Standing Firm in Unity and Support

All right, please open your Bibles to the letter of Paul to the Philippians.

We're going to be looking at chapter 4 this morning, Philippians chapter 4, and the verses before us are going to be verses 1 through 3.

Philippians chapter 4, verses 1 through 3. I've titled today's sermon,

Standing Firm in Unity and Support, Standing Firm in Unity and Support.

Paul writes this, chapter 4, verse 1, Therefore my brothers, loved and longed for, my joy and crown, in this way stand firm in the

Lord, my beloved. I urge you, Odiah, and I urge Syntyche, to think the same way in the

Lord. Indeed, I ask you also, genuine companion, help these women who have contended together alongside of me in the

Gospel, with also Clement and the rest of my fellow workers whose names are in the book of life.

Standing firm in unity and support. The passage today is about unity.

If we are swayed by every new cultural or political development that contradicts the word of God, then it is not possible for us to stand firm in the

Lord. Our convictions need to be on what God has proclaimed so that we can stay true to the

Lord. If our agreement is based on the ever -changing morality of human society, then our like -mindedness will be ever -changing.

Thinking the same way and supporting one another must be based on God's word, because the teaching from the

Bible will never change. This is true biblical unity. This is true unity because it is based on our union with Christ.

And we all have a part to play. And when we are united, we can accomplish much together.

Every new believer, every born -again Christian has a gift that they can contribute to the body in which they worship.

We all have spiritual gifts. And part of that is we have strengths or weaknesses, depending upon how

God has uniquely made us as individuals. But we all have a part to play.

One way to think about this, just as an opening illustration, many years ago, two students graduated from a prestigious law school, a college of law, actually in Russia.

The highest -ranking student in the class was a blind person, it was a blind man. And when he received his honor, he insisted that half the credit should go to his best friend in the class.

His best friend had a disability. This individual was born without arms.

So the second person did not have arms. They had first met one another in school when the armless man had guided the blind man down a flight of stairs.

And this acquaintance ripened into friendship and a beautiful example of interdependence.

The blind man carried the books that the armless man read aloud in their common study.

And thus the deficiency of each individual was compensated by the other's ability.

As a preacher of God's Word, I can say to every person in Christ, I'll join with you for the

Lord Jesus Christ. If we can come to an agreement at who He is and to what

He has done for us, we should meet there with Him in unity.

In today's passage, the Apostle Paul gives three very practical commands for the believing church members so that you can live in unity with other brothers and sisters in Christ.

First, three practical commands for unity amongst believers.

The first one is to stay true to the Lord, verse 1. The second is see eye to eye for the sake of Christ, verse 2.

And finally, support brothers and sisters that need to be reconciled, verse 3.

Three practical commands for unity amongst believers. Number one, stay true to the

Lord. Paul says, therefore, my brothers loved and longed for my joy and crown.

In this way, stand firm in the Lord, my beloved. In this first verse,

Paul is subtly returning to the beginning of the letter. He restates several of the same terms he had used in the first part of the letter.

The word, therefore, is simply a conjunction that reflects a result. He is encouraging the

Philippians to respond with the way they live their lives based on the truth that you see right before he says this.

Chapter 3, look at verses 20 and 21. Paul says, our citizenship is in heaven and from it we await a

Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.

Chapter 3, 20 and 21. This is a foundational truth for every Christian.

As one commentator pointed out here, he says, the thought of those whose lives are dominated by their desire for earthly things leads the apostle to say that true

Christians know that their life and citizenship is even now in heaven with Christ.

Thus we eagerly await the reappearing from heaven of our Savior, the Lord Jesus. Christ's coming will mean the transformation of our lowly bodies to be like his glorious body by the power of God to whose working there can ultimately be no limitation or hindrance.

And Paul says, therefore, for this reason, stand firm in the

Lord. But before he gives the first command, he reiterates who he's talking to.

He says, my brothers. Again, we can take this, this plural, masculine plural as the whole of the church at Philippi.

He says, you, all of you. He's talking to the congregation, men, women, children,

Jewish and Gentiles translated, my brethren, dearly beloved in the

King James. We're back to the intended recipients of the letter. Even if you look at chapter one, verse one to all the saints in Christ Jesus, which are at Philippi with the elders and deacons.

And this is important for two reasons. First, because it was important to Paul. Second, because of the significance of the repetition for us.

He made it a point to reiterate who he was talking to in this verse as he had done throughout the letter.

It was important to Paul. This is significant for us because it means the commands found in these three verses are for every believer, men, women, and children.

If you profess faith in Christ and you truly believe in your heart, then this is for you.

Every believer, no exception, brothers and sisters in Christ. And before Paul gets to the command in the verse, he describes his brethren.

So we know who he's talking to. Now look at the description. The term who I love and long for is actually a combination of two adjectives.

The word love and the word long are both adjectives that Paul uses to describe his beloved, the brethren.

