not this is as brother Lewis was doing in Sunday school stepping aside and saying a few things
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Picture me stepping aside here a moment. We have these groups these cliques these clubs We've got
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Apollos's appointed ambassadors we've got Paul's power people and Cephas's conquering
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Christians you see how foolish a Foolish of them to think this way and Paul writes them these words
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So that they will get refocused upon Christ and he says in verse 10 speak the same thing
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He says his desire is I beg you speak the same thing this unity of doctrine
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Must be within the local churches based upon Scripture knowing what they believe and embracing what they believe together
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And then he says they ought to be perfectly joined together The idea is is that something is broken and that it needs to be put back together again
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Or that people have been separated and they must be put back together So there is no longer a division
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Paul saw the division there and he says that division that separation It must be put back together again, and the word comes from in the
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New Testament it's used and in classical Greek the word is used of of Mending or this joining together of mending nets or broken bones or utensils or torn clothing or even?
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dislocated joints You see if a joint is dislocated in the body It doesn't function properly if a joint is dislocated it hurts if a joint is dislocated
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It must be put back in place in high school Playing football.
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We had one of the guys on the team during practice so often every so often
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We'd have a play and he'd be laying down on the ground and he would get up off the ground to be holding his arm
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Like this and every once in a while his arm would go out of joint or dislocate
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And it was painful and he would you would see the grimace on his face, and he was just you know hurting really bad
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But he had had it happened so often that he could put it back in place himself
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And as he was standing there he would work it in and it would click into place And then he would go all right ready to go and there we get right back into the practice and get going again
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That's what we're talking about if the church is dislocated If we are out of joint one with another if we're broken
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Then we're ineffective we can't go on that way and we've got to do whatever it takes to get it back together to confess the sin to to rid the
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Separation or the opposition between us and not to faction ourselves But when we look at any brother or sister in Christ We rejoice that they are
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Christ's and that they are our brother and sister and that we are on the same page And we are to think together and that there be no divisions and we guard against that Paul also says in 1st
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Corinthians 110 that they should be of the same mind and judgment start in it starts in your own mind
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And then it moves towards making good decisions within the assembly United in truth beliefs and convictions and standards and behavior and principles of living and of course those principles of living
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The foundation of which is the Word of God That's why the Word of God is so important it must be taught it must be read it must be meditated upon It must be studied so that so that we can speak the same thing think the same way have the mind of Christ Paul uses a second word and go back with me
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Please if you would to Philippians chapter 2 not only are we not to do anything through this strife or this selfish ambition but he says don't do anything through vainglory or Empty glory vainglory empty glory your translation might say conceit
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This word also occurs nowhere else in the New Testament, and it means empty pride or empty glory and of course if we're
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If we have a pursuit to where our glory is for ourselves and not for the
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Lord Then of course it's an empty glory. It's a vainglory and This is where man's pride and vain conceit
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That is the ultimate source of division and factionism rises up vainglory implies a mere desire to honor ourselves to attract attention to ourselves to get the praise and to make ourselves the center of Attention this attitude will destroy a church
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Paul commands them or his command in this verse His his admonition to us here is to let nothing be done with that aim in mind pride makes us think that we are always right and that we're always deserving of our own way, but self is not to be promoted and Selfishness is not to be our motive for any action the pride of man the pride that can rise up in all of our hearts at any time is
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Like the egg of a poisonous snake which needs to be crushed By humility before it hatches
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When we speak of pride in the scriptures listen to these verses Proverbs 13 verse 10 only by pride comes contention
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Proverbs 28 25 he that is of a proud heart stirs up strife See when there's pride there what it does is it just stirs up strife as wood to the fire
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So wood fuels a fire so is a contentious man to kindle strife
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When pride cometh that was 26 21 Proverbs 11 verse 2 when pride comes then comes shame
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But notice this with the lowly is wisdom and we're heading there We can conclude from these verses that when pride comes
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Then comes contention and following contention is strife and when strife comes there's disunity
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And disunity as I said will destroy the church How many times Have we done something in order to get the attention to get the spotlight put upon ourselves
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To feed our pride possibly we want others to look at us even maybe in the good things we do
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Benevolent acts and abilities to speak or our intellect or talents or whatever we do. We need to be careful brethren
