Philippians 4:2-3
~16 min read
TRANSCRIPT
Our text for today's message is taken from Philippians 4: 2-3. In the preceding verse one, the Apostle Paul urged the Philippians to stand fast in the Lord. To stand fast means to stand firmly in what the Lord has done for us through His death, through His resurrection, and through His promise to come again.
But apparently, there had been trouble in the church at Philippi, and that trouble could potentially disrupt the steadfastness of the church. Two women in the church were at odds with each other, Euodias and Syntyche. The disagreement seemed to have grown to a point whereby it was impossible not to deal with it; otherwise, it would hinder the unity and effectiveness of the church.
You see, when people are at odds or have issues with one another, there are disagreements, there are differences that would cause a strain in the relationship, and the work of the Gospel would be hindered. Take, for example, if someone is leading a ministry or he is organising a spiritual program like the church camp, and another person has an unresolved issue with the organiser, he will find it very hard to support the spiritual work wholeheartedly. He may not attack the spiritual work directly, but he may not attend, support, or help in any way. So, the work of the Gospel would be hindered. An effective ministry could only take place in an environment of harmony; therefore, any threats to the unity of the church must be confronted. It is never easy to deal with disunity in the church. Many pastors have tried very hard; some have spent much of their time and efforts just trying to resolve issues within church members and even leaders.
Have you ever tried to tell someone something, but you found it hard because you were afraid that it might be offensive to the person or because you anticipated the person might not understand and accept what you say? If you have encountered that kind of experience, then you will probably understand Paul's situation. He was trying to say something that the people involved might not like to hear, but it was absolutely necessary for him to do so.
As we see how Paul encouraged these two women to deal with their unresolved differences or issues, we want to learn this important lesson about “Maintaining Christian Unity in the Church”. This is the title of our message.
I. We are in the Lord
Our first point is Paul reminded the two women that they were in the Lord. Let us begin with verse two, Philippians chapter 4: "I beseech Euodias and beseech Syntyche, that they be of the same mind in the Lord." We do not know much about Euodias and Syntyche, but we can gather several facts about them from this passage. Firstly, they were church members, not troublemakers from outside the congregation because verse three tells us that they were labouring together with the Apostle Paul in the gospel. Secondly, their disagreement was not due to doctrinal issues because if it had been, Paul would have dealt with it. He would be agreeing with the one who was correct and disagreeing and rebuking the one who was wrong. In fact, he did not even mention what their issues were. Thirdly, they were prominent women, well respected by the Philippians because their differences had somehow caused a significant impact in the church, so much so that Paul had no choice but to deal with it.
Notice the little phrase "in the Lord," which means they belong to the Lord. They belong to God's family, and as his children, they ought to be united. Christian unity is possible only for true children of God. Not everyone belongs to the Lord. In fact, Jesus told some of the people during His time that they belong to their father, the devil. In John chapter 8, we have an account of the conversation Jesus had with the Jewish leaders. In the course of the conversation, Jesus spoke of His teaching as that which would set men free. That sparked a fierce reaction because, for the Jews in the first century, freedom was a touchy subject, especially in Judea when they were under Roman rule.
So, the Jews reacted, "We be Abraham's seed and were never in bondage to any man. How sayest thou, 'Ye shall be made free'?" (John 8:33). This was either an outright lie or self-delusion. The Jews had been slaves under the Egyptians for 400 years. They had been in bondage to the Assyrians, Babylonians, Persians, Greeks, and even at this point in time, as they spoke to Jesus, they were under the bondage of Rome. They were carrying coins in their pockets bearing the image of Caesar, yet they ignorantly said, ‘We were never in bondage to any man.’
Jesus, being omniscient, answered them by raising the conversation to the spiritual level. He explained that the bondage He was referring to was about sin. Because of their sins, they were the children of the devil. They could only become children of God through faith in Him.
Obviously, the Jews were furious, but the point is that not everyone belongs to the Lord. All the people living in this world either belong to the Lord or they belong to the devil. There is no halfway point. For those who belong to the Lord, for those who belong to the Lord's family, they were expected to be united. They were commanded to be united. Remember, Jesus prayed in His priestly prayer in John 17:21. Let me read for you, "That they” - the believers - “all may be one as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me."
