The Motives for Spiritual Unity

Why is it important for us to be at one month. Why is it important for us to maintain unity in the church. Why is it important for us to have one spirit to be striving together to eliminate conflict, discord, disunity why is it important doesn't tolerate sin, but and inviting. It's not a group that would prompt an outsider immediately to think well these people really care for and love each other well if you want to help your church become a more loving church where you start.

What does it take for a church really to live out the love of Christ exemplified John MacArthur's current study on grace to you is helping answer those questions. John is making a plea for unity. That's the title of his series.

So if you have your Bible handy turn to the book of Philippians and here's John were looking at the second chapter of Philippians, which is the most familiar section in this wonderful epistle. Now let me say as you prepare to examine Libyans to that the congregation of Christians at Philippi was a quality church and as Paul thought about them, and even as he wrote to them, his thoughts and feelings were positive.

The Philippians had a special place in his heart and he in their hearts, their positive feelings are basically revealed in the text of the letter. For example, chapter 1 verse three I thank my God in all my remembrance of you. Every time I think about you. I'm thankful verse four. Every time I pray for you.

It is with joy. Verse five grateful for your participation in the gospel from the first day until now. Consistency, endurance, and then you notice also in verse eight he says I long for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus. There was a genuine love bond between the apostle in this church.

Chapter 1 verse 19 he says that I know your prayers shall result in my deliverance and the provision of the spirit of Jesus Christ commending them for their love and their prayers there endurance there consistency in the faith had joyous memories of them in chapter 2 verse 12 he says you have always obeyed, and I want you to continue to obey and he can commend them for their obedience and a pattern of obedience when he was there they obeyed and he wanted them to continue doing it. Even in his absence. In chapter 3 verse 16 he says let us keep living by that same standard to which we have attained.

He says to them, just keep living by the same standard you're already living by and again he commends them for the highest standard of spiritual commitment that was the pattern of their life.

In verse 10 of chapter 4, he rejoices in the Lord greatly because they had shown their concern to him. When given opportunity and send them out very generous offering down in verse 16 he says it isn't the first time you sent me an offer. Even Thessalonica sent a gift more than once for my needs all of his thoughts about this church were positive all of his feelings were warm and affirming in the church had a very special place in his heart is also true that they very likely had quality leaders back in verse one of chapter 1 he addresses the letter to the saints in Christ Jesus, who are in Philippi and he includes the overseers and the deacons who by such an introduction are certainly commended as noble servants of the Lord in the church. In verse five when he affirms their participation in the gospel he is noting for us that they were genuine believers. Verse seven speaks of their great courage because even in Paul's imprisonment and defense and confirmation of the gospel. They stood with them as partakers of grace. Verse nine indicates that they had a real love which only needed to abound more and more was already abounding in verse 19. Again, we remind ourselves that they were prayerful and as I pointed out in chapter 4.

They were very generous. There is a very obvious lack of doctrinal exhortation in this epistle because there was apparently no doctrinal deviation they had not gone astray in terms of theology they did need to be corrected. There is no immorality in the congregation, which is confronted in the epistle. So generally this is a quality group of people. This is really a devoted consistent doctrinally true church. But in spite of all that there is lurking in that church, a deadly snake with poisonous venom and that deadly snake is the snake of disunity, discord and conflict which is poison. So many many churches in all of Paul's expressions of joy in all of his positive affirming characterizations of this Philippian church. There is still lurking in the shadows, an issue that is of grave concern to him and it is this issue of discord and disunity in the church and he frames the letter in the sense with that issue. For example, in the first chapter he speaks of it. Verse 27 when he says I want you to stand firm in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel in chapter 4. The last chapter he speaks of it in verses one and two, when he says, stand firm in the Lord, my beloved, and I urge you will you and I urge syndicate to live in the harmony in the Lord indeed true comrade. I ask you also to help those women. So in chapter 1 is an urging toward one mind and one heart and chapter 4 another urging toward one mind and one heart harmony in the church and then in the middle is the second chapter in the opening verses of chapter 2 also deal with the issue of unity in the church. This is a plea for unity.

