Unity & Humility
Text: Philippians 2:1-5
Core Idea: A life worthy of the gospel is a life that is lived for Christ and others – advancing the gospel even if it leads to suffering. Then may this be evident in all our lives – and may we endeavor to live this way knowing that to live is Christ and to die is gain.
INTRODUCTION
Our unity is the strength of the gospel because it’s a powerful witness to what Jesus has done. And this unity will be cultivated when we think of ourselves less as we value others above ourselves. Then as we reflect on the gospel realities, let’s protect and promote unity so that we may live a life that is worthy of the gospel.
INTRODUCTION
Well, we’re back in the Book of Philippians – reflecting on what it means to press on with joy in all circumstances. And two weeks ago, we talked about what it means to live a life worthy of the gospel – three things. First, it’s a life that aims to advance the gospel in all circumstances. That’s exactly what Paul did – he didn’t let his imprisonment in Rome discourage him but seized that opportunity to share the gospel with the palace guards. And amazingly, his courage inspired the Christians in Rome to boldly proclaim the gospel as well. Second, it’s a life that exists for Christ. Paul confessed, “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain” (Phil. 1:21). Every decision he made was for Christ. Every relationship he had centered around Christ. Jesus was the reason why he got up in the morning. Jesus was the reason why he persevered through all kinds of pain and suffering. Jesus was the reason why he rejoiced, why he served, why he pressed on. Nothing else mattered. He didn’t care what others had to say about him. In fact, he couldn’t care less if the world thought that his way of life was foolish and wasteful because Jesus was the greatest treasure of his heart. And lastly, it’s a life that suffers for Christ. Paul shares that Christians have been graciously granted two things – the grace to believe in God and the grace to suffer for Christ. Now, Paul doesn’t tell us how suffering for Christ can be perceived as a gift, but it could be for many reasons (to sanctify us, to humble us, to open doors for the unreached to hear the gospel, and so on). Then instead of asking God why, it would better serve us if we were to ask for faith (the faith to believe that He’s sovereign and good – the faith to believe that He loves us). This is what it means to live a life worthy of the gospel. This is how we should live as recipients of this amazing gift.
Now, let me read from Philippians 1:27-28 again – “Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in the one Spirit, striving together as one for the faith of the gospel without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you.” Paul knew that one of the things that could hinder Christians from living a life worthy of the gospel was persecution – which is why he said, “Don’t be frightened by those who are opposing you!” Pain and suffering can most definitely cause Christians to give up living for the Lord. But Paul knew that there was something else that could discourage us, distract us, and debilitate us from living a life worthy of the gospel – the threats from within. Then with that in mind, let’s turn our Bibles to Philippians 2:1-5. Let me read this for us.
1 Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from His love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, 2 then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. 3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, 4 not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. 5 In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus.
Amen. This is the Word of God for you today.
Let me share three things that Paul invites the Philippians to do in this passage.
