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Introduction: One of the most
important questions churches are asking today is, “What is the
difference between a strong, living church and a weak, dying
church?” Articles are written, books are sold, conferences held
and speeches given, all trying to answer this question. Everyone
has their model and plan for the way a church should be run.
Christians and churches have been willing to pay to hear the
answers men have to offer. We, however, have been able to learn
the answer without spending a dime. We know that God wrote the
manual for the strong, living church and if we simply follow it,
we will be one. We have looked at the church in Jerusalem
following the day of Pentecost and discovered a model of strength
and life. We are striving to go where we have never gone before
and become the kind of church they were. We have examined their
devotion to worship and committed ourselves to growing in our
devotion to worship. The Jerusalem church was also alive and
strong because they were united, being one in heart and soul.
Rarely do we think of the strength and life of a church in terms
of its unity, but we must. We often think about size. But even the
largest church, without unity, is a dying church, ready to bust
apart at the seams at any moment. There are numerous passages in
the scripture describing the unity we are to have. One, which
greatly expresses the key issues, is Philippians
1:27-2:11. Examine this passage and learn how we can be of
one heart and soul together in this body. Discussion: I.
Becoming one
heart and soul is necessary because of persecution (Philippians
1:29-30). A.
When the
Jerusalem Christians accepted the message of Peter on the day of
Pentecost and in the weeks to follow, they may not have realized
the trouble they were asking for. After all, they were simply
following the Law and the Prophets to their logical conclusion.
The Messiah was to come. He came and they would obey. But the Jews
who would not accept Jesus and the Romans were not pleased with
this “new” doctrine. Persecution of the church began in Acts
8:1, and from that time on the church has gone through
persecution on a regular basis. B.
According to
Paul, all who desire to live godly lives will be persecuted (II
Timothy 3:12) and we will be no exceptions. Because the
world will hate, mock and persecute us, we need somewhere to turn
for comfort, encouragement and love. Right here is that somewhere.
The people around you are the ones to whom you can turn. And you
are the one to whom they can turn. Or, at least, it ought to be
that way. We must be like the Jerusalem church, loving one another
with compassion just as Jesus commanded in John
13:34-35. II.
For the
church to be one heart and one soul, we must personally conduct
ourselves in a manner worthy of the Gospel of Christ (Philippians
1:27). A.
Far too
often, we spend our time looking at other people. We consider
their responsibilities. We dwell on their faults. We think about
what they have done wrong and how they hinder our unity. If we are
to be one heart and soul, we must follow Paul’s advice in Philippians
1:27. Despite how anyone else is treating us, are we
walking in a manner worthy of our calling and worthy of the gospel
of Christ? B.
Ephesians
4:1-3
demonstrates what our walk should be. We must be clothed in
humility and gentleness. We must be patient and forbear others’
weaknesses. We must have love and be diligent to preserve unity
and peace. Obviously, this is not peace at all costs. If a brother
is factious, contentious or false, we will have to discipline and
cast out the old leaven. That will be the exception. Do you
display these qualities with others? Why don’t you ask them? III.
Being of one
mind and spirit means standing firm and striving with one mind (Philippians
1:27-28). A.
As a church,
we are in a fight, but not with one another. We are engaged in
battle against the devil himself (Ephesians
6:12-13). We must therefore wear the armor of God. Our
unity is demonstrated through teamwork in this battle. B.
Satan will
attack with direct persecution. He will attack indirectly with
prosperity and apathy. He will cause distraction and
discouragement. He will attack with false doctrine. He will attack
from within and without. But we must work together, teaching the
lost, encouraging each other, convicting the sinner. C.
Regrettably,
not many churches are willing to stand firm and strive together.
In our modern day, most churches don’t want to stand firm for
anything. And they definitely don’t want to be considered as
striving. The mere mention of the possibility of opponents strikes
fear in the hearts of mainstream religionists because they have
become convinced that Christianity will have no real opponents but
all will be friends. D.
Sadly
enough, some of this has even confronted Christ’s church.
Members ask preachers not to preach so hard on sin. Don’t preach
so loud on baptism, denominationalism, Pentecostalism,
instrumental music, modesty or marriage. When solid gospel
preaching is done, believers apologize to their non-Christian
friends, destroying the effectiveness of the message. This is not
standing firm and this is not having the one heart and soul of the
early Christians. E.
Even sadder
is that in too many churches the striving is not together against
the works of Satan; it is against one another. Cliques form that
don’t get along or work together, often following their favorite
teachers (cf. I
Corinthians 1:10-17). Some, like Diotrephes, rise up and
strive to have preeminence in the body (3
John 9). Others, upset with some aspect of the work,
seemingly conduct their own campaigns explaining to anyone who
will listen why what is going on is not right (cf.
II
Timothy 4:2-4). Of course, in many places there is the
gossip and backbiting which Paul condemned in Galatians
5:15. We must not strive against one another. We must
strive together, as a team, to fight false doctrine, to refute
false teachers, to convict sinners and overcome the devil. Don’t
quit the battle and don’t start “friendly fire.” IV.
Be of the
same mind, love, spirit and purpose (Philippians
2:2). A.
Philippians
2:2
cuts straight to the heart of this matter and hits most directly
on the same issue presented in Acts
4:32. It makes four simple statements that address the
issue of having one heart and one soul. The statements are not
absolutely distinct from one another and yet they highlight
different issues of unity, especially as translated in the NASB. 1.