In fact, it is the pattern of unity given is the formula for spiritual unity as we have entitled our sermon, my constant prayer for this blessed church of which were all part is that men will never tear asunder what God has joined together, but that is a constant battle and I would say to you that endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the church is easily the most pressing difficult and constant activity of spiritual oversight unquestionably is the major issue of spiritual leadership is a will wouldn't really not be a problem in a good church in a doctrinally sound church where people were committed to ministry and committed to the Lord. Not necessarily so.

In fact, William Barclay had an interesting thought about just that kind of church he said this, there is a sense in which this is the danger of every healthy church. You see it is when people are really in earnest when their beliefs really matter to them when they are eager to carry out their own plans and their own schemes that they are most apt to get up against each other, the greater their enthusiasm of the greater the danger that they may collide" so the fact that a church has true doctrine and zealous people does not preclude the possibility of discord. In fact, it may invited in some ways because of the zeal of such people not to go a step further and say to you that the unity of the church is inward, not outward. When the Bible talks about unity.

It is not talking about some kind of outward unity. It is talking about an inward unity is talking about something that is internally compelling, not externally controlled is more heartfelt than creedal. It is not particularly verbal as much as it is emotional, spiritual. It is the union of hearts and minds and souls in common cause. It's not that people just being united because they're in the same container.

It's people who are literally attracted to each other because they are pulled by the same power me ceiling illustrate.

If you have a bag filled with marbles.

You have a certain unity of one bag full of marbles and all is marbles are pushed against each other pack together, but that which binds them into unity as the container it something on the outside that holds them as soon as use tear the bag that marbles are everywhere because there's nothing intrinsic or internal to keep them together. It's truly the package therein.

The container, but on the other hand, if you have a magnet and you put that magnet into some metal shavings. The shavings will all hear the magnet not because there is an external container but because there is an internal force and they are all pulled to each other because they are all pulled by the same force pulling through each other and that's how the church is to be. It is not a collection of marbles in the same bag is people who are pressed against each other because they're all magnetized by the same force which is the power of Jesus Christ. That's the internal unity of the church. We are pulled to each other because we are pulled through each other by the power the polls, which is Christ and this is the inward magnetic unity that is essential to the churches joy and effectiveness.

This is the true unity of the spirit and it's very fragile, always at fragile.

That's why in Ephesians 43 Paul says endeavor uses the verb's but not so which means to make every constant effort. He says endeavor or make every constant effort to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. It takes tremendous effort. As I said, it is easily the greatest task of spiritual oversight and leadership. And so, as Paul writes the Philippian church as good as it is as zealous as it is as loving as it is as courageous as it is as passionate as it is as sympathetic as it is prayerful as it is there still the lurking danger of discord and discord is such a tragedy in the church. Such a debilitation in the church that he pleads with them to do all they can to avoid in chapter 1 verse 27 he said, standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel and there he introduces the subject of unity, having introduced in verses 27 to 30. He now goes on to give us clearer insight into the elements that make up this unity in chapter 2 in the first four verses of chapter 2 we have a tremendous section on the formula for spiritual unity. It flows out of what he is just pled for in chapter 1 verse 27 that's why therefore is therein.

Verse one of chapter 2 is based on that plea. Therefore having plan for you to have unity. I now instruct you how to have it.

This is very practical and as we look at verses 1 to 4 were going to notice three things. The motives for unity. The marks of unity and the means of unity. Those are the three points were going to focus on the motives for unity answer the question why the marks of unity. Answer the question what in the means of unity answers the question how why should we seek unity what is unity and how do we experience unity that's very simple, very direct and very practical book with me at those four verses if therefore there is any encouragement in Christ. If there is any consolation of love. If there is any fellowship of the spirit, if 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. Do nothing from selfishness and empty conceit, but with humility of mind let each of you regard one another as more important than himself. Do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. Now the heart of this passage is the phrase being of the same mind that's the main emphasis here.

I want you to be like-minded. It's the same thing he said in chapter 11 spirit one mind striving together and now he tells them why he wants them to be of one mind.

What he means by one mind and how they can be of one mind.

Very practical but slick. First of all, the motives why why is it important for us to be at one month.