· PURSUE UNITY
· PURSUE UNITY THROUGH HUMILITY
· PURSUE HUMILITY BY LOOKING TO CHRIST
1) PURSUE UNITY
Let’s actually start from verse 2, “Make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind.” Here, Paul urges the Philippian Christians to be united in mind and heart – not about every conceivable topic but rather in relation to the gospel so that they may live a life worthy of the gospel, so that the gospel would better advance through them. Paul says this because he knew that the fate of the gospel was largely dependent on the unity of the church. Think with me – if we’re not united, the message will either lose its power or never reach where it’s most needed. Right? How can we say that this is a message of love when there’s no love in us? How can we go if we’re constantly bickering with each other in the church? Paul was passionately pleading for unity because he knew that unity keeps our focus on Jesus and the call that we’ve received from Him. Now, I think this verse is incredibly special because it again reveals Paul’s pastoral heart for this church. He says, “Be one in the Lord because it will make my joy complete.” Just to clarify, this wasn’t his way of making things about him – as if he was saying, “Do it for me because that’s the least you can do to repay all that I’ve done for you.” No, he said this because his joy was closely tied to the joy of this community. When this church was rooted in Christ, when this church was growing in Christ, when this church was experiencing joy in Christ, when this church was loving one another for the sake of Christ, Paul’s heart was full of joy. In contrast, when there was tension in the church, when they were divided as the church, when they weren’t living lives worthy of the gospel, Paul’s joy was diminished – in fact, he was discouraged, disappointed, and even depressed. Why? Because that’s how much he cared for them – he deeply cared for them as their father in the faith. And of course, I want you to know that this is the kind of heart that we (Jane, Cindy, and I) as your pastors have for you as well. In many ways, my joy is closely tied to the joys of this church – not in the sense that I feel more secure and accomplished as a pastor to see this church grow, but in the sense that I feel incredibly grateful to see that God is working powerfully in the community that I love so much. So, I’m encouraged when I hear that you’re faithfully walking with the Lord, but my heart is heavy when I hear that you’re suffering or discouraged. I think of you when I prepare my sermons and my prayers are often spent interceding for you. All that to say, my life is inseparably connected to you. I hope you know that our hearts as pastors go out to you. We’re always thinking about you. And thankfully, this is never burdensome because we derive great joy from walking with you. So, thank you for journeying with us and making our joy complete. And my prayer for you is that your joy will also be made complete just because you are part of this community, because we are growing together, because we are one in Christ.
Now, even though the unity of the church is clearly vital to the fate of the gospel, the truth is that it’s not easy to make such diverse people become one. Then the question is, “On what basis can we have unity?” All of us are incredibly different and unique in many ways (different interests, different ambitions, different life stages, preferences, backgrounds, experiences, questions, and so on). Then how can we be one in the midst of these profound differences? What can bring us together? Paul tells us in verse 1, “If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from His love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion.” Here, Paul lists the gospel realities that the Philippian Christians all share in Christ because it’s the only thing that can make unity possible in such a diverse setting. He was basically saying, “If all of us have truly experienced these things, if God has graciously worked in all of our lives to save us and bring us together, how could we allow anything else to come between us?” Then let’s briefly go through each statement one by one – and as we do so, ask yourself if this is something that you’ve personally experienced in your life because it’ll act as a motivation for you to fight for the unity of this church.
The first gospel reality – we’ve been encouraged from being united with Christ. Now, if you’re not familiar with the Bible, this could sound a little bit abstract or vague but this idea of being united to Christ (in Greek, it literally says, “In Christ”) is actually Paul’s favorite description of the Christian – so much so that he uses this phrase 33 times in all of his letters. Then here are the blessings we receive because we are in Christ. We are justified because we’re in Christ; we are being sanctified because we’re in Christ; we are forgiven because we’re in Christ; we have every need supplied because we’re in Christ; and we have this eternal hope because we’re in Christ. Pastor Paul Tripp explains it this way, “Because we are in Christ, we are freed from having to be something. We are freed from having to prove we are worth something. We are freed from longing for something that will give us importance, prominence, or power. We are freed from being addicted to people’s acclaim, respect, appreciation, and love. We are freed from letting accomplishments define us. We are freed from letting titles depict that we have worth. We are freed from asking cars, houses, and vacations to be markers of our identity. We are freed from getting our identity from being in charge or in control. We are freed from needing to look strong, prepared, capable, and unafraid. We are freed from needing to hide our weaknesses and deny our failures. We are freed from putting on a public face as an attempt to hide what is actually going on inside. And because we don’t get our value from how others respond to us, we are freed from bitterness and fantasies of vengeance when we are mistreated.” Brothers and sisters, have you experienced these blessings because you’re in Christ? Have you been encouraged because you are in Christ? If so, Paul calls us to be one because our identity in Christ enables us and empowers us to love each other, accept each other, and serve each other without pointing out our differences. We can experience profound unity because we are in Christ.