The new King James translated this section, my beloved and longed for brethren.

This love is agape love, pertaining to one who is dearly loved, indicating a very close relationship.

Someone who is dear, prized, and highly valued. Think of it as unconditional love.

And the term Paul uses for longing is the same from Philippians chapter one, verse eight.

So just a little spoiler here. This is a little bit of a review, so keep your finger in chapter four, but be ready to flip around.

We're going to go through a little review here. Chapter one, verse eight, for God is my witness, how

I yearn for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus. In Philippians one, eight,

Paul's pure motive in yearning for them is demonstrated by invoking the divine witness of God.

For God is my witness. Paul knew his feeling of intense longing for the

Philippians was because of Christ's yearning for his own people. Paul had this kind of longing for the

Philippians. His affection and love for them wasn't only based on past experiences, but on the unity that comes when believers draw on the love of Jesus, Christ's love.

Paul is expressing strong compassion or love, the kind of love that involves the entire being or inner person.

All Christians are part of the family of God. Because all believers share equally in the transforming power of Christ's love.

This kind of longing and yearning conveys an earnestly desired affection. Other Greek writings of the time use the term in a strong desire to see someone.

One example is the longed for sight of you, to be present with someone.

If you miss worship for whatever reason, and haven't been around your church family, then you know this feeling.

Many of us went through this even in the COVID lockdowns. You know, streaming and listening to a sermon online is better than nothing.

But streaming and listening to a sermon online is better than nothing. I mean, it's just barely above that.

We need to be together with one another. We can't practice the one another's by ourselves. And so if you're like me during that COVID time, there was just such a yearning and a longing to be around other

Christians. Just the sweetness of fellowship and to come together as brothers and sisters in Christ.

Where it makes a difference in your life and you miss being around other Christians. That's the deep longing and affection that you want to be reunited with your brothers and sisters in Christ.

And that's what Paul is talking about here. I mean, really, if you don't have this kind of affection for other

Christians, there may be something wrong with you spiritually. A person that doesn't have love for other

Christians may be spiritually dead. This is the first kind of supporting scripture that I want us to point us to.

Staying true and staying true to Jesus means loving one another. We can look at Jesus' words from the eyewitness account in the

Gospel of John. I give you a new command, love one another. Just as I have loved you, you must also love one another.

By this, all people will know that you are my disciples. What is it if you have love for one another?

Paul loved the Philippians. It seems pretty clear. If you don't have agape love for other believers,

Jesus says, then you can't be my disciple. If you don't have love for other believers, then you're not a disciple of Christ.

A complaining and grumbling attitude toward God's people may be a sign of unbelief.

Standing firm can't be effective if love and longing is absent. Let the love of Jesus motivate you to love other

Christians and to express that love by the way you treat them. But Paul isn't done with his description of the brethren.

He says they're loved and longed for, and then he says they are his joy and his crown.

The theme of joy pops back up here. Paul is referring to the experience of gladness, but specifically a person or thing that causes joy.

And Paul explained his reason for joy in the Philippians in chapter 2, verse 16.

So turn to Philippians 2 .16. Let's look at what Paul has said here, and it will help us to have a better understanding of verse 1.

Philippians 2 .16, Paul says, Holding fast to the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain.

Verse 16 of chapter 2 is critical to understand what Paul is reiterating in verse 1 of chapter 4, in standing firm or holding fast.

In verse 16, Paul is literally saying, holding forth the word of life.

Of course, he's talking about the word of God, the holy scriptures. And this is a clear reference to the gospel.

The gospel is the word of life, because it makes known to us eternal life through Jesus Christ.

He's communicating to the Philippians to maintain a tight grasp on the scriptures, to hold it tightly, hold on tightly to the gospel.

So how do you live as a child of God? By holding a very tight grasp on the word of God.

And the common meaning of the Greek term of holding forth means literally, so applying it, so applying it.

Paul is talking about application. He's talking about living. And now

Paul ends his thought by concluding his motive for their benefit in living as children of God.

He concludes that their lives, their living, will prove that Paul's life was useful to God.

Remember in Philippians chapter 1, just flip over to 1 real quick, Philippians 1, 21 through 26,

Paul gave the reason for his life. What is Paul's reason for living?

Chapter 1, 21 through 26, For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.

If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which

I shall choose, I cannot tell. I am hard -pressed between the two.

My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better.

But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account. Convinced of this,

I know that I will remain and continue with you all for your progress and joy in the faith.

So that in me you may have ample cause to glory in Christ Jesus because of my coming to you again.

So Paul explained that living for Christ is truly living and that dying is an even greater gain.

Because believers will be with Christ. Believers will be with Christ and this knowledge is the motivation to mentor and disciple other believers.

For their sanctification and joy in their faith. Before Jesus ascended into heaven, he gave his disciples the

Great Commission. And instructed them to make disciples of all the nations.

