Divisive Mind

This is what happens when you allow isomers of the companies that handle this without having find out later on date held me to do next time someone you like talkative person so we can reserve unit portion of the message title device passed Robert on some church focus is on making Christ we worship you serve the way we love one another is out at 3485 Oxford Rd. in Anderson. Visit us online@abc.org join us for the rest of this message. If you have problems with your turn to Philippians chapter 2 starting in verse one. Let's all stand for the reading of God's therefore, if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the spirit, if any affection and mercy fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind question for us. Do we have a divisive mind.

Do you know what it means to be of one mind with others. Do you know what it means to truly get along with people in our families and our neighborhoods and specially at church. Do you have a divisive mind and more than that. Do you have the mind of Christ which means are you saved, because if you're not a very simple asked Jesus Christ to come into your life to forgive you of your sins and to take over.

Pray that prayer right now is very simple to Jesus you died on the cross for my sins, and I believe that you are the son of God, and you give your life so I don't have to come into my life be my Savior. Forgive me of my sins and from this day forward I want to live for you. Pray that prayer the many of you have shared with me how much the sketch of the volcano and the plant has helped you and so here it is again all of us have certain expectations in life. These expectations represent our goals in life and how we expect life to turn out for the good times and the bad times are expectations are motivated by our accumulated assumptions. Assumptions are things we have come to believe to believe in life. This is the way our mind works is the way were built. It's also due to circumstances. Our mind is being shaped and those are our assumptions, leading to expectations know what happens when our expectations don't turn out according to our assumptions. But the point we have frustrations and frustrations typically manifest themselves in the form of anxiety, guilt and resentment. That's why our culture, our society is so infected and inflicted by anxiety and guilt and resentment because of false assumptions giving rise to false expectations, resulting in frustrations I give you some illustrations last time I talked about success in life are sometimes wrong motivations can lead to frustrations also give illustrations from child raising and marriage. But here's another one that may help you apply this sketch. This diagram hurts in life we get hurt in life. If your expectation is that the world owes you for the pain you have suffered in your life you are in for a a lot of frustrations I mean I meet so many people who have been through some pain as a child or as a teenager or as an adult. They been through pain in their life and they're expecting someone to compensate them to treat them differently to do that if you like the day they are entitled to certain waivers because of the hurts they have faced in life that this false expectation is based on some false assumptions of the false assumptions are that human beings are inherently good, not true. We are sinful.

This is based on the false assumption that life is perfect.

It's not just because of the people to talk about their hers is not mean they haven't been through it is based on the false assumption that hurts can be rectified in this life is not. Many times you never be able to tell that person what to do to you many times you'll never be able to try that person for the crime they committed because of have died off as it's based on the false assumption that if you are hurt, you are entitled to special privileges. Not true. You have to abandon that volcano model and goal for the tree that is planted by the rivers of water instead of assumptions you have to seek after biblical truths and in the biblical truth is the mind of Christ instead of expectations you have trust in the promises of God himself. Frustrations then you will have fruits you would have to believe if you have been through hurts and live you have to believe in the fallenness and the sinfulness of human being. You have to believe in the biblical truth of the reality of sin, the depravity of sin and the necessity of Jesus coming in this war because if he did not come. Sin will continue and hurt and pain will remain. That's why he came, and you have to believe in the importance of forgiveness. If you forgive you.

You have to extend grace to others.

Seek assumptions have to change and have to be replaced by biblical truths sensitive expectations now yet promises and so frustrations there fruits now back to our message on the divisive mind. Listen again to Philippians chapter 2 verse one and two. Therefore, if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love any fellowship of the spirit, if any affection and mercy fulfill my joy by being like-minded, in order to understand what Paul meant by those words. We need to take this passage apart and look at it section at a time.

To start with. Paul implores the Philippians to fulfill my joy by being like-minded, the word for joy is Carl which Paul uses five times in various forms in this letter start written Philippians chapter 1 verse four Paul prays for the Philippians with joy with Kara and Philippians 125. Paul wants to continue with them for their progress and joy of faith and of course, in Philippians 2 verse two. Paul wants them to fulfill his joy by being like-minded later in Philippians 229 Paul wants them to receive a path for a died is, who was one of his companions and ministry, but do it with joy, not resentment, not frustration. Not like he is a burden but with joy and in Philippians chapter 4 verse one Paul calls the Philippians. His joy and his crown. Not only that there's another word that Paul uses throughout the letter to the Philippians is the word Kyron which is like a cousin of the word Kara and the word Kyron means rejoice in that word is also found as many as seven times. Now don't have time to go through every instance of that word are the most famous one is in Philippians 44 rejoice in the Lord always again I will say, rejoice. Why is Paul so obsessed with joy and rejoice in his letter to the Philippians before we answer the question what is the meaning of that word, joy, or what is the meaning of that word rejoice. Of course we can turn to the dictionary as of the lexicons but but I believe the best way to discover what a word means finding every instance of its use in the Bible and see how it is used when we look at that word Kara or Cairo. What we find is this joy is a feeling of deep happiness which is based on biblical truths and repeat that again joy is a feeling of deep happiness which is based on biblical truths CS Lewis. Many of you have heard me mention his name in his book called surprised by Joy.