Second, we’ve been comforted by the love of God. The truth is that if we’re in Christ, we’re also loved by God – He becomes our Father. Then listen to some of the ways the Bible describes this love. Romans 5:8, “God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Ephesians 2:4-5, “Because of His great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions.” Lastly, John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” What’s the common theme? It’s that God loved us even though we weren’t really lovable. We didn’t deserve His love – yet He didn’t meet us halfway. He didn’t hold back. He displayed His love by giving us what’s most precious to Him – His one and only Son, Jesus Christ. And what’s more amazing is that this is how He loves us even now – even when we continue to fail Him, disappoint Him, and sin against Him. John Flavel said, “As God did not at first choose you because you were high, He will not now forsake you because you are low.” His love for us was unconditional when He saved us – and His love for us is and forever will be unconditional as He walks with us. Paul’s point is this – to borrow the words of 1 John 4:11, “Since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.”
Third, we have common sharing in the Spirit. The Greek word for “sharing” is koinonia which also means fellowship or partnership. In other words, Paul was basically saying, “If you know that you now have new brothers and sisters in the Spirit, if you know the joy of being part of a community of God, if you’ve been blessed by others in the church, do everything you have to protect this unity knowing that this community is God’s gift to you.” Friends, have you ever been blessed by someone in this community? Have you ever been encouraged, challenged, or comforted by your CG? Did a brother or sister in Christ ever help you go through a dark season of your life? Were you ever inspired to remain faithful because of the testimony of another believer? If so, Paul is inviting us to do everything we can to guard this community by fighting for one another.
Lastly, we’ve experienced tenderness and compassion. Here, Paul is basically saying, “Are you growing in your love and affection for the church? Are you strangely becoming more tender, more compassionate, more forgiving, more generous toward others in this community? Then continue to love each other because, by your love, the world will see that you belong to Christ.” I don’t know about you, but this community has become like a family to me. In fact, I spend way more time with you than my extended family – which is why I would never do anything to threaten our oneness. Because I’ve been immensely blessed by you, I want to do everything I can to be a blessing to you as well. That’s what Paul’s calling all of us to do.
Brothers and sisters, have you been encouraged from being united with Christ? Have you been comforted by the love of God? Have you been blessed by others in the Spirit? Are you growing to be more tender and more compassionate toward the community of God? If so, God’s work in our lives is meant to produce a profound unity with others – to be one in spirit, one in heart, and one in purpose. Think of the image of an orchestra where even though everyone is playing different instruments and different notes, they somehow come together to produce beautiful music – this sound that touches the souls of the listeners. Unity is never the erasure of difference but the destruction of division. It’s unity – not uniformity. It’s this genuine oneness but not forcing everyone to be the same. Now, thankfully, by God’s grace, we’ve enjoyed a remarkable kind of unity here at Lighthouse. And my prayer is that we will continue to experience that here – that nothing will break us apart not because we’re so great but because the gospel binds us together.
2) PURSUE UNITY THROUGH HUMILITY
Now, the truth is that unity is often gained slowly and lost quickly. Then what are the obstacles to unity in a local church? Paul shares two in verse 3 – selfish ambition and vain conceit. Let’s go through them in detail. First, selfish ambition. Now, this is actually a translation of a single Greek word eritheia – which means “hostility, strife, or hyper-fighting.” In other words, Paul’s describing this attitude that’s always ready to fight – those who take everything personally. It doesn’t matter what the issue is – if someone rubs us the wrong way, if someone disagrees with us, if someone threatens our comfort, our plans, or our image, our immediate response is anger. Instead of listening, instead of taking the time to understand, we’re just thinking about how their words and actions are affecting our pride and reputation. So, we put up our guard and prepare ourselves to fight. The people with selfish ambition fight about anything and everything because their heart is preoccupied with the pursuit of self-fulfillment and self-advancement for the purpose of self-exaltation. They’re always making sure that their needs are met – and they couldn’t care less about others. They always want things their way – no wonder selfish ambition divides.