And Jesus clarified what that means. First is baptism and then teaching them to observe all that he commanded.

The passage about Paul's reason for living shows that Paul took this charge very seriously.

And then back to chapter 2, 16, Paul says he could be proud of his life because of the

Philippians living. His labor found meaning in their lives.

Consider Paul's motive for laboring. The spiritual progress of other believers.

Paul is living out the command of humility in chapter 2, verses 3 and 4.

Remember all of this is flowing together as he's making these logical points and there's a flow of thought here.

In chapter 2, 3 and 4 he said do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit. But in humility count others more significant than yourselves.

Let each of you look not only to his own interest but also the interest of others.

Paul could look at his life with accomplishment. Because it was a life sacrificed for the good of his brothers and sisters in Christ.

The idea of being proud in chapter 2, verse 16 is not in Paul's own accomplishment.

This is a selfless, I don't get the credit kind of a pride. When he says proud he's referring to the act of taking pride in something or that which constitutes a source of pride.

He is saying I can boast in your living as children of God. Ultimately Paul gets no glory.

Who gets the glory in Paul's life? Well God the Father, God the Son, God the

Holy Spirit. Another example of Paul's motivation. The future glory, the return of Christ, the resurrection.

Paul's motivation is Christ's return from the start to finish of this letter. His mind and heart are saturated with being with Christ.

As we look forward to the day of Christ drawing nearer and nearer it should give us hope.

This is the reason we can live as children of God. That we can have unity as brothers and sisters in Christ.

And we see the connection even from chapter 1, verse 6 to 2, 16. Paul says and I am sure of this that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Christ.

It's Christ working in you. God gets the credit from start to finish.

Christ's return should motivate us to emulate Paul and live as children of God.

Holding fast to the word of life so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain.

So that's just a little review for us that gives added clarity to what Paul is saying about the

Philippians being his joy and crown in our verse this morning.

One commentator noted like this. He said Paul reveals his deep affection for the

Philippian believers. The term for long to see refers to the deep pain of separation from loved ones.

Paul did not derive his joy from circumstances but from his fellow believers in Philippi.

The Greek term for crown refers to the laurel wreath received by an athlete for winning a contest or by a person honored by his peers at a banquet.

As a symbol of success or a fruitful life. The Philippian believers were proof that Paul's efforts were successful.

This Greek word for stand firm was often used to describe a soldier standing at his post as with chapter 1 verse 27 and chapter 4 verse 1.

It is a military command. Paul described this idea of the crown or wreath in his illustration of heavenly rewards in his first letter to the

Corinthians. It's where he says every athlete exercises self -control in all things.

They do it to receive a perishable wreath. But we an imperishable.

That's first Corinthians 925. What a great thing to say for encouragement for the believers in Philippi.

Paul says you are evidence of my future heavenly reward.

And finally the command to stand firm in the Lord.

The term in this way is important here. Translated so stand fast in the

Lord in the King James. Or stand firm thus in the

Lord in the English standard. The word is an adverb that describes the Greek verb for standing firm.

The word refers to what precedes before. Think of it like saying in this manner.

Stand firm in this way in this manner in the Lord. And it connects the command to stand firm back to what

Paul had said in chapter 3 20 and 21. Paul is saying because Christ will give us a transformed sin -free glorified body.

You must stand firm in the Lord against opponents of the faith. The term stand firm is one word in the original.

This is the idea of staying true. But not just staying true to some you know unreachable or untangible thing.

This is staying true to what you believe about Jesus. Staying true to the

Lord. It means to be firmly committed in conviction or belief. Therefore my beloved brothers whom

I love and long for my joy and crown. Be firmly committed in the Lord Jesus Christ in your convictions.

Based on your belief that the Lord will transform your earthly bodies into sin -free glorified spiritual bodies just like his.

That's the way we can read verse 1. He reiterates this command from chapter 1 verse 27.

Look at Philippians 1 27. He says only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ.

So that whether I come and see you or am absent. I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit.

With one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel.

That's unity. Unity. That's living a worthy life.

The biblical concept of worthiness is that of integrity. Believers are to be marked by integrity.

In verse 27 of chapter 1 it introduced another major theme in Philippians. Which is unity.

Unity. The apostle gives a sincere call for unity.

Not a unity based on personal preferences. A unity based on the word of God.

Paul knows that a oneness in spirit is absolutely necessary for the spiritual battle of the

Christian faith. Paul's call for unity is partly based on the love of other

Christians in the body of believers. It's partly based on genuine humbleness and humility.

His call is in response to division within the Philippian congregation. He's concerned about the relationships within the church.

Paul's view of himself was humble servant. His relationships were a chance to serve.

The example of Jesus Christ is Paul's ultimate appeal in unity. Jesus proved that sacrifice produces eternal glory.

Paul is calling the Philippians to live sacrificially so that Christ can be glorified.

Paul's calling for unity is really a calling for Christ's glory. The striving together is struggling along with one another.