Dear friend, are you a believer of the Lord Jesus Christ? Do you belong to God's family? If you are truly born again, then you belong to God's spiritual family. You are a member of the invisible church, and you will experience the new life in Jesus Christ. But you must also recognize that the person whom you are at odds with, the person whom you have an issue with, is also a child of God to whom both of you must have a visible and earthly unity that the world can see. This was commanded by our Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus said in John 13:34. Let me read again, "A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another."
Indeed, some people are hard to get along with, sadly even Christians. But we have a duty and responsibility to look beyond their faults. As Christians, we must learn to see the person and love the person with the love that our Lord Jesus has commanded us. Pattern after the love Jesus has commanded, "As I have loved thee." How did Jesus love us? He came into this world, he lived a perfect life, he suffered, he was crucified, he died, he shed his precious blood on the cross of Calvary to pay the penalty for our sins. That was how much Christ loved us.
We are not discounting the fact that we do have our differences, preferences, and variations of opinions over non-essential issues. But we are willing to set aside our differences and be united. Why? Simply because we are in the Lord. One theologian gave this analogy of a bag filled with marbles. There are many marbles of different colours and sizes, and they are packed closely in a bag. If the bag is ripped open, all the marbles will spill out in all directions because there's nothing internal that could bind them to each other. Now, in contrast, consider a magnet placed into a bag of iron nails. By their nature, the iron nails will respond to the power of the magnet and are drawn together. So even if the bag is ripped apart by some outside forces, the attractive power of the magnet will still draw all the nails together and keep them intact and united.
In the same way, faithful Christians may have their differences which may physically rip them apart, but they will still maintain their unity through the magnetic power of Jesus Christ working within their hearts and drawing them together. That is a glimpse of how you and I, as believers, can be bonded and be united in the Lord. We may acknowledge the fact that we belong to the Lord, we belong to God's family, but to be willing to set aside our differences for the sake of unity, that speaks of an attitude.
II. We have the mind of Christ
This brings us to our second point: we have the mind of Christ. Paul says, "I beseech Euodias and beseech Syntyche that they be of the same mind in the Lord." To beseech is to urge, and here Paul gently urged these two women to be of the same mind, to agree with each other, to live in harmony in the Lord. You see, if people are right with God, then they will be right with others as well. Do you realize that all our relationships hinge on our ultimate relationship with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ? By way of illustration, if I have an issue with my wife and I refuse to resolve the issue, I refuse to forgive, refuse to let go, and I just want to hold on to the grudge, what would you say about me? Something is spiritually wrong with me, right? If we know that we are spiritually wrong, something is wrong with us; it always has to do with our relationship to the Lord.
Please be mindful that often the root problem of disunity is with our relationship to the Lord. If we are far away from the Lord, then frictions will inevitably arise between ourselves and our fellow believers. The things people do will easily frustrate us; the things people say will easily irritate us. If we do not want that to happen, then we must maintain a close and personal fellowship with the Lord. To be in the Lord implies that things must be done in accordance to the Lord, and there's no better way to understand how to obey this command than to know the mind of Christ. The Apostle Paul said in Philippians 2:4, ‘let us esteem others better than ourselves.’ If you and I are able to esteem others better than ourselves, then we will be able to eradicate all our disunity, all our differences, all our issues.
But how can we do that? Well, Paul went on to say, "Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 2:5). In other words, you must have the mind of Christ. And what was the mind of Christ? Remember, Jesus was 100% God; he was the almighty God. But he made himself of no reputation, took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men. And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. That was the attitude of humility and self-sacrifice. So to achieve Christian unity, we need this attitude of humility and self-sacrifice. But we will never be humble; we will never be willing to sacrifice apart from a close and intimate walk with God. For in ourselves, we do not like humility; we do not like to sacrifice. We cannot achieve these attitudes without doubt Christ.
Perhaps you are someone who thinks, ‘Oh, I am humble; I love to sacrifice. I always esteem others better than myself.’ Well, think again. All you need to do is to look into your own heart and consider your sinfulness. We know far better our own hearts than about the hearts of others, do you agree? When we sincerely look into our own hearts and we recognise our sinfulness, we will know that there is absolutely no basis, no reasons for us to be proud.
