Sermon Tone Analysis
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Philippians 4:1-5
Stephen Caswell © 2004
I Don't Want to Be One!
Each Sunday our minister presents a "children's sermon" to all the young children.
Recently a bright-eyed three-year-old girl listened intently as he explained that God wanted them all to get along and love each other.
"God wants us all to be one," he said.
To which the little girl replied, "But I don't want to be one.
I want to be four!" /-- Marilyn McCoy/
Introduction
*Psalm 133:1* speaks of the blessings of unity.
/Behold, how good and how pleasant it is For brethren to dwell together in unity!/ Unfortunately this doesn't always happen.
Anxiety and strife were causing division in the Philippian Church.
Two ladies weren't getting on.
Instead of striving for the cause of Christ, they strove with each other.
Their conflict was dividing the whole Church as people took sides.
Paul implored them to work together for the cause of Christ.
To unite in Christ's service and forget their differences.
In chapter 4 Paul instructs us how to have the /secure mind/.
The mind that rests completely in Christ's sufficiency.
Or as Paul states it in verse 13. /I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
/ Paul tells them how to overcome disunity.
He tells them it will require two things.
I.
Joint Service & II.
Joyful Service
/a.
Stand Fast In The Lord/
*Philippians 4:1* */Therefore/*/, my beloved and longed-for brethren, my joy and crown, so stand fast in the Lord, beloved./
/ /
Paul's love for them is expressed in the words he uses to describe them; /beloved, longed for brethren, joy and crown/.
He cared for them dearly and sought to restore their unity.
Paul began this chapter with a*/ command/* for the whole Church /to stand fast in the Lord./
The word */therefore/* connects this command with the previous verses describing Christ's return and the glorification of His saints.
/Because Jesus Christ will soon return and glorify His people shouldn't they work together for His Kingdom now?
If we all belong to Christ and long to spend eternity with Him shouldn't we get on together now?/ God can enable us to do this.
Christ is our sufficiency to live the Christian life with joy.
The words* /stand fast/* sthkw means*/ to persevere, be steadfast, to be stationary./*
When God's people /stand fast in the Lord/ they enjoy unity.
This is because we all serve the same Lord.
When we stand firm in Him we naturally stand together.
However God doesn't expect us to stand in our own strength, but in His strength.
*Ephesians 6:10-11* /Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.
Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil./
The Lord gives us the strength to stand and the right focus of who we should oppose.
/Are you asking God for strength to stand fast?
/
As Christians unite in Christ's service their differences are put aside.
As they stand fast against the Adversary they enjoy unity.
One of Satan's schemes is to divide and conquer.
He seeks to divide us and weaken our service for God.
Division and strife have plagued the Church throughout its history.
We face this same problem today.
/Are you endeavoring to keep the unity that God has given us?
Are you standing fast in the Lord?/
/ /
/b.
Seeks One Mind In The Lord/
/ /
*Philippians 4:2* /I implore Euodia and I implore Syntyche to be of the *same mind* in the Lord./
/ /
The old saying /united we stand and divided we fall/ is certainly true in the Christian Church.
Paul has encouraged unity through out this letter and does so again here.
This time he mentions the names of two people causing division.
We don't know very much about these two ladies except what is revealed in these two verses.
Euodia Eu~*wdia means */fragrance/* whilst Syntyche Suntuch means */fortunate/*.
Unfortunately these ladies weren't living up to their good names.
They weren't getting on together.
One of my lecturers at college called them */odious/* and */so touchy/*.
Since Paul doesn't discuss any doctrinal problems it was probably a personality clash.
They didn't see things the same way and it affected the whole Church.
Nevertheless Paul implored them /to be of the same mind in the Lord/.
In the light of the rest of the letter that* /meant having the mind of Christ/*.
Jesus Christ revealed His attitudes towards people by becoming a voluntary servant.
He served others and laid down His life for them.
If these two ladies followed Christ's humble example they would easily settle their differences.
*/Talk about what you believe and you have disunity.
Talk about Who you believe in and you have unity/*.
/-- E. Stanley Jones/
Verse 3 indicates that in the past they had labored with Paul in the Gospel.
Then something happened and now they were striving against one another.
They lost sight of their goals and who the enemy was.
Paul pleads with them /to have the same mind/, to follow Christ's example of humble service.
As an apostle he could have commanded them to do this but Paul graciously sought their cooperation instead.
He implored them to get along together.
In the Lord they could certainly do this.
They could put aside their differences and serve God as they had at the start.
God could provide the resources they needed for unity.
In the Lord we acquire the same goals and values.
In Christ we learn to humbly serve others.
/ /
The Spirit's Fire /-- Charles Haddon Spurgeon/
There once was a blacksmith who had two pieces of iron which he wished to weld into one.
He took them just as they were, all cold and hard, and put them on the anvil, and began to hammer with all this might, but they were still two pieces, and they would not unite.
At last he remembered what he should never have forgotten.
He thrust both of them into the fire, took them out red-hot, laid one on the other, and by one or two blows of the hammer they soon became one.
/ /
In the same way when believers work together for Christ He joins them together.
When we are on fire for Him we soon forget our differences and become one.
It is usually people who aren't serving that have the greatest differences with each other./
/
*Remember Psalm 133:1* /Behold, how good and how pleasant it is For brethren to dwell together in unity!
Do you have the mind of Christ?/ /Do you have one mind with others in the fellowship?
Are you enjoying the blessings of unity?
/If not can I encourage you to get involved in serving Christ!
People faithfully serving the Lord are too busy to argue over their differences.
/c.
Strives With/ /Fellow Workers/
/ /
*4:3* /And I urge you also, true companion, help these women who labored with me in the gospel, with Clement also, and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the Book of Life./
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