Struggling along with another person. Relationships within the body can glorify

Christ. Disunity in the body does not glorify

Christ. Paul started in Philippians 1 .27 with the metaphor of a soldier standing at his post.

Stand firm. But in chapter 4 verse 1, Paul flips the figure of speech to one that pictures a team struggling together.

One group of people with a common goal. What does a team want to do?

They're united for one purpose. To win. A united team thinking the same way, operating the same way.

They are a team struggling for one common purpose. The faith of the gospel.

The faith of the gospel is the Christian faith revealed by God and recorded in the word of God.

The term in one spirit, which is in chapter 1 verse 27, is actually used the same way in Acts 4.

In Acts 4 .32, it's in the context of sharing among believers. It says, and the congregation of those who believed were of one heart and soul.

And not one of them claimed that anything belonging to him was his own, but all things were common property to them.

And the reason I point that out is the one spirit term is a communal aspect.

To only value what they own by the need of fellow believers. They're on the same team.

They're in the same fight. And Paul encouraged the believers to fight side by side.

And you just think about this. How many churches have actually divided? There's been splits over really things that are not eternal.

How many churches have split over just petty disagreements? If you're not in agreement about the big things, then you'll divide over the little things.

A body of believers will lose time and effort if fighting with one another. Rather than fighting together for a common purpose.

Paul is saying the Philippians need to resist the temptation to quarrel amongst themselves.

He's saying they should maintain a common purpose. To serve Jesus by serving each other.

The way you treat the least of your brothers and sisters in Christ is the way you treat Jesus. In chapter 4, verse 1,

Paul reiterates the command and takes it to a deeper truth that is eternal. The resurrection of the

Lord Jesus Christ. The transformation of lowly and humble earthly bodies that suffer in sin.

To amazing and glorious spiritual bodies that are free from sin.

We must remember this reality. You have a future ahead of you where you will have a sin -free body.

That is what we need to focus on. He says because of this, stand firm together in the

Lord, Jesus united as believers. The question this morning is how do you stay true to the

Lord? How do you stand firm? Will you remember the truth?

Remember the truth. We are citizens of heaven where the

Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our savior.

He will take our weak mortal bodies and change them into glorious bodies like his own.

Using the same power with which he will bring everything under his control.

The way to stand firm is to keep our eyes on Jesus Christ. The way to stay true is to remember that this world is not our home.

Our time on earth is but a temporary dwelling. Heaven is our home. You stay true by remembering that truth.

Remember the truth. Christ will bring everything under his control.

Staying true to the Lord means being steadfast in resisting the influences of false teaching and striving against the temptation to sin.

By not being frightened in persecution. Standing firm for the Lord requires godly perseverance when our biblical convictions are challenged by opponents of the faith.

Remember that Christ rules over all things. You don't need to lose heart or give up as we see the ever -changing morality in our society.

God has promised to give his followers, the followers of his son, strength of character.

With the Holy Spirit's help, we can stay true. We can stand firm with the help of fellow believers.

Remember the promises of the gospel and you can stay true to the Lord. One way to think about this,

I was thinking about what a good illustration may be for this point. It made me think of a tugboat not being swayed by the waves in the ocean.

You have these giant ships that are out there and our society's morality is just always up and down. But there's a constant, as these ships are losing power, this steady tugboat has to go in there.

And he rescues the big ships and brings them out of that storm. We want to be like that, that we are constant and unchanging and not swayed by the tides of society.

Or even the winds and change of new doctrines. That we're just set and secure in what we believe in our convictions from the word of God.

Not being swayed like a boat by the waves. Practical commands for unity amongst believers.

Number one, stay true to the Lord by being firmly committed to convictions from biblical teaching.

That's what it means to stay true to the Lord. And number two, see eye to eye.

See eye to eye for the sake of Christ. Paul says,

I urge Euodia and I urge Syntyche to think the same way in the

Lord. Paul's first command was to stand firm or hold fast in the

Lord. The next two commands give us some insight on the application of standing firm in the

Lord. In verse two, Paul brings up some women who are identified as ministry partners.

But there seems to be some sort of disagreement amongst the two. There are some clues for us to their background in the historical narrative of the

Acts of the Apostles. In chapter 16 of Acts, there's an account of the conversion of a woman named

Lydia. Acts 16, 11 through 13, it says this. So setting sail from Troas, we made a direct voyage to Simothrace and the following day to Neapolis.

And from there to Philippi, which is a leading city of the district of Macedonia and a Roman colony. We remained in this city some days.

And on the Sabbath day, we went outside the gate to the riverside where we supposed there was a place of prayer.

And we sat down and spoke to the women who had come together. So it's not out of the realm of possibility that Euodia and Syntyche may have been among the women who were meeting for prayer.

The text in Acts doesn't name them. And the text in Philippians does not identify their specific background.

But verse three does implicitly state that they have labored side by side with Paul for the gospel.

