The Motives for Spiritual Unity B

You think the Holy Spirit wants unity sure the unity of the church is called the unity of the spirit we have all been baptized by the Spirit into one body, and we been all made to drink the selfsame Spirit. 12.

13. We've all been made of one spirit we are all the temple of the spirit of God ask you. Hopefully you have a job that ignites your passion gives you a sense of purpose. Nobody wants a job that's boring. That gives you no real joy. Well, as bad as a tedious, lifeless, dull job can be something far worse. Is this a stale humdrum church, a place where people come and sit going through the motions but there's just no life. How can your church avoid that.

How can your church enjoy the unity of the Holy Spirit and experience God's blessings find out now.

As John MacArthur continues his study titled a plea for unity were looking at the second chapter of Philippians, which is the most familiar section in this wonderful epistle.

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 look 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 lot 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. Let's look 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 first one is encouragement in Christ that should be our first motive. If there is any consolation of love is the second then thirdly, he moves to the Holy Spirit and the third motive, he says if there is any fellowship of the spirit corner near partnership communion sharing because stick to put in the first class conditionally given the right word because you have experienced the fellowship of the spirit now moves to the Holy Spirit you think the Holy Spirit wants unity sure the unity of the church is called the unity of the spirit we have all been baptized by the Spirit into one body, and we been all made to drink the selfsame Spirit first printed 1213. We've all been made of one spirit we are all the temple of the spirit of God, the habitation of the spirit we are one in the spirit, the spirit desires unity. The spirit is the source of unity. Paul is saying you fellowship with the spirit what you mean by that ball. He who received all data that a union with the Holy Spirit to provide think about it, you have the indwelling spirit. You are the temple of the Holy Spirit. First Corinthians 6 says you have received all his benefits he been sealed by the spirit.

He has become the guarantor of your eternal inheritance. You are filled with the spirit you are empowered and enabled for service by the spirit you been gifted by the spirit you are continually being cleansed by the spirit.

The spirit is always praying for you with groanings which cannot be uttered in which he prays unceasingly for you.

According to the will of God which you don't know and that's what you know not what to pray for as you want. The spirit therefore makes intercession for you. Spirit has done everything for you like about Paul says, because the Holy Spirit has affected your regeneration because the Holy Spirit is effecting your sanctification because the Holy Spirit is guaranteeing your eternal glory because the Holy Spirit is unceasingly praying for you. With groanings it can't find human words, because the Holy Spirit is gifting you, filling you producing fruit in you because he is teaching you, because he is enabling you to resist temptation because the Holy Spirit is given you the word because he is filling you with the holy impulses because he has given you everything pertaining to life and godliness will you disrupt that which is most dear to his heart.

The unity of the church see it for what it is. It is a violation of a relationship is quenching the blessed Holy Spirit is a form of doing despite to the spirit of grace you are saying I take all the spirit gives I give nothing back.

May I say to you sin. Sin in the life of a Christian.

In its simplest definition is a tragic act of in gratitude and a violation of a relationship that's what it is, it says I take all you give but don't expect me to give you back what you desire, it says I want grace upon grace and mercy upon mercy. I want encouragement I want consolation, I want all the ministry of the Holy Spirit. But I also will defy your will and do exactly what I want. Sin is in gratitude and action choices.

Look at your discord for what it is.

It is a defiance against Christ. It is a defiance against the Holy Spirit. Then he says forcefully.

The fourth motive, if any affection and compassion. He plunges deeper into the Holy Spirit's ministry here. Just as the second one reflected on Christ. This fourth one reflects on the spirit. He says the spirit is given you up both affection and compassion. What was he mean by affection, just that the word in the Greek us .9 it means that viscera bowels a transit but it has really to do metaphorically with affection.

Did you ever think about that but you know the Holy Spirit has affection for you. So what is it me what's more than love. Love is for the cognitive thing. Affection is a feeling it's a longing.

It's more than a cognitive appreciation.

It's a longing and I censor that what he is saying is you have it you have received the longings of the spirit deeply felt affection's the bowels were seen by the Jews as the seed of emotions is where you felt things and so we as believers think of it have received the longings of the spirit.

What he longs for us. We have received as part of his prayer ministry. Romans 826 and 27 is making intercession for us constantly. According to the will of God and God is hearing and answering him because he's always praying according to God's will and were receiving the things the spirit is asking for us to receive what we are seeing then is that what he longs for us to have.

He gives so he says since you receive the affections of the spirit were thought it's not that I think we don't understand this relational aspect. It's not just God is this cold hard in different deity who who functions like a machine.

And if you happen to be a Christian. The machine spits out good thing now is a relationship and Christ is there encouraging and exhorting, administering and giving grace upon grace and comfort and encouragement and cheer and blessing. And when you finally pick you up and when you sin. He forgives you and when you need strength.