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That we are not trying to toot our own horn Proverbs 27 verse 2 says that we ought to let another man praise thee and not thine own mouth a stranger and not thine own lips
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What is the answer for strife and for a vain glory? Well, Paul gives us the remedy for these division makers in the second part of verse 3
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Philippians 2 and verse 3 He says if you want to put the fires of strife and contention out then humility must be the extinguisher
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Philippians 2 in verse 3 he first says in lowliness of mind that means a modesty or humility
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And it means the exact opposite of pride the prideful heart lifts itself up the humble heart takes its proper place as Described here by the word lowly or lowliness
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The idea is of being low of being shabby thinking this way of ourselves low and shabby and humble
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Stripped of self not desirous of flattery or praise or attention With this
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Christian virtue we can take our rightful place as James admonished us humble ourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God And he also wrote for God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble
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Lloyd -jones wrote this of this text the only hope for peace Among men is that men will be brought off their thrones
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Point blank and simple there isn't it? The only hope for men is that men be brought off their thrones that they be humbled and together bow their knees unto
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God It is only as we realize together that we belong to God and not to ourselves that we shall be one because of our common allegiance to Christ Paul goes on with his teaching here in Philippians 2 and verse 3 of the necessity of humility
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Let each esteem other better than self He says there at the end of verse 3 leach esteem other better themselves
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We are to get our eyes off of ourselves and focus them on others
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We should feel that others are worthy of more respect than we are
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Because if we know our own hearts, we know we ought to be humbled If we truly know our own hearts
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We know that we ought to be humbled and there is nothing that should commend us to lift up Ourselves before others and think that we are above or over others
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We ought to treat others or esteem others high more highly than ourselves Paul continues his thoughts on this principle of unity here in verse 4
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Where he says look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.
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Oh If we could only live out this verse Living or looking to the things of others and not for the things of ourselves as I said earlier in the message
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We live in a society That puts the spotlight on self don't we
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I mean it is so clear that it is I mean you hear in all of the self -help types of seminars and things that you can go to books that are written
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It's self esteem It is just to pump up self to make sure that we're satisfied to make sure that we are happy to make sure that we are catered to to make sure that we feel good about ourselves and it's me myself and I and I am my own little universe and everything wraps around everything revolves around me and God comes to us and Knocks the pillars out from underneath that false type of philosophy and said look
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The way that you do it the way for unity the way that that you follow in the example of Jesus Christ in this chapter
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Philippians chapter 2 is that you don't think about yourself but you think about others and their needs and thinking highly of them and God will be honored and God God will smile upon his children
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Who will walk this way the way of humility and humbling themselves before other people and doing for others?
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ministering unto others the life of Christ you read the Gospels and you cannot see that that everything was focused toward him
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For him to be served. He said I didn't come to to be served but to to serve others. That was his desire
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He went about doing good to help others what a powerful witness we would be and what a
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Different how what a difference it would make in our churches and in our homes and in our marriages and in our families and our
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Relationships if we thought this way and we acted this way. Can you imagine if everyone lived like this?
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What a different world it would be what a testimony We would be as a church a unified church to a world that is so disunified so Broken up so bitter so much fighting.
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I mean those of you that go to the workplace every day I mean other than the first conversation is usually the television show from the night before but after you get past all of that it is
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It's gossip And and now that I can't believe that that person does that way
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I can't stand it when they do that and on and on And on it's this bickering bickering in this fighting this division and pitting people against each other
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Constantly like that in the world in which we live And the Church of Jesus Christ is called to lowliness of mind
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Esteeming other better themselves looking not to our own things, but the things of others this
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Paul says is the answer for the world in which we live. This is the secret to harmony
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To peace and to unity lowliness of mind This humility is so very important and true humility shows itself
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By putting the cares and the needs and the advancements of others before oneself The welfare of others becomes a desire within our hearts
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We look for opportunities to put other people up in the front of the line not to cut in the line
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I mean that is not what we do. We're kids. We want to get up front. We want to be king of the hill Imagine that there's a game
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In the world that's called king of the hill. So you're on top push everybody down get them off the top You're gonna be up top there
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And if we take that game and if we sanctify it in the church is who could be the footstool?