Yet there appears to be some sort of personality conflict. Paul's association of the two women along with Clement and the other fellow workers in verse three clues us into the fact that these women were prominent church members.

Really, both of Paul's commands in verse two and verse three revolve around Euodia and Syntyche.

Agree and help, unity and support. Notice in verse two,

Paul doesn't bring up a specific doctrinal issue. His aim is to bring unity in what appears to be some sort of division or disunity in the local church with these two women at the front.

The command of unity may be for Euodia and Syntyche in verse two and verse three, but this command is for everyone in the church.

When Paul says he entreats them to agree, he's using the same word from Philippians chapter two, verse two.

Turn to Philippians 2 .2. Same word for agree.

He says, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind.

The context of this passage is the lens we can look through to understand verse two of chapter four.

Notice how Paul ties his joy to his concern for other believers. Paul's joy was tied to the unity of the believers in Philippi.

He wants them to be unified to the point of having the same mind. He wants them to think the same.

Paul's rebuke here is not an optional command. In Philippians 2 .2, Paul is giving an imperative command for them to make joy complete.

Paul again anchors his argument in outward and external displays of humility.

A humble man is a man of love. What has been taught by God will affect our attitudes toward others, toward other believers.

Being like -minded and having an attitude of humility starts with being like -minded about what the word of God teaches.

Christians are commanded to love other believers in the body equally. Same love is only possible through Christ.

It is the idea of a loving, servant -minded sacrifice to all believers that was shown by Jesus Christ toward us.

Paul is speaking of a love that is active and keeps in mind others with an intentional purpose.

Being united in spirit is a term that was coined by Paul. The term united in spirit literally means to be one -souled.

It's more than having similar preferences. This is being joined in soul in terms of loving the same things in the fellowship of the soul that binds together.

This is not having something in common. It is describing persons who are bonded together in harmony.

They are fused together. Believers ought to have the same desires, the same passions, and in some cases the same ambitions.

This is Paul's point to Euodia and Syntyche. You may be a lone wolf in the world, but there is no place for a loner in the body of believers.

We all have a shared salvation. We all learn from one another. We all grow together.

Our like -mindedness does not depend on personal perspective. Our like -mindedness depends on the word of God.

Without the Bible being the inerrant, sufficient, and authoritative word of God, there is no unity.

Without Jesus, there is no unity. Christ unites us.

Paul's joy was tied to the unity of the believers in Philippi. And the significance is that believers should tie their joy to concern for other believers.

Being like -minded and having an attitude of humility that starts with being like -minded about what the word of God teaches.

In Philippians 4, verse 2, the term, think the same way, Paul is using conveys having an opinion with regard to something.

It's the Greek word for agree. In this case, the word of life, agreement in the gospel.

Standing firm for the gospel against opponents. Paul is talking about living in harmony and in agreement.

The command in chapter 4, verse 2, comes from the form of a verb meaning to exhort. Paul is saying,

I strongly urge you in appeal to be of the same mind. I exhort you,

Odiah and Syntyche, strongly with urgency to think the same way in the Lord.

This is seeing eye to eye for the sake of Christ. Unity in Christ.

Unity in the gospel. One commentator said this on verse 2.

At Philippi, women were the first hearers of the gospel. In Lydia, the first convert.

It is a coincidence which marks genuineness that in this epistle alone, special instructions are given to women who labored with Paul in the gospel.

In selecting the first teachers, those first converted would naturally be fixed on.

Uodiah and Syntyche were doubtless two of the women who resorted to the riverside where prayers was wont to be made.

And being early converted would naturally take an active part in teaching other women called at a later period.

Of course, not in public preaching, but in a less prominent sphere. That's a helpful note on this verse.

These were prominent church members. They were laboring side by side with Paul.

So obviously, the reference to not preaching in public goes to Paul's prescription for church worship.

There's a restriction for teaching for women. First Timothy 2, 11 and 12, women should learn quietly and submissively.

I do not let women teach men or have authority over them. Let them listen quietly.

Yet, there is a command for teaching for women. So if you're part of the reading fellowship that we're going through these helpful studies of Titus 2, this passage from Titus is familiar to you.

Really, the whole study is based on Titus 2. Paul will write to Titus, You must train the younger women to love their husbands and their children, to live wisely and be pure, to work in their homes, to do good, and to be submissive to their husbands.

Then they will not bring shame on the word of God. So what a weighty responsibility the women have.

You have a command from the word of God to disciple and teach. Euodia and Syntyche were not hung up on the restriction.

If you're hung up on the restriction, you'll fail to do what is the command. And they were both spoke from God.

Paul wrote the restriction and the command. Both spoke from God.

The apostle wrote that women were prohibited from exercising authority over men. And the same apostle counted women as his ministry partners who labored with him side by side.

Not beneath him, side by side. So when you stop focusing on what you're prohibited from doing, then you'll be free to obey what you have been commanded to do.