Remember what the Apostle Paul said about himself: "I am the least of all the apostles. I am the least of all the sinners, and Christ Jesus came into this world to die for sinners, of whom I am chief," which means I am the worst. How was Paul able to do that? Simply because he searched his own heart. Dear friend, indeed, we know our hearts better than anyone else, and when we look into our own hearts, how could we honestly think of ourselves in a proud way? In fact, the more we look into our hearts, the lesser we will complain about others. The more we look into our hearts, the less negative things we will say. If I may put it this way, the reason why we complain about others, why we think negatively about others, why we look down upon others, why we have a holier-than-thou attitude is because we fail to look into our own hearts. The more we look into our own hearts, the more we realise that we are so far away from the mind of Christ.
Every day of our lives, we have to learn to be humble; we have to learn to sacrifice, and we learn by looking to Jesus Christ, the ultimate perfect example, and through His precious word. If Euodias and Syntyche were to search their hearts and consider their sinfulness and consider the mind of Jesus Christ, they will realise that they were so far away from God. They will realise that their sins were the root problem for their differences, and then they will be willing to put aside their differences, put aside their issues, and be united and as one.
III. We are in the Book of Life
Our final point is we are in the Book of Life. Let us move on to verse three: "And I intreat thee also, true yokefellow, help those women which laboured with me in the gospel, with Clement also, and with other my fellow labourers whose names are in the book of life." There may come a time when the individuals cannot resolve their differences by themselves and they need help from people outside of themselves, like Euodias and Syntyche. They needed help from the church to resolve their differences. To intreat is to ask, so Paul asks the fellow workers at Philippi to help these two women. A yokefellow refers to someone carrying the same burden. It is like a picture of two oxen carrying the same weight or pulling the same load, and this person was not only a yokefellow, he was a true yokefellow, which means he was genuine and sincere.
Some people think that this yokefellow was Epaphroditus. Others think that it could be one of the elders or deacons, but the Bible is silent, so it is best not to speculate. Euodias and Syntyche had laboured with Paul in the gospel. Allow me to give you a brief background of how Paul came to Philippi. According to Acts 16, when Paul first arrived at Philippi on the Sabbath day, he went out of the city and saw a group of women by the riverside praying, and there he ministered to them. Those women believed, and amongst them was a woman named Lydia, and most likely Euodias and Syntyche were also part of the group. From then onwards, they laboured together with Paul in the gospel.
What does that teach us? Even the most mature and faithful people, even people who are committed to the gospel work, can be caught up to fight, strive, and quarrel. They can be disunited. In other words, we can be a preacher, an elder, a deacon, a Sunday school teacher, a mature believer. If we are not careful, we can be caught in the same situation, we can be disunited. Paul also urged Clement to join this true yokefellow. Again, we do not know anything about Clement except it was a common name. And then to make sure that he did not leave anyone out, Paul mentioned “with other my fellow labourers”. Some people may be wondering, why didn't Paul mention the names of these people, the true yokefellow and the fellow labourers? Why did he not mention their names? Actually, it doesn't matter whether their names were not written in the book of Philippians. What really matters was that their names were written in the Book of Life.
Paul says, "Whose names are in the book of life." The Book of Life is where God records all the names of the believers. Their names were written there from eternity past. In other words, Paul was like saying the names of the true yokefeller, the name of Clement, the names of the other fellow labourers were all written in the Book of Life. So, you must help these two women, Euodias and Syntyche, why? Because their names were also written in the Book of Life. Your name, her name, his name, every one of your names are written in the Book of Life. And when you know that and you see differences occurring between those people whose names were written in the Book of Life, you will be most willing to come alongside to help, come alongside to resolve those issues, those differences.
Dear friend, is there anyone, any brother or sister in Christ whom you are unhappy with? Is there anyone whom you are at odds with, or you have unresolved issues? Can you imagine in the Book of Life, there will be the names of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, David, Solomon, Isaiah, Hosea, Peter, James, John, Paul, and so forth, and then tucked in between those names, that is your name. Isn't it wonderful? And then there is also the name of the person whom you are at odds with, who is also a believer, who is also in the Lord. Can you see how our differences would then be so trivial, so small, when we look at our differences in light of our names being written in the Book of Life? They become so small and so trivial. You have an issue with the preacher? Well, his name is in the Book of Life. You have a problem with the home care group leader? Well, his name is also in the Book of Life.