Listen to what he says. He says joy is an unsatisfied desire which is itself more desirable than any other satisfaction while what exactly is Lewis saying what he is saying is this true joy never runs out or reaches its goal, but it keeps multiplying as a kind of happiness that never ends. It keeps rolling no matter what the circumstances, no matter what you're facing in life.

This is a joy that is coming from deep within. Back to our question why in the world did Paul use the words joy and rejoice so many times in his letter to the Philippians denied one time. People used to think that the letter to the Philippians was Paul's letter of joy that he was just so joyful because the Philippians brought him so much joy yes and no.

Why did you use that word so many times well in this particular instance in Philippians 2 to listen to that line again. He says fulfill my joy fulfill my joy here that word fulfill implies that the moment Paul's joy was incomplete. He has it for some reason it has been depleted, fulfill it, fill it up in a sense what Paul is saying is my joy has been leaking fulfill it. It's not quite there.

Help me get there just in case the Philippians were to misunderstand what was Paul saying Paul even explains why he needs that joy fulfilled fulfill my joy by being what the work like-minded apparently they were not being like-minded, now we don't know for sure where they just divided were the lines drawn in the Philippian church. We don't know.

Could it be that Paul received word from Timothy in a path for dieters that there was there was dissension in the Philippian church.

We don't know for sure.

One thing we know Paul was really concerned and he says please fulfill my joy by being like-minded, in case the misunderstand, he repeats it and clarifies in three different ways. He says fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. Talk about being emphatic listen very carefully.

Nothing will deplete your joy in the Christian life faster than division in your life in your marriage and your family and specially in the church. Nothing will deplete your joy faster than division where divisions come from. Paul tells us in verse three. Listen to what he said. He said let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit conceit is excessive pride, but in the lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself means the Philippians must've been going through a sense of superiority.

Specially spiritual superiority.

The worst kind. On the more Bible than you. I have more Holy Spirit than you. I have had longer list of rules, you know, these are my list of things that you don't have, how long is your list office not big enough. Here's my list.

Legalism will divide people like nothing else. What else.

Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interest of others. They were struggling with self-interest. You see, this is what was happening in the Philippian church and Paul is saying please I have joy every time I think of you.

I have joy I make mention of you in my prayer with joy. I want you to rejoice.

But here's the problem. My joy is not full because you're not like-minded, there is division.

I want you here me carefully. If a person has grown up in an environment which is marred by arguments and fights because of these negative qualities like selfish ambition and self-interest and and spiritual pride in legalism and excessive pride if if a person has grown up in a divisive environment. It is normal for them to live in contention. They were five or some they'll be at odds with some way to grow up in a home where you are always fighting with your siblings you in a fight with with other people in your life if you grew up in a home, and you watch mom and dad constantly fight that's normal and you'd expect that even in the church you'd expect leaders in the church to be at odds with each other and this is sad.

It's an unhealthy evil destructive attitude. It takes one to start divisive person to start something and before you know it, the whole body is infected with the spirit of division in the best of the best churches have suffered from this very evil, sinful attitude.

So what does Paul say how do you counteract such a divisive mark mind when you read the rest of Philippians with this understanding, it begins to make sense. Listen to what he says in Philippians chapter 2 verse 1415 says do all things without complaining and disputing a divisive person would always complain they will do it for they will complain it. When we asked someone to come and help out many times people come and help, but they also complained the dispute defined because is not done their way there. Like certain something about Paul says do all things without complaining and disputing that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, how friends here Mike what is my question to you. Do you have a divisive mind. Are you the person who grew up with that false assumption that normal means. People are fussing just like Fred and Jenny and Andy Griffith that even though they got along. They were fighting for someone else. The new expectation of normal is broken your expert expectation of normal is weird. No wonder this frustrations very you go folks. You have to replace that assumption and you have to stop bickering and come and and disputing, because it sends the wrong message. It it portrays the wrong testimony before the watching world something else you have to use a whole another divisive person.

I am not the one who who who complains and and Grierson and causes division. I'm not. They came to me he said to me she told me whether something Paul has to say to you as well listen. The Philippians chapter 4 and verse eight he says finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy meditate on these things. Apparently in the Philippian church.

There was a lot of false information oh a lot of things happening that were unjust, impure, unlovely that were being shared and talked about and discussed and meditated on and Paul says, don't waste your time on that though.