He infuses it and when you need wisdom, he grants it and it's that personal thing because he loves you and when you sin you violate that relationship that intimacy same with the spirit, the spirit is not a floating fog that sort of mystically makes things happen. The spirit is a person who lives in you in the spirit longs for your good and your blessing spirit longs to pour out benedictions upon you, and it is the longings of the spirit that you have received through the grace of God.

Then he adds the word compassion beautiful word or term boy. She is four times by Paul to those times that it's translated really the mercies of God, the tender mercies of God, and here I think it means the same thing you've received the longings of the spirit for you and the tender, compassionate sympathy of God through the spirit God is been sympathetic to you.

Hey, let's face it, God gives us way, way more than we deserve is a not so pours out grace upon grace, mercy upon mercy. He is has a heart of pity toward us a heart of tenderness toward us. So here is the Holy Spirit we are fellow shipping. We share the life of the spirit in us.

It's his life in us. He regenerated us. He sanctifies us he gives us the gifts and the power and the resources and the fruit to do everything we do everything we do the turns out to be an honor to God is the product of the spirit and then he shows to us, compassion, tenderness, mercy, sympathy, pity, tremendous care process because you received all this, shouldn't you be of the same mind see your discord for what it is a violation of this intimate relationship and a gross act of in gratitude. You come into the church and divide the church and you have been terribly disloyal to a loving Christ in the loving spirit who long for the unity of the church so see your agenda for what it is you say well wow want to get my pound of flesh.

I think this is the way we need to go. I want to do this and so forth. So for this, just see it for what it is and as I said, Paul's approach isn't threatening.

It would be like this but say you you want your son. I'll take it as a father. All processing from a father's you. You want your son to conduct himself in a certain way you could call a man you could start son you got two hours to change your conduct or your out of this house for good out here unarmed serious or you could say to your son look you've been doing the wrong thing I want you to learn a lesson to do the right thing. So bend over.

I'm on a whale on you within an inch of your life. But Paul's approach is different here. There is no threats there is no ride like he wanted to pull out with the Corinthians. It's very tender. It would be like this father sitting down with the sun and saying son. Have you been loved in this family of your mother and father loved you faithfully have we encouraged you when you were down and sad that we come alongside to offer you compassion and caring sympathy when you are hungry it. We provided food for you and we closed you. Have we nurtured you as you grew from a little child that we provided all the medical care you needed to live a healthy life. But when you given you a warm environment in which to live a bed to sleep room.

The dwelling son. Have we shown you deep affection. Have we been gracious to you in the times when you were disobedient and rebellious gracious to forgive you and love you and restore you sonically shown your sympathy that we shown your mercy. Have we been patient with you while you were learning how to do things right, and often did the wrong have you known our affectionate compassion.

Have you experienced our goodness to you, son. Since all those things are true, isn't it reasonable that we ask you to live in such a way that would bring us joy pretty reasonable as it pretty hard for a child to deal with that given that all those things were true and that's the whole point of Paul's.

Please see it's all based on the goodness of the Lord, and he can take that approach with the Philippians because they're good people to good church so he doesn't want to blast them from pillar to post this for such a good church and the bond between the church and Paul was so close and they understood relationships and so that's the approach he takes in its it's the highest approach and you can always take the highest approach because some people aren't willing to live on the highest plane, but what he says is this all our present experiences with Christ and the Holy Spirit should motivate us to the same mind. Why, because that's the Spirit's longing. That's the Lord's longing that he adds one more. This is so good.

First he says make my joy complete by being of the same is to know what is this. Well, he's saying look if you can't get in touch with your intimate relationship with Christ and you can't quite get in touch with this idea of your intimate relationship with the Holy Spirit. If you can't do it for Christ sake, you can't do it for the spirit say do it for what my say that's condescension. I mean he's come a long way down but there's something warm about that. He's talking to them as a pastor and he's saying what I would say to you, look beloved, do it for Christ sake, for the sake of the relationship that he longs to have with you, to which he has been so faithful. Don't be unfaithful to that relationship. Do it for the spirit sake, to which he is been so faithful you don't be unfaithful to him, and then do it for my sake will you do it for my sake. I understand why said that make my joy complete my greatest fear for the church's disunity make my joy complete beloved will you by being of the same mind. Hebrews 1317 very important verse along the same line says this obey your leaders and submit to them, for they keep watch over your souls, as those who will give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with grief regulators happy. That's legitimate. Paul's appeal again is very personal, is very relational.

They knew him they loved him. He loved them. They had an incredible bond.

He says in verse eight of chapter 1. I long for you all with the bowels of Jesus Christ. I have the same longings for you. I love you. I cherish you. I have this profound affection for you. So he says we do it for my sake so I don't have to have a ministry of grief and he tugs at their heart. In all these cases and everything is relational. Keep the unity of the church because your relationship with Christ calls for your relationship with the spirit calls for your relationship with the pastor calls for the pastoral plea is a lot of pathos here Paul, when writing was a prisoner first imprisonment in Rome.

He didn't know others going to live or die. The Philippians heard about them being in prison and their hearts were broken and the whole occasion of this letter was for Paul to write the Philippians and say don't worry about me.

