Conduct Worthy of the Church

Paul has reduced his exhortation to one thing. This is the bottom line in Christian experience. This is the essential of a worthy behavior, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ that is the sum and circumference and substance of all that is required of you and how can you help your local congregation achieve that kind of harmony. Consider that today on grace to you as John MacArthur begins his study called a plea for unity will John. This series is a continuation of our multi-week theme of strengthening relationships the last couple of weeks. We looked at building a strong marriage, and today we turn to the church how to foster unity in the local fellowship of believers and really perhaps nowhere is unity more essential and the absence of unity more destructive than in the church. So basically Phil, this is the bottom line issue with the testimony of the church in the world Jesus in John 13 says by this shall all men know you're my disciples, if you have love for one another Scripture is clear in saying as well that when we are one body in Christ and when we have unity in the church. It declares that the father sent the son into the world. In other words, the United Church is evidence of divine involvement, divine transformation, as true as that is as essential as that is. And as genuine as that is spiritually because we are all one in Christ. It just is so hard to sustain manifest evident unity in the church we had divided over just about anything and everything, and consequently would we want to do a series to call us back to this critical unity, simple title of plea for unity and will be looking at really it that the most important passage on this farce church life is concerned. Philippians 127 through chapter 2 verse eight.

This is a plea from us to you to hear the plea from God through Scripture to pursue unity in the church we are instructed to pursue in the book of Philippians.

The bond of peace unity in the bond of peace. You would assume that we would work so hard at this because of its impact in terms of our testimony, but it just seems that churches and even Christian people are more likely to be divisive in their relationships than they are to pursue unity and peace so we need this series will offered up the plea for unity conduct worthy of the church. The motives of spiritual unity the marks of spiritual unity how to receive spiritual unity in the model, the Lord Christ himself important day stay with us yes and friend. Perhaps you have questions about how your church can grow in love for the Lord and for one another and how it can be a shining testimony for Christ. This series will answer those questions and it starts right now. Here's John with a plea for unity. Philippians chapter 1 will look together at the last four versus verses 27 through 30. This rich little section gets at the very heart of the need for the church to behave itself in the way God has designed its a section on the behavior of the church we could've entitled the church behaving itself as we come to verse 27 the previous autobiographical tone of this first chapter disappears and Paul turns the returns away from looking at himself in talking about his own joy in the ministry to pleading with the church. He is no longer concerned about himself. He is concerned about them and he wants them to look into their own hearts and see if there's real spiritual integrity. There, he wants us today to do the very same thing. Verse 27, only conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or remain absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel in no way alarmed by your opponents, which is a sign of destruction for them, but of salvation for you and that too from God for to you it has been granted for Christ's sake not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for his sake experiencing the same conflict which you saw in me, and now here to be in me notice the first word is only that is very very important. The first word only is in the crucial emphatic position in the Greek sentence that is, it is first in Greek as it is in English and it stands for one essential issue. Paul has reduced his exhortation to one thing.

This is the bottom line in Christian experience. This is the bottom line in church life.

This is the essential of the worthy behavior, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ that is the sum and circumference and substance of all that is required of you bosses I want your life. I want your behavior as a church is a Christian community in a pagan culture to be worthy of the gospel that you believe in the gospel that you proclaim in chapter 2 he reiterates. Similarly, in verse 15 that you may prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world, holding fast the word of life, so that in the day of Christ. I may have caused the glory because I didn't run in vain nor toil in vain. You are to be above reproach to hold fast the word of life. You are to conduct yourselves in a worthy way now. His choice of words is most rich.

The verb there conduct the phrase conduct yourselves is a very interesting verb. It literally at its roots and its original meaning, meant to behave as a citizen of a polis which we get the word political a city state a free state. Your to conduct yourselves in a manner that would be proper behavior for a citizen and he's not talking about a citizen of Earth is talking about a citizen of heaven, a citizen of the kingdom of God. But using this word was judicious on his part because of the culture in which he was involved me tell you why the Roman world had of course very strong political formations.