Second, vain conceit. This is a translation of the Greek word kenodoxia – which literally means “vain glory or empty boasting.” In other words, we’re bragging about literally nothing – things that are not worth anything. Why? Because we’re starving for glory, because we want to matter, because we want to be recognized and praised by others. So, we do everything we can to manufacture that glory through our power, possessions, and positions. We’re frantically using whatever means we have to prove to others that we’re actually somebody, that we’re significant and useful. But as a result, we become completely blinded to the needs of others – in fact, we don’t have the space to be mindful of others because the fear of being overlooked and forgotten is too heavy. So, we’re busy competing for people’s attention and approval – even at the cost of others. No wonder vain conceit threatens the unity of the church.
Then let me ask you, “Do you know people like this – those who are driven by selfish ambition and vain conceit?” If you have specific individuals in mind, Paul might actually say, “Actually, I’m talking about you.” Now, I didn’t say this to trap you and make you feel guilty. I said this because we’re often too blinded to our own sins, but this is not something we want to be blinded to. Think with me. We may be driven to make everything about us because we don’t want to be insignificant, because we don’t want people to say, “I don’t know you. You don’t really matter to me.” But the Bible tells us that if we continue to live this way, God will one day say to us, “I don’t know you.” We will be eternally and completely rejected by the One that matters the most. But on that day, we’ll have nothing to say to defend ourselves because that’s how we’ve been treating others – because we didn’t want others telling us, “I don’t know you,” we were basically saying to them, “I don’t have time for you. I don’t care about you. I don’t know you.” I’m sure there are people we know who are operating out of selfish ambition and vain conceit. But brothers and sisters, know that Paul’s warning is first to us – which is why we must carefully meditate on these words so that we can be different from the world.
Well, what does that mean? We must do everything in humility. We must cultivate humility if we’re to experience unity in the church. Then what’s humility? Pastor Tim Keller said, “The Christian gospel is that I am so flawed that Jesus had to die for me, yet I am so loved and valued that Jesus was glad to die for me. This leads to deep humility and deep confidence at the same time. It undermines both swaggering and sniveling. I cannot feel superior to anyone, and yet I have nothing to prove to anyone… The essence of gospel-humility is not thinking more of myself or thinking less of myself, it is thinking of myself less.” Some people think of humility as self-deprecation – this idea of undervaluing yourself. “I’m the worst. I don’t ever deserve that. Woe is me.” But that’s not humility because the focus is still on us – as Keller says, we need to think of ourselves less. But Paul actually tells us that there’s more to humility than that. Verse 3, “Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.” True humility is self-forgetfulness that produces other-centeredness. We begin to count others as more significant than ourselves – and we begin to care more about other’s needs than our own. Now, please don’t misunderstand – Paul’s not forbidding us to have any interest in ourselves. He’s not forbidding us from giving attention to legitimate concerns in our lives. But here’s what he is forbidding – the selfish preoccupation with our own interest. He’s telling us not to be consumed with our interests alone but to be mindful of the interests of others as well.
Then we should do just that. We need to pay close attention to the needs of others. We need to actively and intentionally look around. Mark Dunn summarizes it this way, “Paul does not advocate total self-neglect, but a reprioritizing of life so that each one gives the largest share of attention to others.” Then let me ask you, “What does it look like for you this week to give the largest share of your attention to the interests of others in the home, in the church, in the workplace, and at school? What does it look like for you as you work, study, do chores, play sports, and so on?” Now, imagine with me the difference it would make if you, by God’s grace, actually lived like this this week. Imagine how this will transform your relationships. Brothers and sisters, this is how we are to live because this is a manner of life that is worthy of the gospel. But here’s what’s interesting. It’s really hard for us to cultivate humility just by trying to be humble. If you say to yourself, “I’m going to be really humble today,” you’re focusing on yourself again. Then how do we cultivate humility? Paul tells us that we must look to Jesus – which leads to our last point.