We must be of the same mind. Paul uses a play on these words in the Greek
language in Philippians
3:16. Instead of saying be of the same mind, he commands
us to “mind the same things” (KJV). Being of the same mind
reflects having the same standard. We are to have the same
judgment, speaking the same things. This will happen when we walk
by the same rule and are governed by the same standard. 2.
We must maintain the same love. In Acts
4:32, having the same love was demonstrated as the
Christians sacrificed even their own possessions to provide for
brethren in time of need. And it was done without partiality. We
must all have the same standard of love: God’s love for us (I
John 4:11). And we must love all with the same standard (James
2:1ff). 3.
We must be united in spirit. The KJV says here, “being of one accord.”
This phrase is used numerous times and refers to unity of action.
Consider the following passages: Acts
1:14; Acts 4:24; Acts 7:57; Acts 8:6; and
Acts 19:29. The concept is, because we have the
same mind and same love, we will have the same actions. It calls
to mind the teaching of I
Corinthians 12:12. We are many members, but one body. We
are of the same spirit, acting in one accord as a group. Leading
us to be intent upon the same purpose. 4.
We must be intent on one purpose. As one body, we have a mission to accomplish. We
are of the same mind, same love and same spirit. We are governed
by the same standard. Therefore, we are striving to accomplish the
same goals. Our goal is, of course, different from the goals of
the worldly. Their goals deal with wealth, fame, social standing,
etc. Our goals are different from false religions. Their goals
deal with social welfare, emotional outburst, entertainment,
eating, fun and games, etc. Ours deal with spiritual
strengthening. We are intent on serving the purpose of God,
following His pattern for the church and our lives. We are intent
on the purpose of saving the lost, building up the saved to go out
and save the lost. We are intent on going to heaven. B.
The thing
that often hinders this kind of unity is the baggage we bring with
us into the church. And we all have it. To overcome it, we must
admit we have it, set it alongside the Bible and dispense with the
parts that don’t line up with scripture. This baggage is that
little part of us that says, “My life is different. If you knew
what I had been through, you would understand why that standard
doesn’t apply to me.” Instead of allowing the standard of
scripture to govern our lives, we sometimes allow our lives to
govern the standard of scripture. When that occurs, we will not
have the one heart and one soul, because we have all had different
lives and different experiences. But God’s word is the same no
matter our background. V.
Being of the
same mind means putting others first (Philippians
2:3-11). A.
This is the
most important part of this whole sermon. I am not dealing with
theory now. I am not dealing with the overarching principles. I am
now dealing with the practical aspect of being one heart and one
soul. I am now discussing the one key that will accomplish
everything else discussed in this lesson. Put others first. B.
Being one
heart and one soul means sacrifice. Paul gives three guidelines. 1.
Do nothing from selfish ambition or empty conceit. James says where selfish ambition exists, every
evil thing exists (James
3:13-18). We are not to put ourselves forward as important
and honorable. Paul and James are referring to a political
mindset. One that focuses on politics within the group and not
service to others. This church is not here to feed my ego or
yours. We are here not to be honored but to honor others (Romans
12:10). 2.
Regard others as more important than self. That is hard, isn’t it? “After all, I am the
important one. My needs are the greatest. My desires are the most
necessary. My ideas are the most effective. My plans are the most
profitable. I am the one who knows how this show ought to be
run.” Right? Not when my life is governed by God’s will. If we
are to have proper relationships with one another, we must humble
ourselves before one another. What is important to you needs to
become important to me. Instead of being so caught up in our
plans, thoughts and goals, we have to come out of our world and
start looking through the eyes of others. What are their thoughts,
feelings, needs and desires? If you want to have positive
relationships with anyone, in any walk of life, this is the key.
Formulate your life around what is important to them. When we are
all striving for this action in our lives, not worried about
whether anyone else is following this same guideline, then we will
all be receiving what is most important to us. Then we will be one
heart and one soul. 3.
Do not merely look out for your own interests, but
also for the interests of others.
Don’t be caught up in your interests and desires. Get caught up
in other people. We live in a fast paced, busy society. We are
involved in lots of things. In the midst of all this activity, Philippians
2:4 is getting lost. We get up, go to work, go to the
kids’ games, eat, come home and go to bed. This kind of life is
violating Philippians
2:4. Are you looking out for the interests of others? If
you are, which others? C.
All of this
is demonstrated by our example: Jesus Christ. He did not push
Himself forward, though He is God. Rather, He humbled Himself.
Took on the form of man instead of presenting Himself in the form
of God who ought to be worshipped. He came to the earth in order
to save us, who didn’t deserve it. How do our lives measure up
to His? Conclusion: Being of one heart and soul is not something that is attained and then you have met the goal once and forever. Being united is a constant struggle in the face of personal difficulties, relational problems and outside interference. That we have been united in the past doesn’t mean we are now. That we are now doesn’t mean we always will be. Each of us as individuals must look, not at others, but at ourselves. What are you doing to bring unity to this congregation? What are you as an individual sacrificing? What are you devoting to others? What love and preference are you showing to others? We will only be united to the extent that each of us strives for personal involvement in the body. If we were all acting the way you are, how united would we be?
Glory
to God in the church by Christ Jesus
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