Discipleship and teaching. And that goes for all the men as well. Remember, all scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training.

So we need to look to the word of God if we're to see eye to eye with each other. Seeing eye to eye must be based on the word of Christ.

All scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives.

It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.

2 Timothy 3. This is the basis for fellowship, discipleship, and teaching.

The practicing of the one another's means fellowship, discipleship, and teaching.

And this is the basis of thinking the same way and agreeing in the Lord. The letter from Paul to the

Philippians is for every believer. Men, women, children, church leaders.

If Paul is writing to the elders, then he is writing to the pastors. Church leader or not, this letter is for everyone.

Remember, in verse 3, Paul identifies some of the Philippian believers as those who labor side by side with him in the gospel.

Paul spent more time addressing relationship problems in the church than he did correcting doctrinal error.

Euodia and Syntyche had been fellow workers for Christ in the church at Philippi. Their relationship issue was no small matter to Paul.

If people had become believers through their efforts, their disunity would bring a reproach on Christ.

It would set a bad example. It is possible for a person to believe in Christ and work hard to proclaim the gospel while still having relational problems.

To work diligently for his kingdom and yet have broken relationships with other believers.

Even believers who are committed to the same cause. Paul's point is that there is no excuse for remaining unreconciled.

So what does this mean for you this morning? Do you need to be reconciled to another believer today?

If you're facing a conflict and you can't resolve it, don't let the issue fester or go unresolved.

Withdrawing or resorting to sinful power plays or mind games brings a reproach on Christ.

Don't stand idly by. Don't wait for the conflict to resolve itself. Instead of waiting or ignoring, seek the help of fellow believers, fellow brothers and sisters in Christ.

Look to those who set a good example to follow. Just think about this like a team that doesn't play well together or a team that doesn't play together.

What is the end result for that? They're not going to win. If the quarterback is telling the guys,

Hey, you're going to go out to the left or you're going to go to the left, you're going to go to the right. I want you to go straight ahead. I'm going to throw to you in the middle.

The receiver's response to the quarterback is, I don't really want to do that. I'm going to go my own way today.

If they're not playing together as a unified body, they're not going to win the game.

So we want to think about that. A team that doesn't play together will not win. We have practical commands this morning from Paul.

Three practical commands for unity amongst believers. Number one, stay true to the

Lord by being firmly committed to convictions from biblical teaching. And number two, see eye to eye for the sake of Christ by thinking the same way about biblical teaching.

And number three, support brothers and sisters that need to be reconciled. Support brothers and sisters that need to be reconciled.

Uodhia and Syntyche were not hung up on the restriction. Paul says they have labored side by side with him for the gospel.

And this remark gives us a clue that the division or disagreement isn't based on doctrine.

When he exhorts them to think the same way, he doesn't point out false teaching related to the gospel.

It seems more likely the division is in the realm of a personality conflict or personal preferences.

It may have been the women each had supporters or factions that agreed with them. That would have been a serious issue that, left unchecked, would bring greater division amongst the body of believers.

Whatever the exact nature of the disunity, it was a matter of urgency for Paul.

Paul gives a helpful insight for when we have personality conflicts amongst believers.

In verse two, he said, agree in the Lord. Don't focus on the differences.

Focus on what unites. Think the same way. Our common and shared belief in the gospel.

In verse three, he continues with a final command. He says, help these women. This is a very practical command because it's a good idea to bring in mediators and seek help from church leaders when disagreements arise in the church.

Simple disagreements and personality conflicts, left unchecked, are dangerous.

A tiny amount of disunity over petty things can grow into massive rifts if left unchecked.

If left unaddressed, resentment can fester, factions can form, and then you may have rogue factions within a body of believers that are resistant to the mission.

The mission to fellowship, discipleship, and teach within the body is in jeopardy.

The great mission of evangelizing the lost. On the application side, this is critical.

When one faction arises that takes a high view of themselves, you will notice the application of pride when one group belittles or slanders others who are not in their camp.

Part of the church will be engaged in evangelism and fellowship, and the rogue faction will have made the intentional decision to not be engaged in fellowship and evangelism.

You see, they think it's beneath them. They are the super Christians amongst the lowly

Christians who struggle with sin and glory in the gospel. Really bizarre how a

Christian can choose to not participate in fellowship and growing together in Christ with other believers.

You may hear statements like, I don't need discipleship. I'll do that on my own. I don't need to be around other

Christians to practice the one another's. I don't need to participate in evangelism with the church body.

I evangelize every day on my own. I don't need to go to church to have a relationship with God.

And there's a common thing in those statements. It's I. It's I, I, I. Thinking about what is for yourself, not thinking of others.

Yeah, it's bizarre to me how we want to grow together in our knowledge of God's word so that we can grow in our relationship with the

Savior. And then amongst the local congregation, people are choosing not to participate in that.

