Philippians 2. If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bows and mercies, fulfill ye my joy that ye be like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done through strife or vain glory, but in loneliness of mind, let each esteem other better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others." Friends, we're going to be looking at these first four verses that I've just read to you and looking at the theme and the topic of the unity of the Spirit and the love of brethren and the church family really is what is in mind here. And I have said previously, as we've been studying this letter of Paul to the Philippians, that there was nothing really much very wrong with the church at Philippi. And that still holds true. There isn't really much to home in on. any real doctrinal error like the Thessalonian church had. They had misunderstood the second coming of Christ. The Corinthians had a doctrinal error. Some of them didn't believe in the resurrection of the dead. And then there was the Galatians, of course, probably the worst error of all, because they went right away from the gospel of grace and were resorting back to works. They'd been influenced by evil and false teachers, the Judaizers who had come amongst them. But there was no such error in the church at Philippi, no great doctrinal error. And then also we said how they were backing the apostle Paul. They backed him to the hilt. They recognised his calling. They loved him. They supported him. Right from the very time that he was among them, right to the very end of his ministry, they were supportive of the Apostle Paul. And they supported him, of course, in prayer, They supported him through their giving. They supported him even through sending one of their own men, one of their own pastors, to be with him there in Rome to encourage him. So all these things show that they backed him. and they held him in high esteem. So when we come now to chapter 2, however, and verse 1, here in these first few verses, Paul appeals, it seems, to the members to have the same love, to be of one accord and to be of one mind, to be like-minded. There's this appeal from him to them. And it does suggest to us, friends, that possibly there was something amiss in the church, in the relationships that are there. We know of those two women, Iodias and Syntyche, there in chapter 4, which he mentions, they were not the same mind. They were workers in Christ, but something had happened, and perhaps they were not talking to each other in the church or something or other. And Paul encourages them to get back, to reconcile with one another. But even from these verses we can infer that there must have been some kind of disagreement amongst the brethren. Perhaps some of them were thinking that they were better than other people, than their brothers and sisters. Perhaps some were also looking for acclaim and for notice in the congregation. And so Paul addresses this issue. But friends, we shouldn't be entirely surprised if there were such men and women in the church thinking in this way, because there's no such thing as a perfect church. Even the church at Philippi, great as it was, wonderful as it was, I still think it was Paul's favorite church myself. But still, in spite of that, there were fallen men and fallen women. There were people there who were not perfect. If they were all perfect, then there would have been no issues. If they were all entirely sanctified, then there would have been no disunity or no craving for notice and attention and self-glory. But because they are, like you and I, fallen, still fallen, partially sanctified, still struggling with the flesh, still struggling in our relationships with one another, then they would have needed this kind of notice. We're Christians, we're saved by the Lord, we know the Lord, we've been redeemed from sin, but we still have that old man. He's still there, and he still creeps up, and he still shows his ugly face every now and again. Sometimes we hide it, sometimes we have to suppress it, sometimes we have to kill it, often we have to kill it or put it off, as Paul says, and put on the new man, but he's still there. He'll never get rid of the old man, that old nature, that old kind of way of thinking and feeling about other people until we enter into glory. So relationships, friends, are never easy. It's easy, isn't it, to live with the Lord. No problem there at all. I mean, he might have a problem living with us, but we have no problem with him. But to live with one another, that's a different story, isn't it? To bear with one another shouldn't be, but that's the reality of things. Relationships always have issues. Husbands and wives have marital issues, often need counseling. Then parents and children sometimes have issues one with another. Siblings, brothers may have issues with one another. You see sometimes siblings who have grown up together, and then they fight over the inheritance money, and who's going to get the greatest share of the will, and so on. And people who've been together and loved each other, and then end up in such a way. may not stop talking to one another, give each other the cold shoulder. Friends who have been close friends may de-friend one another. All these things, they're so common, isn't it? That's life in this world, sadly. But it also affects the church, and