Some cities like Philippi were known as Roman colonies what that meant was that Philippi was a little room. It was a small-scale version of room there were very proud about that to be a Roman citizen, was the epitome of a human dignity, and though Philippi was nearly 800 miles from Rome.

It was very near in mindset lifestyle and attitude.

There was great pride about the fact that they were a Roman city state. It spoke of their protection. It spoke of their high esteem in the eyes of Rome.

It spoke of their culture.

You will remember that even when the apostle Paul initially went to Philippi in acts chapter 16 Roman citizenship was an issue in 1620.

These men are throwing our city in the confusion being Jews and are proclaiming customs which it is not lawful for us to accept or to observe being the Romans they said, being Romans in other words, here are the Philippians claiming to be Romans even though they don't live in Rome but they had all the rights and privileges of Roman citizenship and in the Roman colonies. The Roman citizens never forgot who they really belong to Rome was was their mother.

If you will. They spoke the Latin language in Philippi.

They were the Latin or Roman dress. They call their magistrates by the Latin or Roman names.

They insisted on being stubbornly Roman and they were deeply into Roman citizenship.

With all that it meant not what did it mean, let me simplify to the ancient Greeks.

The polis PO LIS or state free state was not just a place to live. There was tremendous pride in that.

And whatever your place was you were proud of, and particularly if it was a Roman colony, the people viewed their polis, their city status have been called as a partnership with other people to obtain the highest good for all society.

There was very little living for oneself the good of the city.

The good of the state was in the meat minds of the people.

The individual citizen. For example, developed his abilities as talents and skills is successes not for his own sake but for the community and the sake of all mutuality, interdependence, the pride of the state was the issue to live as a citizen, then it would ring the bell in the minds of the Philippians Paul using that word that we have translated conduct yourselves was really saying live as a citizen of a free state. And that was so full of meaning they would know exactly what that meant live for the good of others, not for yourselves. Live being proud about what state it is you are identified with live consistent with the values of that state and the goals of that state and the expressions of that state and the culture of that state that is exactly what he wants to say and what he says to the church conduct yourselves, he is saying to the church live as a citizen of heaven.

Chapter 3 verse 20 of Philippians. He says our citizenship is in heaven. That is what he has in mind here and he is saying. Live according to the values and customs and culture of the heavenly kingdom live for the good of others, not for yourself, may all your talents and abilities, endeavor successes be directed at the community rather than yourself. Believers are called on to live in partnership with others to live as a member of a spiritual kingdom, namely the church the live as citizens governed by the law of God by righteousness, faith, love, service, worship the Bible is very clear that through the gospel. We have been translated out of the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of God's dear son. Colossians says we have been made citizens of a new community of spiritual fellowship. The heavenly church.

Hebrews 1222 and 23 that's Paul's point, we are to live a citizen now listen folks, it is absolutely essential that you understand that is the bottom line in the Christian life you must conduct yourself as a citizen of heaven, not of this world not of this passing world. Now how does a citizen of heaven conduct himself.

Follow verse 27 in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ, consistent with what we know. Consistent with what we teach. Consistent with what we preach, consistent with what we believe. That is, integrity that is integrity. See the thing that is stripping the church today of all of its credibility is that it says one thing and does another thing that lives one way and preaches another way is only when the church lives. True to its message by the church. I mean, you and me is only when it's embodying and its behavior in its beliefs that it has integrity and only one it has integrity is the message clear and believable. The greatest weapon, the church, as is its integrity and when the church does not conduct itself in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. It cuts itself up in terms of its ability to be a whole person representing the body and person of Christ. The church cannot live beneath its theology, it cannot live beneath its message. Paul insists on this highest standard. People look at the church they hear you preach the gospel they see lives that don't reflect the holiness virtue and salvation from sin and they say that gospel doesn't do anything that's not good news.

They see pastors and immorality. They say church members and immorality.

They see people cheat on the job they see people live in the world says what message do you offer and we say deliverance from sin and they say don't really know very delivered when he mentions the gospel of Christ.