3) PURSUE HUMILITY BY LOOKING TO CHRIST
Verse 5, “In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus.” Paul is basically saying, “If you want to become a humble person, get your eyes off yourself and fix them on Jesus Christ because He’s the ultimate example of humility. See what He has done. See who He is. And let your heart be captivated by His beauty because that’s what will change you.” In other words, you’ll be a humble person to the degree that you see Jesus humbling Himself for you. That’s what Paul shows us in verses 6-11 – here, we see that Jesus humbly valued us above Himself, not looking to His own interests but to the interests of His people. Now, I know we’ll go through this passage in detail next week but let me briefly show you what I mean.
Verse 6 – Paul tells us that Jesus was in very nature God. Paul doesn’t say that Jesus reflected God or that He talked about God or that He pointed people to God. No, he just says that Jesus is God. This is mind-blowing because Paul also shares that Jesus “did not consider equality with God something to be used to His own advantage; [but] He made Himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant… in human likeness” (Phil. 2:6-7). He’s talking about the incarnation – how the eternal God covered His glory by clothing Himself in flesh. Think about His birth. The One who put the stars in the heavens was told, “We don’t have a room for you” – so, He had to be placed in a manger where the animals were fed. That was His first bed. And if that wasn’t enough, this omnipotent God, the eternal One, the One who created, sustains, and governs all things in life – this God was made weak, fragile, and even killable. Paul tells us that Jesus “humbled Himself by becoming obedient to death – even death on a cross” (Phil. 2:8). Jesus’ whole life was characterized by profound humility. Why? Because He valued us above Himself, because He was looking out for our interests more than His own so that through His death, we can have life and life to the full.
Brothers and sisters, the Bible tells us that Jesus Christ embraced our greatest fear (the fear of rejection and abandonment) so that we wouldn’t have to. Now, He wasn’t just forsaken by the people He came to save but also by God the Father. When Jesus cried out, God said to Him, “I don’t know you,” and turned His face away from Him. He was despised, ignored, and emptied of His glory so that we can be filled with His glorious presence. What does this mean for us? B.B. Warfield said, “Jesus was led by His love for others into the world, to forget Himself in the needs of others, to sacrifice self once for all upon the altar of sympathy. Self-sacrifice brought Christ into the world. And self-sacrifice will lead us, His followers, not away from but into the midst of men. Wherever men suffer, there will we be to comfort. Wherever men strive, there will we be to help. Wherever men fail, there will be we to uplift. Wherever men succeed, there will we be to rejoice. Self-sacrifice means not indifference to our times and our fellows: it means absorption in them. It means forgetfulness of self in others. It means entering into every man’s hopes and fears, longings and despairs. It means not that we should live one life, but a thousand lives, —binding ourselves to a thousand souls by the filaments of so loving a sympathy that their lives become ours. Only, when we humbly walk this path, seeking truly in it not our own things but those of others, we shall find the promise true, that he who loses his life shall find it. The path of self-sacrifice is the path to glory.” Then let’s grow in humility by reflecting on the cross of Christ because there’s no room for pride at the cross. Let’s look to Jesus because He’s our model for humility. But more than that, He’ll give us the power to live a life that values others above ourselves.
CONCLUSION
Lighthouse family, our unity is the strength of the gospel because it’s a powerful witness to what Jesus has done – bringing a diverse group of people to Himself. This unity will be cultivated only when we think of ourselves less as we value others above ourselves. Then as we reflect on the gospel realities, let’s protect and promote unity so that we may live a life that is truly worthy of the gospel.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1) Reflect on the gospel realities in verse 1. How can these be the basis of our unity? Why would they inspire and motivate us to protect and promote the unity of our church?
2) Why does Paul warn us not to do anything out of selfish ambition and vain conceit in verse 3? How do they endanger the unity of the church? What else can become an obstacle to unity in a local church?
3) Verse 3 reminds us that true humility is self-forgetfulness that produces other-centeredness. Why is humility so difficult to cultivate today? Why is humility absolutely necessary to cultivate unity in the church?
4) What does it mean for us to have the same mindset as Christ Jesus in our relationships with one another (v. 5)? How does looking to Christ help us cultivate humility in our hearts?