When we look at this spiritual perspective, all our names are written in the Book of Life. Then we look at our differences, our struggles, our issues, they will be so small and trivial. But your name must be in the Book of Life, and there's only one way your name can be in the Book of Life, and that is you must believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. To those who are still lingering outside the Kingdom of God, you may have received much love, much acceptance by your families, by your friends. You may say that you are at peace with the whole world, just like some of the men who are dying lying on their death beds. They will say, ‘I am at peace with myself.’ It doesn't matter if you are at peace with yourself or you are at peace with the whole world, but there is one person whom you are not at peace with, and this person is all that matters, and that is the one who died on the cross, who shed His precious blood to save you from your sins. You reject Him, you remain an enemy of God, you will have no peace. Once you draw your last breath, you swing into eternity, a million upon a million years, you will be tormenting in the Lake of Fire, and the fire never stops burning. Come and believe in Jesus Christ, the only one who can save you. You reject Him, you reject the only way to salvation, and your name will not be found in the Book of Life.
How do we maintain Christian unity in the church? When we remind ourselves that we are in the Lord, we belong to God's spiritual family, and we ought to be united. When we remind ourselves that we must have the mind of Christ, which is a mind of humility and self-sacrifice, and when we have a mind of humility and self-sacrifice, we will esteem others better than ourselves. When we do that, we will eradicate all our disunity, all our differences. When we remind ourselves that what really matters is that our names are written in the Book of Life. For all eternity, we will be fellowshipping with one another in Heaven in the presence of God. So, when we look at our differences, we look at our struggles, our issues, they become so small and trivial. When we consider all these truths, then our unresolved issues will be put aside. We will be willing to forgive; we will be willing to let go. We will not hold on to our grudges but rather we will be united, and then we will work together and serve the Lord to the glory of His precious name. Will you do that? We are in the Lord; we have the mind of Christ, and we are in the Book of Life.
Let us pray. Our Father in heaven, we thank Thee for this opportunity to consider this portion of scriptures. Indeed, there are times whereby we succumb to our own humanistic ideas and desires. We know we have our differences, preferences, and variations of opinions, often times over non-essential issues, and yet we fight, quarrel, and divide. May Thou forgive us. As believers, Thou has taught us, instructed us that we are in the Lord, we belong to the Lord's family, we belong to Thy spiritual family, and we ought to be united. We have the mind of Christ; our Lord Jesus taught us this attitude of humility and self-sacrifice, and we pursue after the spiritual perfection of having this mind of Christ.
The more we consider the mind of Christ, the more we endeavour toward attaining this attitude of humility and self-sacrifice. We will learn to esteem others better than ourselves, and thus this unity will be eradicated. And most importantly, Thou has reminded us yet again that as believers, our names are written in the Book of Life, and that is all that matters. And when we consider our names are all written in the Book of Life, we see our differences and issues so small and trivial. For our lives on this earth are but a vapor; it appeared for a little time and then vanishes away. What about these differences? For all eternity, we will be fellowshipping with one another in the presence of Thee in Heaven.
So, help us to remember the spiritual truths and help us to apply these truths into our lives that Better BP Church will be united. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.