even brothers and sisters in Christ. Also, we struggle, sometimes we have to say honestly, with one another. That's what is life. It's not hard for us to imagine that the Philippian church also had its fair share of relationship issues. And so Paul gives them here this ideal to aim for, as brethren, in verse 2, be like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord and of one mind, to motivate them towards this end. and towards this ideal of love and unity in the church. He's first going to remind them here of the things that they have experienced as believers. Here are some precious things that has happened to you. And as a result of these things that you have experienced in your life, it should alter your behavior. It should affect the way that you are treating one another. He gives us in verse 1, four ifs. The four ifs. If there be, therefore, any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies, then be like-minded with each other. Now when he says if, it's not as if he's doubting that they have received anything from the Lord. Or perhaps you have, if you have, maybe, no, he's quite, he's sure that they have received something from the Lord. He could say it in the sense of since, since you have received consolation in Christ, since you have received comfort of love, therefore act in this way. of love towards one another. That's the kind of thing Paul has in mind. So we'll just look at firstly these four things. If there be any consolation in Christ, if you have found any encouragement in Christ, or if you have found the word also means exhortation, If you have found any, you could put the two together. Have you found encouragement in Christ's exhortations? Of course you have. Of course you have. This is without doubt. You have found encouragement in the words of Christ. It goes without saying. There are so many exhortations of Christ. I mean, generally, you could think of what he has said. These Philippians themselves, they were They were suffering, as we mentioned last week. They were being persecuted for their faith. They were being ostracized. They were losing their jobs, and yet they were still holding on to their faith. They needed comfort. They needed help. They needed a word of cheer. And that exhortation of Christ would have come ringing back into their ears when he says, in the world ye shall have tribulation, but be of good cheer. I have overcome the world. And then they were witnessing people. And so, witnessing the apostle Paul wasn't there, the Lord physically wasn't there, but they would have remembered his exhortation, go ye into all the world and preach the gospel, and lo, I am with you always. We're not alone. We're not alone in the work of witnessing. The Lord is going to work. The Lord is going to touch people's hearts. It's not just down to us. The Lord is going to be working with us. And so they would have taken much encouragement from that exhortation. But more specifically, The exhortations to love and unity, perhaps, are in mind here. There is consolation through the exhortations that Christ gives. Love one another as I have loved you. Oh, that's amazing. How can we do that? Love as Christ has loved. Yes, that's what he says. And then, as we thought of a little bit on Sunday evening, whosoever will be the chief among you, let him be your servant. Humility. You remember how he himself demonstrated humility when on that night he took a towel and girded himself, and he washed the feet of his own disciples. And he said, as I've done to you, I being your Lord and Master, So do the same to one another. This is how you are to be to one another, servants of one another in the church. And be humble. And we could multiply such exhortations. But even when you go to the epistles, so much of Paul's epistles and the other epistles are about relationships in the church and telling you how we are to behave with one another. With all lowliness and meekness, with long-suffering, Paul says, and forbearing one another in love, bear ye one another's burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ. And on and on we could go. So Paul is saying, if there is, or since there is, consolation in Christ through these means, then fulfill ye my joy. Make me overflow with joy. I'm already joyful. Make me overflow with joy by having the same love amongst yourselves. And then, if any, comfort of love. If any, comfort of love. Have you received comfort from knowing the love of Christ? Of course we have. Without doubt, we have. Have you received comfort from knowing him and his mighty love? Yes. Every believer can say that. Every believer delights in the love of Christ. You're amazed. He would set his love upon us, upon me, poor wretched me, who's been his enemy, who's been against him, who doesn't think about him, that he would even think upon me. And yes, he has. And not only think upon me, he has set his love upon me. Oh, it's amazing, friends, isn't it? The love of Christ. When did it begin? When did the love of Jesus for you and I begin? Was it when I became a believer? Was it then that he began to love me because I trusted in him? No, the Bible says. The love of Christ for his people began in eternity past, began before I was even born, began long before the world created. That's when Christ set his love upon his people. And will he ever remove that love? No, never. Once