Why is it important for us to maintain unity in the church. Why is it important for us to have one spirit to be striving together to eliminate conflict, discord, disunity why is it important.

Here are four motives in verse one and then an additional one in verse two. Four motives in verse one to start with, notice them. If therefore there is any encouragement in Christ, if therefore there is any consolation of love. If there is any fellowship of the spirit, if any affection and compassion. Other are the four motives for spiritual unity not to give me some insight into the technical aspects of this verse, the word EF introduces in the Greek what is called a first-class conditional clause. The Greeks have different conditions in there if closets and based upon the construction of the Greek you can tell what that means. For example, if it's a first-class conditional. It means if and it is true or if as the fact is, there is a conditional clause that means AFN. It might be true. There is one. That means if and it is possibly true, but the first-class conditional form of the Greek means if and it is true, so you can substitute another word altogether. For if and make it clear it would be the word since since there is encouragement in Christ, since there is consolation of love and so forth.

Or better yet let's use the word because that's exactly what it means because of all of these things.

These are the driving motives. These are the truth is that should compel you only take a step further.

He is not speaking of doctrinal abstractions. He is speaking not notice of present spiritual experiences because you have received encouragement from Christ because you have received the cancellation of love because you experience the fellowship of the Spirit because you receive affection and compassion. This is not abstraction. This is not distant theology. This is present spiritual experience that becomes the motive for unity now is look at the first and you're going to see how this unfolds and how it applies because there is encouragement in Christ first one is encouragement in Christ. That should be our first mode, the word encouragement Barack places means to come alongside and help somebody. The Holy Spirit is called the Paraclete, the one who comes alongside and helps it. It has the idea of coming alongside someone to encourage them to counsel them to help them to exhort them and what he is saying is you who are in Christ have experienced his help. He has come alongside you, you who are in Christ have benefited from the union with Christ through the attendant encouragement, exhortation, counsel and help that you have received and what he is saying here is because Christ has so consistently and faithfully help you.

This is how you want to respond by being of the same mind with the great blessing encouragement of Christ with the great blessing of his constant forgiveness and constant strength and constant wisdom and constant blessing and constant benediction in your life means anything certainly you should respond by endeavoring to be of the same mind. Why, because that was Christ's great prayer in John 17.

He said father I pray that they may be one that the world may know that you and I are one in John 1335.

He said by this shall all men know that you are my disciples, if you love one for another. The great passion of the heart of Christ was the unity of his people and so what is Paul saying he's saying this because you have received such continual, gentle encouragement, exhortation, counsel and help from Christ.

Since the moment of your salvation since you have been given so much doesn't. Not that spur you on to give back to Christ. That which is precious to his heart. Does the influence of Christ in your life move you to obedience or are you so ungrateful that you will take take take take.

But never do.

That's the issue. By the way this very powerful point in a very far-reaching spiritual principle because it focuses market. It focuses on obedience. Follow this as a very personal response to a very personal relationship. You see when you send it is not so much that you are violating a system of religion is not that you are violating a system of theology. It is not that you are violating a creedal structure is not that you are going against the organization of the church when you sin you are literally violating the intimacy of a relationship between yourself and Christ. If you have received and you have constant encouragement, counsel, exhortation, wisdom from Christ is not that motive that you should give back to him. What is precious to his heart. He has constantly by grace given you everything precious to you. Can you not give him back. What is precious to him market. When you bring discord into his church, you violate not so much the church and not so much the doctrine of unity as the relationship with Christ. Look at the second principle.

If there is any consolation of love is the second one is you mean this is the second incentive and what he saying is, since the loving tenderness of God in Christ has been all of our experiences.

Christians, since in salvation and sanctification we have known his love and the comfort of his love. We have known that comforting loving forgiveness and mercy and grace.

And it is been so abundant to us. Shouldn't we be constrained to seek that which is precious to his heart. Namely, the unity of his people.

That's the same idea by the way, I believe the first to relate to Christ in the second to the Holy Spirit.