THE BOOK OF PHILIPPIANSThe Church at PhilippiThe Church at PhilippiPhilippians 1:1-2
The Joy of A Spirit-Filled Life (Part 1)The Joy of A Spirit-Filled Life (Part 1)Philippians 1:3-5
Elements of True JoyElements of True JoyPhilippians 1:3-6
The Joy of a Spirit-filled Life (Part 2)The Joy of a Spirit-filled Life (Part 2)Philippians 1:6
What are the Things Most Important to Us?What are the Things Most Important to Us?Philippians 1:7-8
Growing in GodlinessGrowing in GodlinessPhilippians 1:9-11
Message 5: Praying for the ChurchMessage 5: Praying for the ChurchPhilippians 1:9-11
Growing in GodlinessGrowing in GodlinessPhilippians 1:9-11
Are All Things Really Working For Good?Are All Things Really Working For Good?Philippians 1:12-14
In Times of AdversityIn Times of AdversityPhilippians 1:12-18
Trouble in the ChurchTrouble in the ChurchPhilippians 1:15-18
For to Me to Live is Christ, to Die is GainFor to Me to Live is Christ, to Die is GainPhilippians 1:19-26
To Live is ChristTo Live is ChristPhilippians 1:19-26
Living Worthy of the GospelLiving Worthy of the GospelPhilippians 1:27-30
Live your life worthy of the GospelLive your life worthy of the GospelPhilippians 1:27-30
The Motivation for Spiritual Unity (Part 1)The Motivation for Spiritual Unity (Part 1)Philippians 2:1-2
Let's Have FellowshipLet's Have FellowshipPhilippians 2:1-4
Essential Principles of Spiritual Unity (Part 2)Essential Principles of Spiritual Unity (Part 2)Philippians 2:3-4
The Ultimate ExampleThe Ultimate ExamplePhilippians 2:5-8
The Ultimate ExampleThe Ultimate ExamplePhilippians 2:5-11
What Is Christmas?What Is Christmas?Philippians 2:6-11
The Greatest NameThe Greatest NamePhilippians 2:9-11
Living a Sanctified LifeLiving a Sanctified LifePhilippians 2:12-13
Work Out Your Own SalvationWork Out Your Own SalvationPhilippians 2:12-18
Moving Forward Not BackwardMoving Forward Not BackwardPhilippians 2:13-14
Stop Murmuring and ComplainingStop Murmuring and ComplainingPhilippians 2:14-16
The Exemplary Example of a Spiritual Servant: PaulThe Exemplary Example of a Spiritual Servant: PaulPhilippians 2:17-18
The Exemplary Example of a Spiritual Servant: TimothyThe Exemplary Example of a Spiritual Servant: TimothyPhilippians 2:19-24
The Importance of Spiritual DiscernmentThe Importance of Spiritual DiscernmentPhilippians 3:1-2
True Believers Worship God in Spirit and in TruthTrue Believers Worship God in Spirit and in TruthPhilippians 3:3, John 4:4-30
Nothing to Boast OfNothing to Boast OfPhilippians 3:3-6
What Is Gain To Me Is LossWhat Is Gain To Me Is LossPhilippians 3:7-9
The Power of Christ's ResurrectionThe Power of Christ's ResurrectionPhilippians 3:10-11
What are Your Spiritual Goals?What are Your Spiritual Goals?Philippians 3:10-11
Pressing Toward The MarkPressing Toward The MarkPhilippians 3:12-14
Pressing Toward the MarkPressing Toward the MarkPhilippians 3:13-14
Morning Devotion 2: God’s High Calling for YouMorning Devotion 2: God’s High Calling for YouPhilippians 3:13-14
How to Know the Will of GodHow to Know the Will of GodPhilippians 3:15
Who Are You Following?Who Are You Following?Philippians 3:16-19
Heavenly Or Earthly MindedHeavenly Or Earthly MindedPhilippians 3:20-21; 1 Corinthians 15:50-57
How Do You Stand Fast?How Do You Stand Fast?Philippians 4:1
How to Maintain Christian UnityHow to Maintain Christian UnityPhilippians 4:2-3
Having Peace in Times of Trouble [Part 1]Having Peace in Times of Trouble [Part 1]Philippians 4:4-7
The Cure for AnxietyThe Cure for AnxietyPhilippians 4:6-7
Message 6: Praying for the TroubledMessage 6: Praying for the TroubledPhilippians 4:6-7
Having Peace in Times of Trouble [Part 2]Having Peace in Times of Trouble [Part 2]Philippians 4:8-9
Learning To Be Content [Part 1]Learning To Be Content [Part 1]Philippians 4:10-12
How To Be An Overcoming ChristianHow To Be An Overcoming ChristianPhilippians 4:13
Learning To Be Content [Part 2]Learning To Be Content [Part 2]Philippians 4:13-19
My God Shall Supply All Your NeedsMy God Shall Supply All Your NeedsPhilippians 4:19
Living By Grace and For God's GloryLiving By Grace and For God's GloryPhilippians 4:20-23