Hear what he refers to is the good news of salvation. The good news of eternal life, which God has sent in the world that men can be saved from sin unto holiness, and the church has to live that out that we have been delivered from darkness to light from death to life, from sin to righteousness. We have to live that reality we have to live as if we were proud citizens of a great state only vastly more significant than any earthly state. We are to be true to the citizenship in the heavenly kingdom where Christ reigns and where his word is law and what is the essence of living according to the gospel. If any man be in Christ he is a new creation. Old things are passed away behold all things have become new and what is the gospel tell us it the gospel tells us that men are transformed into new life and we must live that new life or we deny the gospel in our behavior. Then Paul as so that whether I come to see you or remain absent, I may hear about you. My presence is not the issue. Don't depend on me and I say that to you from my heart. Don't depend on me. There is no reason Paul says to wait for me to show up to begin a new level of commitment in the church. There's no reason for that any pastor wants to know that his people will go on living consistent with the gospel that the holy truth will be revealed in their lives whether he's there or not and bought reasonable fears about this he said to the Ephesian elders in acts 20 I know that when I leave wolves again arise up evil men are going to come in and it happens you wrote to the Galatians and says really more will more than one church was involved in glacier that was a whole area. There were many churches and he says how can you be so soon removed from what I taught you. That's the pain of ministry. So Paul is saying look I call you to worthy behavior whether I'm there or not know what is that worthy behavior. How might want to stand it four ways. Paul gives us for characteristics of a church that is behaving itself for characteristics of a church that is behaving itself is very much like a parent who saying I'm going away. I mean, leaving you in the care of these other people not want you to behave yourself and you given that speech many times, and here are the four elements of your behavior that concern the Holy Spirit standing sharing striving and suffering and that takes us through the flow of this text. First of all, a church that is behaving itself is standing.

Verse 27. I want to hear of you that you are standing firm stop at that point we need to make a whole point out of just that because it's so basic that you are standing firm from stucco which literally means to be at post in a war. The word is used to refer to a soldier who will not budge from his post that you will be at your post and not move. No compromise with error. No compromise with sin and unyielding maintenance of their testimony for the word of God and the Christ of God, stand firm. Don't move doctrinally. Don't move in terms of conduct from where you are to stand. He says it again in chapter 4 verse one.

Therefore, my beloved brother, in whom I long to see my joy and crown, so stand firm in the Lord, my beloved, using the same verb in an imperative form steak at day stand firm he's calling, beloved for loyalty to the Lord. Loyalty in life is the issue here, to stand firm in Paul's mind has to do with spiritual character has to do with godliness, purity, virtue, holiness, obedience, and you find that particularly if you just go back a page or so into the last chapter of Ephesians.

You'll notice in verse 11, he says you are to stand firm, and that's the same term against the schemes of the devil. Verse 13.

At the end of the verse having done everything, to stand firm and again he says it is a matter of resisting resisting the devil in the day when he comes to do evil. Now Marcus will you please when he talks about standing firm, then he has in mind, resisting the devil resisting temptation, corruption both doctrinally and in behavior because they go hand-in-hand. He has to do that in mind the matters of resisting temptation in the military metaphor is that of holding a critical position while under tremendous attack.

Your standing you're holding a position under tremendous attack. Now, in order to stand firm. He says in Ephesians 6 you have to have the full armor of God, because your standing not against flesh and blood, verse 12, but rulers powers world forces spiritual forces of wickedness, demonic hosts, demonic hosts seducing spirits. He called them and Paul's letter to Timothy so we are standing against Satan and demons and you have to have your loins girded with truthfulness that spiritual commitment. You have to have a breastplate of righteousness or holiness or purity.

Your feet need to be shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace. That is, you know that God is at peace with you. You are at peace with God. God is on your side and you stand your ground, knowing he will defend you. You take the shield of faith, you believe God, the helmet of salvation, your confidence in his glorious ability to keep you until the day when he takes you to heaven and you have in your hand. The sword of the Spirit which is the word of God. That's how you stand firm.

A second word that Paul brings up his implied in the next section. That's the word sharing in our standing firm. There must be a sharing these flow into one another, as is obvious since there in the same sentence. So he says I want to hear that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind.

Those two beautiful phrases expressed to us. Paul's desire for mutuality. It's not just standing firm alone it standing firm together in unity supporting one another purity.