he sets his love upon you, he never takes it away. He never loses. It's not like us. We may grow out of love with people who once we are so very close to, but not him. Even if we are not as faithful to him and fail him as we do so often, He still loves his friends. Isn't this comforting for us to know? His love never fails. He will never stop loving us. He thinks upon us, even now. He knows our situation. He knows the personal troubles that we are going through, and he feels for us. Of course, it was out of affection for us that he went to Calvary's Cross. It wasn't just duty. It wasn't because he had to. But love drove him to go and sacrifice his own love and his own life for us. Will he lose us? No, friends, he will not cast us off. He will not lose one of his sheep who have come to him. Oh, love that will not let me go, the hymn writer said. I rest my weary soul on thee. Oh, friends, this is the love. But not only Christ's love, we have found comfort in Christ's love. but also in knowing that other believers love us, that other believers care for us, other believers think about us, other believers pray for us, encourage us, other believers support us and help us. Oh, this is different, isn't it? We've never known, I think, love like that in the world, as we see in the church. That's so comforting for us. Well, if we've received this comfort of love, then we should exercise the same to our brethren. If any fellowship of the Spirit, participation in the Spirit, has the Spirit of God dealt with you and with me? Yes, he has. Has he brought me to conviction of sin and to repentance? Did I do it of myself? No, he did that. Did he humble me? Yes. It's the Spirit of God who dealt with me and convicted me and brought me to that saving and consoling view of Christ. Who enabled me to see the cross? Who enabled me to understand these things? But the Holy Spirit. It wasn't my own doing. He's the one who encourages us through the Word. He's the one who's taught us so many good things and is continuing to teach us the doctrines of faith, the doctrines of the Word. He's the one who is giving us that illumination. How come? How come the people in the world don't get it, but you do? The Holy Spirit has been your helper. He helps us, isn't it, in prayer. We struggle in prayer, but he comes alongside to aid us. He helps us in uplifting us when we're worshiping the Lord together on the Lord's Day. He gives us power to live a holy life, to love other people in this way as the Lord loves us. We can't do it in our own strength. by the Holy Spirit. You have the Holy Spirit. You have the fellowship of the Spirit. So you have the ability to do it. No one can say, I can't do it. No believer can say, I can't do it. It's above me. Here we have his help. And then, if any bowels and mercies, has the Lord looked upon you, friends, in pity and dealt with you tenderly? Surely he has. Surely none of us can say, he has been harsh with me, he has been cruel to me. No, the Lord has dealt with us not according to our sins. We deserve harsh treatment. But that's not how he has dealt with us, but with pity and with bowels of mercies. And also our brethren too, isn't it? Our brethren have felt for us when we were in need. They come alongside us. They stand with us. They stretch out a hand to help us. Undoubtedly, they do these things. And so in the light of all these things, consolation in Christ, comfort of love, fellowship of the Spirit, vows and mercies, let us be like-minded, Paul says. If this is our experience, then we have an obligation towards our brethren to be like-minded. So verse 2, fulfill ye my joy that ye be like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord and of one mind. When he says here, Paul, be like-minded, that's the main exhortation, and then he exemplifies that in the next three clauses, having the same love, being of one accord and of one mind. Well, let's just think about these three clauses, having the same love. It's talking about the mutual love between brethren, the mutual love that should exist between brothers and sisters in a church. Now, friends, the local church, think of it as a family. Think of it as a close family, where there must be mutual love for one another, just as in any ordinary family. All the members, the father, the mother, the children, there is a love for each other. So also, there should be a mutual love for one another. I remember, if you'll pardon this illustration, that I remember when I got married just after And my mother-in-law gave me this advice. She couldn't speak English very well, and she could only say one or two words. And she said to me, as advice for me and my wife, You love me, I love you. That was her simple advice, and she repeated that a few times. But that's the point. In the church, it's as simple as that. Sometimes you could say, you love me, I love you. And when we are in the church, local church family, here we are to love one another, but also we can expect love from one another. You love me, and I can expect that you will love me in return as well. It works both ways. It's not only one way, friends. It works in both directions. A brotherly spirit ought to prevail in every local congregation. It's sad, isn't it, when you hear that some people go to churches and they felt they were not welcomed, or it was cold in that particular church, and