The first one mentions Christ the second one flows out of it. The third one mentions the Holy Spirit. The fourth one flows out of that. The word here for consolation is worthy of note. It's the word problem with the on. I like one translation of an electric and gentle cheering, gentle cheering some of translated comfort basically has the idea of tenderness, tender counsel, literally what the word means. If you just took the component parts is to speak to someone by coming close to his side to come close to someone and whisper in his ear. And by the way this word is never used in the New Testament in any other than a friendly way.

It's a word about friendship.

It's a word about intimate love, and that's exactly what we intend to see the word agape has to do with the greatest love, the highest love.

The supreme love and so what Paul is saying is luck because you have been so constantly encouraged in your relationship to Christ because you have so frequently and so often had the gentle cheering of him coming alongside the speak words of friendship into your own ear because of that intimate relationship in which he is pouring his love and grace in your life, shouldn't you be compelled to give back to him that which is heart desire and Paul speaks in such tender words because he feels such tenderness in his heart for these people. There's no abusiveness here is not battering them is not hammering on them with judgment. There are no threats here. He does not pound on them with the fear of punishment. He asks them to look at the love of Christ to look at the constant, gentle cheering encouragement of Christ in their life.

The constant outpouring of grace and remember the Jesus prayed for unity and it was a plea of his heart and then he asked the Philippian believers. Can you take all of this from Christ and not at least give him back that which is most precious to his heart. Because if you can't, you have violated the relationship.

Severest of all acts of treachery. You have turned your heel on your own familiar friend, you have betrayed the one whom you have kissed. It is a form of Judas treatment, disease, grace to you with John MacArthur. Thanks for being with us. John's current look at how your church can be of the same mind unwavering in its desire to bring glory to Christ is titled a plea for unity. John, you made the point today that Christians should be unified because all of us as believers have experienced of the loving tenderness of God in Christ, and reminded me you wrote a book on the love of God, which answers some very difficult questions questions that all of us as Christians ask, from time to time. It's hard for example, to understand why a God who is love would condemn people to eternity in hell, but thankfully the Bible does have some answers to those difficult questions about why you remember when those thinking about the book. It came about because we were in some controversy which is not anything new, preaching the truth but someone said to me, why don't you just write a book that everyone likes like once you write a book on the love of God. So I said, great. So I wrote a book on the love of God and not everybody liked it because the same realities that weren't better in any other controversial doctrine show up when you start to look at the love of God and you have to deal with it biblically. The book the God who loves will answer the question, how can God be loving and allow what happens in the world to go on. That is the big question that unbelievers ask. It explores in detail the love of God that he has for humanity on a general sense, and the unique love that he has for those who are believers who are his own, so it asks and answers questions like in what sense is God's love universal and what a loving God allow the world to be filled with corruption, tragedy and pain and if God is both powerful and loving. Why would he ever allow my life to be turned upside down. How can God be loving yet banish people to eternal hell. These are all compelling questions and lucky you may have some sense of an answer to these questions, but no doubt if you're dealing with non-Christians there throwing these questions that you a copy of the God who loves will give you the answers to help you talk to those folks who bring these questions up and I wrote the book to present God's love in such a way that the splendor of it will fill your heart. I think it will encourage you. The God who loves is available through grace to you affordably priced per your copy today.

Yes, this book can help you understand the full scope of God's love and drive you to more meaningful worship. It will also help you understand the difference between God's love for the world and his love for the church to pick up John's book called the God who loves contact us today. You can call us toll-free 855 grace or visit the store@gty.org. The title of this book again. The God who loves you can order your copy or order refused to give to loved1@tty.org or call us at 855 grace and when you get in touch also encourage you to pick up a copy of our flagship resource. The MacArthur study Bob, it's nearly 25,000 study notes can help you grasp truly the meaning of God's word see it bear fruit in your life.

The study Bible is available in the English standard. New American Standard and new King James versions of the Bible as well as several non-English translations door to the MacArthur study Bible visit TTY.org or call 855 grace that's a toll-free number one more time 855 grace now for John MacArthur and the entire grace to you staff, I'm Phil Johnson. Keep in mind, grace to you. Television airs this Sunday on DirecTV channel 378 or check your local listings for channeling times also be here tomorrow when John continues his look at Philippians 2 with another half hour of unleashing God's true one verse at a time on grace to you