I'm happy. That's why talks about joy from front to back.

They thought it be said they were worried about them being brokenhearted and despondent and sad and so they sent a path for dieters who is mentioned in chapter 2 I was one of their members may sit back for that as you go and be with Paul and take care of them, and with the paradises and a lot of money and offer and they should buy whatever he needs and make them satisfied to bring joy to his heart in the paradise did that he came with the gift and Paul thanks them for the gift in chapter 4, which was obviously very generous and he thanks them in chapter 2 for sending a pair for dieters and a paradise for such a faithful ambassador of the Philippian church that he almost died in his service to Christ. He was so busy trying to help all almost killed and Paul said I'm sending them back before he dies.

And when he sends up Aphrodite's back. He sends back this letter and the whole tenor of the letter is don't worry about me, I rejoice, he starts telling the very beginning joy joy joy rejoicing.

He ends up in chapter 4 rejoice always and again I say rejoice. I'm happy. Don't worry about me, but he says if you want to make my joy complete then maintain this unit maintain this.

This is a very very significant statement is this is the pinnacle of the epistle. I'm happy but I could be happier. I'm rejoicing, but I can rejoice more if you just maintain the same mind that'll really fill my heart with joy.

You see, I believe, as I said earlier that that's the compelling thing that the pastor carries in his heart. This fear of disunity in the church trying to keep the flock together. Why why we motivated and unmotivated because that's the desire of Christ and that's the desire of the blessed Holy Spirit so beloved, I submit to you that what the apostle Paul says here is very practical know this, that we who have received the encouragement of Christ, the consolation of his love the fellowship of his spirit. The deep longings and affection and compassionate sympathy of his Holy Spirit should in reciprocation for such unending grace and kindness do everything in our power to give back to Christ and back to the spirit that which is the deepest longing of their heart, namely the unity of the church. And Paul says, and after all your concern about my joy.

If you really care about me than for my full joy you will maintain the unity of the church is about together in prayer. Father, help us to see our sin for what it is violent acts of ingratitude, the violation of an intimate relationship with our dear Christ, the blessed Spirit of God, help us to see our sin for what it really is against the and the only have I sinned, and father protect our church from discord. We who have received so much encouragement in Christ, we have received so much comfort of love so much gentle cheering so much goodness, we who have received so much in the intimate communion and partnership of the Holy Spirit and through his longings in his sympathetic compassion save us from the unthinkable ingratitude of the disunity that is born out of selfish desire and may we go to all extent, to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace and to be of the same mind that the dear Savior and the spirit may be pleased. For the sake of those who shepherd us, but they may do it with joy but help us to live in the light of the relationship, not a creed, not a system, not a code, not an organization but a relationship to see that we are loyal to the relationship in our purity and disloyal to the relationship in our sin and may we not be those who take everything you give but refused to give back what you desire.

May we be faithful in this area of unity protect us for and give us a heart that longs to honor the one who has so blessed us and do nothing that would be ungrateful or in any way abuse, such a loving relationship work. Your work in every life. We pray for Christ sake you're listening to John MacArthur on grace to you along with his ministry on radio. John is a pastor, author and Chancellor of the Masters University in seminary. Our current study is making a plea for unity, John. This issue of unity in the church is such an important theme. In fact, it's a theme that connects to a series, we're going to Aaron a few weeks and it also connects to a helpful new study tool that would be great for our listeners to get before that series airs next month they'll let me respond first of all by saying unity in the church is at the very heart of our Lord's desire in John 13. He says that they'll know you're my disciples. When you have love for one another and obviously in the high priestly prayer. He prays for the unity of the church and while that unity prayer was answered in the spiritual sense, it isn't always obvious in the practical sense the unity of the church is at the heart of the effectiveness of the church's testimony and all of us are pretty aware of the fact that the church struggles greatly to really express and demonstrate unity in Christ.

It's it's one of the great tragedies. One of the great failures of church life in the world.

So we we are very very excited about this series on church unity spiritual unity along with that is Phil was saying we are thrilled to be able to offer to you. The study guide. The newest of our study guide. Over 250 pages long titled complete in Christ. That's going to go along with the series complete in Christ in about a month and you would benefit by listening to the series and following the study guide and the best part. If you're new to grace to you if you never contacted us before will send you a free copy of this new study guide and all you have to do is get in touch today and just ask for it and by the way, if you currently receive my monthly letters we offered you the complete in Christ study guide in January. We've now distributed thousands of free copy through the mail and were grateful to be able to put this biblical resource into your hand so complete in Christ is a series from Colossians 1 into looking at Paul's great love for the believers he ministered to and his desire they would live and thrive in the knowledge of the spiritual blessings they have in Christ and thus they would express unity by requesting the study guide. Now you can receive it in time to use it as you listen to the series next month. Again, the study guide is yours free. If you never contacted us before asked for your complimentary copy when you call or email us today.

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