First, unity second purity and unity. Believe me, friends. The battle for unity has gone on in the church since its inception. It was going on in Philippi. In chapter 2, he says in verse one. If there is any encouragement in Christ, if there's any consolation of love. If there's any fellowship of the Spirit. If there's any affection and compassion make my joy complete by being of the same mind maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose and over in chapter 4, he acknowledges that it was an issue, verse two, I urge you owed you an iron syndicate to live in harmony in the Lord indeed true comrade.

I ask you also to help these women who have shared my struggle help them get together.

We want harmony in the church. The church is still battling that there's not a day that goes by that we don't discuss, we gotta get those two people together so there can be harmony between the two when endless issue in the church discard disunity, bitterness should be noted that the battle for unity still rages today.

It is called for.

Over and over.

I won't even take the time to go over it, but particularly is it the passion of Paul, whether it's Romans 12, five and 12 first Corinthians 110 first Corinthians 1017 second Corinthians 811 Galatians 328 Ephesians 211 to 22 Ephesians 4 versus three, four, 13, and on or not he's over and over and over, calling for unity church must maintain unity while well it was the prayer of Christ that they may be one father is you and I are one.

John chapter 17. It was the passion of Christ in John 13 when he said by this will all men know that you are my disciples. Verse 3435 that you have what love one for another love one for another.

How is that generated go back to Philippians 2.

Here is the key verse three. Here's how to have the same mind the same live united in spirit and intent on one purpose. How does a church get that way. Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit. That's the remedy can be more clear.

But with there's the other side. Humility of mind let each of you regard one another as more important than himself. Do not merely look out for your own personal interest but also for the interest of others you know I have conflict in a church because you have at least two people concerned about their own interests. You will never have conflict where you have two people only concerned about one person's interest. There is no conflict. Conflict is always the result of competing interests always and the remedy is that simple. Stop looking out for yourself. It doesn't matter what you think. It doesn't matter what you want. It doesn't matter what you prefer. What matters is unity and the question is who is going to sacrifice who is going to humble himself is they will now wait a minute I'm right, that's the problem that's a problem you have's you have elevated being right over unity. Now I'm not talking about sacrificing truth I'm dealing with preferences Hoosier model verse five have this attitude in yourselves which is in Christ Jesus.

It every right to be in the form of God didn't hold onto it emptied himself, took the form of a bondservant, became a man and you know that wonderful passage, beloved is essential that we have unity in the church only put you another way doesn't matter what you think. It doesn't matter what you want doesn't matter what you prefer doesn't matter what your idea is what matters is unity and if you have to make the sacrifice.

God bless you got a lot of the unity got a lot of the unity you never have discord unless you have more than one person competing for more than one perspective as soon as possible deferred to the other. Unity is there. So selfishness always Regent disunity is what he said do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit. This is grace to you with John MacArthur. Thanks for being with us and today you heard John given urgent plea for the church, a plea for unity. That's the title of his study and friend. This study on the characteristics of a truly unified church and how to cultivate those traits in your own congregation would be a great resource to review with your small group like all of John series. It's free to download from our website, you can download a plea for unity or you can order the five CD album when you contact us today our website address TTY.org and remember at our website you could download any message from John's 53 year long pastoral ministry. That's over 3500 messages all free to download in transcript or MP3 format or if you'd like to own John series called a plea for unity on CD. You can order that when you call us at 855 grace or you can also get it from the website.

GT Y.and the sermons are just the beginning of what's available. It TTY.org.

You can read blog articles on a host of issues affecting the church. You can watch episodes of grace to you television you can follow along with grace, screen grace stream is a unique way to listen to John's teaching through the New Testament we started in Matthew and run continuously through revelation verse by verse and then it all starts over again just hop in wherever John is teaching at the moment and you will hear sermon after sermon. It gets you into God's word fast and it holds your attention. Book after book. You can listen to grace stream@tty.org now for John MacArthur. I'm Phil Johnson encouraging you to be here tomorrow when John looks at how your church can avoid the pitfalls that prevent unity. It's another half hour unleashing God's truth one verse at a time on Tuesday's race to