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Who can be the threshold? Who's going to be the one that's gonna just gonna be at the bottom of the hill so to speak in?
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Doing that we would promote others and we would do for others When we think of others first rather than ourselves first This is so opposite than the thinking of the world and that's why the teachings of the
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Apostle Paul I believe when he comes on the scene and God gets a hold of him and he begins to preach Not only the gospel of Christ, which is so offensive
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To their to their intellect and so offensive to their religion and their culture and their desire for power and for pride
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But it also just rips up all of the all of the type of philosophy that was there in the day for self and for promotion of self and for Self -aggrandizement for self focus and self absorbent
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Paul says gone all of it gone Think upon other people.
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Let's face it folks Many times we are too self -focused and we're too self -absorbed and we don't spend enough time living for others
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We look at our lives and yes, we have things that we need to do. We have responsibilities We've got to go to work and we need to to take care of our families and we need to pay the bills
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And we need to do a good job being stewards of all the things that God gives to us But if we live our lives for me myself and I we're going to be the most miserable people on the face of the earth
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The Lord Jesus Christ did not do that when he came He came as the the Luke had written
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He says the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost Not that the
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Son of Man has come to sit down and let everybody cater to him Now not only
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I know it's right for us to honor the Lord and for us to serve him and to worship him But if you look at his earthly ministry, it wasn't a one -way thing coming towards him
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It was a it was a going out of virtue. It was a going out of care
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It was shedding tears for other people It was having compassion upon others and it wasn't a self -focus because if it was a self -focus for self -preservation
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He would have not gone to the cross. He said I'm not going to do this I don't care what the Father's will is
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I won't go but that was not his thinking God Demonstrated his love toward us and that while we had sinners
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Christ died for us and he said not my will father in the Garden of Gethsemane not my will but thine be done and he willingly gave up himself
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Sacrificed himself on our behalf so that he could do for others and you see we're to walk in the same steps
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We're to live in the same way. He humbled himself. It says here notice in Philippians 2 verse 7 he took upon him the form of a servant and he was made in the likeness of men and being found in fashion as a
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Man, he humbled himself and became obedient unto death even the death of the cross the worst kind of death possible and he did it in this great demonstration of humility
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Humbling himself and coming on our behalf and John wrote in his epistle 1st
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John chapter 2 around the first that that as Christ Jesus walked so we to walk We're to walk in his steps and to follow
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Tim and to be as the song says more like the master Paul says that this is the only way to keep discord
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From in clicks and strife out of the body of Jesus Christ this idea of ministering to others and Humbling ourselves so that we don't lift up ourselves before others should be part of the fiber of our weekly
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Experience as believers in Jesus Christ First it's lowliness lowliness of mind lowly mindedness
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Maybe then that can bring out like -mindedness and then love -mindedness which?
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results of course in humility Maybe we could ask ourselves these questions practically.
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Let's help each other here this morning. Let's think about this What kind of questions could we ask? Ourselves every day.
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Well, here's one. What is the best? That I could do for the church today What is the best thing that I could do for someone else?
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You know and you can't do For other folks if you're not looking around you have to look around you have to have an eye
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To look for the opportunity to love people enough to just look into their lives and and venture I mean, that's what
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God did he considers he looks Upon fallen man and has great pity and compassion that he does something about it
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He sends his son To die on the cross and be buried and risen again so that we could be saved
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God has pity upon our on our poor state our poor lost helpless hopeless Christless graceless state and send us sends his son and when we are to walk in the way of the master we got to look around and As we're looking around we could say in what way could
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I humble myself and sacrifice for someone else? How can I help? Someone today
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How about this one if there's divisions and separations this idea of joining back together again dislocation?
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Who am I at odds with or? Who do I purposely? Separate myself from and what steps will
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I take to mend the broken relationship this week? And I will purpose before God that I will do it
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That's a challenge for us I mean you can come you can come and hear a message and you can shake my hand on the way out to tour and say great message brother
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Dave But if it doesn't affect us If it doesn't change our lives if it doesn't grip our hearts what we ought to when we walk out the door today
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We should see the example of the Savior and all that he did how he humbled himself For us on our behalf and how we're to humble ourselves and to serve others and and esteem others better than ourselves and look at Their needs rather than our own
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What can we do, maybe we're challenged Maybe maybe the the finger comes down to us, and I'm sure all of us if we would just really search ourselves
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There would be some action that we can take in this area to mend some broken fence
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Maybe to stop wasting our time Kind of catering to ourselves and let's step out of our comfort zone
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So to speak and go and engage Ourselves for others because we love them and we'll humble ourselves and do do for them.