Meditate on those things. Folks if you think about the negative things that clearly I can promise you can give you 10 more 10 more things that we could be working on. 10 more things that we need to do right, but is that what you focus on is that what you think about, and a majority of people are clearly I'm really really a blessed church people and do that.

There always positive.

Their uplifting their encouraging and we get phone calls and staff gets phone calls, text messages, emails, Facebook messages telling us how much he appreciates.

I know that this is not a problem but I wanted to become one. How do you respond when someone brings a negative divisive junk to you how you deal with it.

You say well I just listen to them, but I don't you know is Quenched at five. Be careful who you listen to and what you listen to have shared a story with our staff is not really a story is a real event that happened in the Old Testament is worth considering you know about David. David and Jonathan were best friends. Even though Saul hated David.

David and Jonathan were best friends and after Saul's house collapsed. David became the king over Israel and David wanted to do something nice for the house of Saul even though Jonathan is now dead. He calls the people in, and someone says there is zebra here. Zebra used to be a servant of Saul and maybe he could tell you someone is still alive and so they call zebra zebra comes and he says yes. In fact, Jonathan son Menefee bull shipped is still living but he is lame. He was dropped as a baby and and he is handicap, but as king he is still living and so David invites Murphy Bush at the calm, he's afraid, but David said look, I'm not here to harm you. In fact, all the property, all the land that your grandfather's all owned, is now given to you. I mean, what act of grace and messy Bush. From here on you to sit at my dining table. The royal dining table and sit around it and you need with me. What a great act of kindness by David towards his old friend Jonathan. Then something happens Absalom Joe David son turns against David and there is a Civil War and so David has to run out of Jerusalem at an end. While he's running away. Some people are swearing allegiance to Absalom. Others are siding with David and zebra are the same zebra used to be Saul's servant, but now he is serving messy Bush it comes to David and said David here I am here to fight for you, but my Lord, but my master Menefee bull shipped.

He has sided with Absalom. Is that true was that a lie.

It was a big lie. Messy Bush it had been delays us think. In fact, messy Bush it had send zebra to go help David, the zebra comes and lies about messy Bush at two David well the wars over the battles over David comes back to Jerusalem. Everything is going back to normal and here comes messy Bush at and David sees him and David asked him the question so why didn't you come help me and messy. Bush tells David a look I send zebra but I know he lied to you about me king. How would never betray you. I would never be ungrateful to you that you know what David said to messy Bush.

It you were expected David to say bring on Siva. Let's try him. Let's execute him. Let's give messy Bush at all his property back. David turned to Missy Becher that he said all right well in that case you guys work it out. Divide the property between you and zebra what why in the world did David do that. Why did you deal with zebra widening trust messy Bush shed because you see David's mind was now contaminated against Menefee bull ship he could never trust him again.

If you seek factually, he knew that messy Bush shed was a good man but emotionally trust him anymore.

You see, this is what happens when you allow a divisive person to speak into your life when they bend your ear or they come to and say hey look, I just want tell you this this and this about so-and-so in the church or the pastor or teacher or a staff leader will be very careful who you listen to.

You saw this nice people. Be careful because they will contaminate your spirit and no matter how much you try even if you find out later on.

That was not the case in the day the misconstrue the truth and didn't tell the truth and tell the whole truth.

You see, Amanda's contaminated what you need to do next time someone comes and tries to bend your ear or to divide you use as a habit of it.

Have you gone to them first. You need to go talk to them first. What I want to hear. I want you go talk into. That's the principle in the Bible in Matthew 18, go talk to the person so we can preserve the unity of this body that Paul says something else that we need to listen to as we close in Philippians chapter 2 verse one he says. Therefore, if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the spirit, if any affection and mercy. You see what Paul is doing what I can say so much about each of those things. What he's saying is I beg you in the name of Jesus Christ, I beg you in the name of love among believers.

I beg you in the name of the Holy Spirit, I beg you for compassion and mercy sake fulfill my joy by getting along. Don't be divisive to see a divisive mind is contrary to the mind of Christ. So the question for us is do you have a divisive mind. Do you know someone who has a divisive mind. Pray for them, pray for them. Don't allow your ear to become someone's trash to what God has told us in the world is a person let them go to the person first instead of starting something here and are you saying you know Christ as your Savior until you do operate under those false assumptions you have Christ in your life, you become ministers of reconciliation you get more joy seeing people get along that having two people in your corner fighting with everybody else or or getting nearby in your corner fighting the two people with fulfill my choices. Paul barking like thank you so much for joining this message.

Paul warned about the dangers of having a divisive mind as the church as believers called unified pursue God's calling in our lives and partner together for the sake of the gospel. You have a divisive mindset. You let God develop you the mind of Christ. For more information visit us online@ec.org and for the sermon notes check on Pastor Shah's blog, nonchalant.com