no one said hello to them in that particular church. It shouldn't be. That should never happen, really. But we want to, especially amongst the members, express that brotherly love in a very fervent way. If one member of the church is going through a rough patch, then all the members feel and pray for that person. extra care, extra attention is given to that particular person who is going through it. Just like if you broke your hand. And your hand, if I broke my right hand, well, it's injured. And somehow, the body and the mind and the brain all seem to focus attention upon that right hand. And wherever you go, you're always thinking about that right hand. And you're very sensitive to it, because it's in pain. And you feel it. And it's a similar kind of thought here. If we are like-minded, having the same love, we would think about each other in this family kind of way. No believer should feel like a stranger or an outcast in the church family. We thank God for what he's doing amongst us. But we want to continue to have and express the same love here. And then he says, being of one accord and of one mind. And I just take this together. In Acts, the words here, being of one accord, could also think of one soul. In Acts 4 and verse 32, we read of the early church believers, the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul. Multitude, the thousands of them. And yet they are together as one heart and one soul. That's how it is to be in the local church. Though we are many members, we are to see ourselves as one body, as one soul, as one mind. Not many bodies, all going in different directions. Not many minds all thinking different things, and different ideas, and different thoughts, and thinking that this is what we'll do. And I want to know that this is what we'll do. Not everyone doing their own individual thing, but one body. Not that we are similar in everything. Of course, there are differences and differences in thought. But as a church, going forward for the Lord, We are together, we are united, we are one family, one body going on with the Lord, one in doctrine as far as we can be, certainly in the main tenets of the faith, the main doctrines. You may disagree on the minor points. As a brother often tells me, he says, I love you, brother, even though I don't agree with everything you say. But in the main things, I know we agree. But in the minor things, yes, there is some disagreement. And we're not going to make a big thing out of those minor things. If it's a major thing, we dare not skip over it. We have to address it. But the minor things can be lived with. in one accord in terms of corporate prayer. We have the same mind. Prayer is important. Coming together to pray as a church is so important. The Lord's Day is so vital for us. We have the same idea. I cannot skip. I must be there together with the Lord's people. The importance of the local church. All these things. The witness to the community. Yes, I'm for it. Who is for it? Yes, we're all for it. We're all behind it. We're all praying for it. We're all doing our part in it. The importance of personal godly lives. are of the same mind, but that's concerned. All of us must live a personal godly life, not just the minister or the elders in the church. And in this way, we desire to please the Lord. But then in verse 3, Paul tells us of some of the enemies that there are. to Christian love and unity. And he names two here, strife and vain glory. Our friends, these are things that perhaps were there and perhaps things that we need to be careful about. Strife, the word, is also mentioned in chapter 1 and verse 16. where Paul is talking about the other preachers, the one preached Christ of contention, that same word, strife, not sincerely supposing to add affliction to my bonds. preaching Christ in a somewhat competitive spirit. They were competing with the Apostle Paul for notice and for acclaim. That's what the reason for preaching is. And it's the idea of competitiveness, which is here in this word, strife. Let nothing be done through strife. Or vainglory. Vainglory is something similar. the desire as well to draw attention to ourselves, some self-interest, personal glory, seeking, all these things are in mind. And of course, behind strife and vainglory, we know, is pride, isn't it? Pride is behind these things. Somebody gave this example of a proud soul. He said, a proud soul breaks away from the orbit that God made it to revolve in. In other words, humility and obedience to the Lord. It becomes a wandering star and soon seeks to be the center of the universe. And that's what happens with pride. It takes you away from your right position and you want to be, and you think you are the center of the universe. Well, friends, he goes on to say, rather than giving way to strife and vainglory in the church, in lowliness of mind, let each esteem other better than themselves. Well, that's a tough call. Let each esteem others better than themselves. How are we to do this? How are we to go about esteeming one another better than ourselves? Must I put on a kind of false humility? Must I pretend I am nothing? I can't do anything. Poor me. Everyone else is better than me. Yes, everyone is great. Must I turn a blind eye to my gifts and my abilities? Must I turn a blind eye to other people's deficiencies? No, friends, of course not. Not at