I'm praying for I'm praying for this congregation. We need to put the focus in our lives back where it matters.

And that's the Lord Jesus Christ. He is coming back. And we ought to conform the way we live according to that reality.

This is where disunity in the church leads. This is a critical issue for Paul, and he knows he needs to address it with urgency and bring in other elders and church leaders to help him.

Paul made a similar appeal for reconciliation in his letter to Philemon. An appeal for reconciliation.

He says, I appeal to you to show kindness to my child, Onesimus. I became his father in the faith while here in prison.

Onesimus hasn't been of much use to you in the past, but now he is very useful to both of us.

Philemon 10 and 11. And what a takeaway. Reconciliation involves showing kindness.

It's showing kindness by the party that was wronged. Philemon was described by Paul as a beloved brother and fellow worker.

He was a prominent member of the church at Colossae. And the context of Philemon gives us insight into verse three.

Onesimus had run away and stolen money from Philemon. He meets Paul, gets saved, and Paul sends him back with a letter saying everything he stole, charge it to my account.

I appeal to you in love, Philemon, to accept this brother. Reunite with him.

Reconcile with him. Charge it to my account. That's an appeal in love with reconciliation.

And that's helpful to think about verse three. There is some debate, I think we'll just note this real quickly, on the genuine companion.

So there's a debate as to the identity of the genuine companion. Without going all into the various options,

I'll just tell you that I believe this should be taken as someone who Paul had already mentioned in the letter. So it would have been obvious to everyone listening upon the public reading who

Paul was referring to. He says, indeed I ask you also, genuine companion, help these women who have contended together alongside of me in the gospel.

With also Clement and the rest of my fellow workers whose names are in the book of life. So the way that I look at that is it would have been obvious to everyone listening upon the public reading who

Paul was referring to. So Epaphroditus seems the most reasonable conclusion. He was the one who had hand -delivered the letter to the

Philippians. So he was now present with them at the reading. Epaphroditus who had heard it dictated by the apostle and then heard it again when it came to be read in the church.

So that he would have known himself to be the person addressed. Also the use of the term genuine companion is another clue.

The word genuine is an adjective that means true. You'll see in some translations this will say true companion.

The word companion is a noun that means comrade, which is a military term. So reading this term as genuine comrade or genuine soldier narrows the candidates.

Look at what Paul said in chapter 2 verses 25 through 30 referring to Epaphroditus.

He says, I have thought it necessary to send to you, Epaphroditus, my brother and fellow worker and fellow soldier and your messenger and minister to my need.

For he has been longing for you all and has been distressed because you heard that he was ill. Indeed, he was ill, near to death, but God had mercy on him.

And not only on him, but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow. I'm the more eager to send him.

Therefore, that you may rejoice at seeing him again and that I may be less anxious. So receive him in the

Lord with all joy and honor such men. For he nearly died for the work of Christ, risking his life to complete what was lacking in your service to me.

Yes, I ask you also, true companion, help these women who have labored side by side with me in the gospel.

It seems Epaphroditus is the genuine companion. It goes to the purpose of the letter and the immediate context.

Paul switched from the third person to the second person for Epaphroditus, who was likely an elder serving as one of the pastors of the church.

And again, he hand delivered the letter. Epaphroditus, his true companion or genuine soldier.

And the command is to help by taking part with someone in an activity.

Literally, take hold of together to give aid or support.

Paul says support these two beloved sisters who have co -labored with me in coming to an agreement.

Paul uses the Greek word for strive. They have contended together. Same word he used in Philippians 127.

That you are standing firm in one spirit with one mind, striving side by side for the faith of the gospel.

Paul says they have worked together with me for the gospel.

These are godly women that are examples to the rest of the flock. And Paul identifies

Clement and the rest of his fellow workers. These men and women are the examples to follow that Paul references in chapter 3 verse 17.

He says brothers join in imitating me and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us.

I believe we can read it like this. Brothers and sisters become a joint imitator of Christ with me.

And pay close attention to people like Euodia, Syntyche, Epaphroditus, Clement and the rest of my fellow gospel workers.

Who live their lives following the example you have in Timothy and I. The application is critical here.

These are the examples to follow. They have genuine salvation.

The reference to the book of life is a reference to God's final judgment. Revelation chapter 20.

11 through 15. The apostle John recording the vision given to him by Christ.

He says then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away and no place was found for them.

And I saw the dead great and small standing before the throne and books were opened.

Then another book was opened which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books according to what they had done.

And the sea gave up the dead who were in it. Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them and they were judged.

Each one of them according to what they had done. Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire.

This is the second death. The lake of fire. And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life he was thrown into the lake of fire.

Paul identifies them as truly saved. Unlike the legalists and the reprobates mentioned earlier in the letter.

Unlike the Christian Judaizers who promote salvation by human obedience and self -righteousness.

Unlike the Christian libertarians who revel in sin and have no pursuit of godliness.