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What about the other person? Who can I be kind to today? Who can I be helpful to? Rather than expecting it for myself today.
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How could I look upon someone else instead of myself? I may be suffering today and but there is somebody who must be in a worse a worse
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Situation that I am and what am I going to do about it? Who in the church as I said a little earlier do
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I keep away from and maybe not talk to I kind of? Skirt kind of go the other way and I'm gonna walk right up to them and shake their hand
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I'm gonna be thankful that they're my brother and sister in Christ, and I'm gonna do for them today this week
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How can I break out of myself shell and enter into someone else's needs? How can God use me as an example of true humility this week?
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This ought to be our daily attitude and Paul says that the church cannot do without this attitude and God commands us
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To regard the life and the needs of others and Paul writes this as our duty to behave in this way
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And this is possible for us by the working of the Holy Spirit within our lives, okay?
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Let me wrap up this message this morning What ought to motivate us? You notice that I purposely skipped over verse 1 and you'll notice there that there are some
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Motivations Paul says if there be therefore any consolation in Christ and what he's saying
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There is this could be translated if there be any exhortation in Christ Paul makes an appeal to us to live a certain way based upon the
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Encouragement that we get from being found in Jesus Christ as true believers and followers of the
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Savior If there are any consolations if there if there is any encouragement from being in Christ and of course we know that there is so if there is he says
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Fulfill you my joy and humble yourself and do for others. That's what he's saying He goes on to say if there's any comfort of love if the love which you have received from Christ is compelling and has gripped
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You then let each esteem other better than themselves He also says in verse 1 if any fellowship of the
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Spirit if you have fellowship with the Spirit of Christ Then show it in this way how what is the only answer look not every man on his own things
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But on the things of others He says if there's any bowels of and mercies in verse 1 or your your translation might say affections and mercies if the life of God Has been planted within you
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Then make an effort to let the mind of humility be in you Also, which was also in Christ or if there's any bowels of mercies or affection and mercies
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Since God has poured out as a deep affection and God has poured at his mercies of and compassion upon us as believers
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Then in reality we should that should result in unity within the body
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It's possible It is essential and it is the only remedy for the troubles of strife that strife and discord bring in the world in which we live within families at the workplace and Within the churches this
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My friends is gospel fruit This is
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Christian virtue unity by Humility is the way of life for every member of every church and this will result in a harmonious living
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That is what the world needs to see at Bethlehem Bible Church and every church
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Humility is the only basis for unity and having a lowliness of mind is the only hope for the world in which we live and the grace of God teaches us as the people of God it says in Titus the grace of God teaches us to live soberly righteously and godly in this present world and God's Spirit is pressing upon us to walk and to live together in humility
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Lastly I'll just touch on it. Maybe in your reading this afternoon You can look at this But in verses 5 through 8 some of it which
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I read tells us of the blessed example of the Lord Jesus That we are to follow His is the ultimate example of selfless humility, and we're not called to any other path selfless
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Humility he did not consider himself He looked away from himself, and he looked toward you and me because he looked upon the things of others and Because he thought that way that is why he came to die for us to be buried for us to Take our sins out of the way to rise again from the grave so that we might be justified and Paul says in verse 5
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Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus We ought to be more like the master and to think
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The way that he thought and lived This is the only way to live as a Christian this is the only hope for peace and harmony and unity within the walls of any church and Again, I've said it probably four times just purposely so that we'll hear it brethren
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This is what the world needs to see It really needs to see a church that is presenting a unified front living in harmony singing live like that song being sung with all those voices blending together in just a beautiful tone and for church life the church family life to be that harmonious song of praise as We lock shields together as we care about each other as we look for those opportunities to do our brethren good and So honor the
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Lord in our lifestyle Self being crucified and Jesus shining forth in our lives by God's grace