all. We must have a right and accurate assessment of ourselves and of others. That's needful. Martin Luther said, my humility is not so foolish a kind as to make me desirous of concealing the gifts God has bestowed on me. He was aware of his gifts and he used it for the Lord's glory. Apostle Paul said, in nothing am I behind the chiefest apostle. I may, you compare me with the most senior apostle that there is in terms of gifting, I'm equal to that apostle, he's saying. And yet, he goes on to say, though I be nothing. So he had a right assessment of his gifts, that how can I live in a way that is with a lowly mind, and at the same time, esteem others better than myself. Well, I can acknowledge, friends, that even though I have the gifts, At the same time, I'm not perfect in those gifts. I see many shortcomings in my gifts. I see many failings. I see many things I'm not doing so well, I could do so much better in. And I focus on those things rather than the other things, or perhaps Oh yeah, yes, I can preach, or you can explain, or you can teach the Sunday school, and you're able and you're gifted to do that. But at the same time, you say, oh, I should be able to explain things in a clearer way. I should be able to make things more, to apply things more down to people's levels, to the children's levels. I went too much above their head or something like that. You're seeing your shortcomings and faults. in these things. Perhaps you have the gift of witnessing, and you're able to persuade people and present arguments, but then you come across situations, and you just feel, I wasn't prepared for that. I should have been prepared for such a situation. I should have had the right word. And you leave a conversation. Later on, you think, oh, I wish I'd done this or said this. And you focus on that rather than how great everything went, and how wonderful you presented the gospel. Perhaps you're able to help people, and you have this gift of helps, and you're able to come alongside and help in a different way. But then you may also think, I do these things, but there's not so much compassion and feeling for the other person in the manner that I do it. In this way, you are managing your gifts, and at the same time doing it in a way that is of a lowly mind. How can I esteem others better than myself? Well, friends, see them as more important. Yes, recognize people's gifts and see them as more important than yourself. See them as more significant than yourself. See them of more value than yourself. And in this way we can carry out this commandment. And then verse four he goes on to say, Look not every man on his own things but every man also on the things of others. May I add a word here. Look not every man on his own things only because you must look on your own things. You mustn't neglect your own things. You mustn't neglect your work. You mustn't neglect your family. You have a responsibility to spend time with your family. You have a responsibility to put food on the table. You mustn't neglect these things. Don't only think of your own things. Think also of your brother's interests as well. Look not on every man on his own things, but look every man also on the things of others. Don't look in a busybody, prying way just to find out things about other people. That wouldn't be right. But look with concern, look out of interest with people, concerned for their welfare. Paul says, don't be so wrapped up in your own little world that you have little thought and little care about what's happening to your brothers and sisters around you. Get alongside them. Ask them, how are you doing? How's it going? Is there anything I can pray for you about? Is there anything that I can help you with, perhaps? You want to befriend them and have that concern for them. And then also, look on them. Sorry, big part. Look, every man, also, on the things of others. You could also think of it in this way. Don't only look at your own spiritual gifts. Don't only look at what you are able to do. Look at the gifts of others. Look on the things of others. Other brethren also have abilities. Recognize those things. Perhaps they can teach the young. Perhaps they have a good rapport with the elderly. Perhaps that sister is practically minded. Perhaps that brother is good with figures. You recognize these things. In this way, also, you're looking at the things of others. And then one more thought, don't think that your views are the best. Don't think that your views are the only ones that count and matter, and everyone must go along with your views. Be open to suggestions. That's what's coming through. Not only your own thoughts, but also the thoughts of others. God has given wisdom to other people. Listen to what their suggestions, listens to advice, and lo and behold, their advice probably will be better than your own. And so we can take that. Husbands and wives. Wives can give us better information sometimes than we think for ourselves, and often they do. But even in the church, we are to be open to what is suggested. All this is included, friends, in this particular verse. Well, friends, this is the exhortation of the Apostle Paul. It's all a part of living humbly and lovingly and as a church family. We want to keep that in mind as one body serving the Lord. This is what the Lord desires us to be and may he help us to be such. Amen.