You have two ends of the spectrum there. The example of those who engage in fellowship, discipleship, teaching and evangelism are the ones whose names are written in the book of life.

And those things are not works that they do that satisfies God's wrath. That was satisfied once and for all by Christ's sacrifice on the cross.

This is not a means of salvation. It's a demonstration of genuine salvation. Disagreements can spring up over petty and trivial things.

When this happens we are to support and help each other in unity.

We practice the one another's to help bear up with each other.

To encourage one another. To build up one another. To support one another.

There's no place for isolationism and factions within a body of believers. We must stand united in Christ.

We must be united in our shared conviction of the truth of the gospel.

And there is safety in this. Even thinking about this third point it made me think of mountain climbing.

For safety reasons mountain climbers rope themselves together when climbing a mountain.

That way if one or more climbers should slip and fall they would not fall to their death.

The climbers would be held by the others until they would regain their footing. And the church ought to be like that.

When one or more members slip and fall the others should hold them up until they regain their footing.

We're all roped together by the Holy Spirit. By our belief in the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

By our belief in the gospel. A practical command for unity amongst believers.

Support brothers and sisters that need to be reconciled for the mission of the gospel.

The mission of the gospel. And that's our gospel connection this morning. The gospel of grace in Jesus Christ is worthy of believers standing firm in unity and support.

Anyone who believes will be saved. But anyone who refuses to believe will be condemned. For this is how

God loved the world. He gave his one and only son so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.

God sent his son into the world not to judge the world but to save the world through him.

There is no judgment against anyone who believes in him. But anyone who does not believe has already been condemned for not believing in God's one and only son.

This is the gospel message we must stay true to. If we are swayed by every new cultural or political development that contradicts the word of God, then it is not possible for us to stand firm in the

Lord. Our convictions need to be on what God has proclaimed so that we can stay true to the

Lord. If our agreement is based on the ever -changing morality of human society, then our like -mindedness will be ever -changing.

Thinking the same way and supporting one another must be based on God's word.

Because the teaching from the Bible will never change. And Paul is making this appeal in love.

Again, we can think of the Philemon example. You know,

Paul's appeal for Philemon to forgive Onesimus isn't because Onesimus is a great guy.

It isn't because he's turned the other cheek or he's turned the corner and now he wants to repay the money he stole from Philemon.

Paul's appeal for Philemon to forgive Onesimus is pointing out that Jesus forgave

Philemon. Our unity with one another, our appeals in love, must be made through the lens of forgiveness, loving kindness and mercy and compassion.

The Lord Jesus, while we were yet sinners, died for us.

So Paul is telling Philemon, brother, look at what Jesus has done for you.

Now I'm asking you as a brother in Christ, do that for Onesimus. An appeal in love for unity.

In today's passage, the Apostle Paul gives three very practical commands for believing church members so that you can live in unity with brothers and sisters in Christ.

Stay true to the Lord by being firmly committed to convictions from biblical teaching.

See eye to eye for the sake of Christ by thinking the same way about biblical teaching.

And support brothers and sisters that need to be reconciled for the mission of the gospel and ultimately for the glory of our

Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. For his glory and for the benefit of his people. Let's pray.

Heavenly Father, we thank you this morning for this time of worship. We thank you that you have given such a practical instruction for us in thinking about how we live together.

God, may we desire to live a life of humility following the example of Christ.

May we humble ourselves before you. Heavenly Father, thank you for your word this morning.

Thank you for this wonderful passage of exhortation and encouragement and these commands that we see from the

Apostle Paul for the church. We know that the command to stay true and stand firm in the Lord is as much for us today as it was for the

Philippians when Paul wrote this letter. We do thank you for the command that we have in your word this morning to agree and think the same way in the biblical teaching of our

Lord and Savior, Jesus. We thank you for the command to support one another, to build each other up in our belief in convictions of your word and our conviction of the truth of the gospel.

We thank you, God, for your goodness and kindness and mercy toward us in giving us the gift of justification.

We thank you for the gift of grace that you have so generously lavished upon us that we can see ourselves not only as sinners, but that we can repent to change our mind and to return to you.

To turn away from sin and to return to you and believe in the promise of everlasting life through faith in the name of Jesus Christ.

We thank you for every good gift that you give us and, God, we thank you for every trial that you give us.

We know because of your great and awesome power and your loving kindness that every trial and adversity we experience is for our good and that nothing comes into our lives that hasn't first passed through your hands.

I pray that you would enable us through the power of the Holy Spirit to live out and so apply these verses in our own lives, that we can stand firm in our convictions, that we can agree and think the same way in what the

Lord Jesus has taught us as revealed in your word, and that we can support one another, demonstrating that we are true followers of Christ by the way we love one another.

Father, I ask that you protect this church body and that you continue to grow it and conform it into the image of your son.

I pray this morning with humble confidence in the power of the Holy Spirit and in the name of the