Philippians chapter 2 this morning, the elders asked that I preach on this passage that they chose as the theme for family visitation this year. Philippians 2, 1 through 8. We'll read the entire chapter of Philippians 2. I won't reread. verses 1 through 8, I will be referring to it directly and explicitly during this sermon. So pay special attention to this part. If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels, that is deep emotions 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 vainglory, but in lowliness 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. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God, but made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men, and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore, God also hath highly exalted him and given him a name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow of things in heaven and things in earth and things under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father. Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence. Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure. Do all things without murmurings and disputings, that ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation. among whom ye shine as lights in the world, holding forth the word of life, that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither labored in vain. Yea, and if I be offered upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I joy and rejoice with you all. For the same cause also do ye joy and rejoice with me. But I trust in the Lord Jesus to send Timotheus shortly unto you, that I also may be of good comfort when I know your state. For I have no man like-minded who will naturally care for your state. for all seek their own, not the things which are Jesus Christ's. But ye know the proof of him, Timothy, that as a son with the father, he hath served with me in the gospel. Him, therefore, I hope to send presently, so soon as I shall see how it will go with me. But I trust in the Lord that I also myself shall come shortly. Yet I supposed it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, my brother and companion in labor and fellow soldier, but your messenger and he that ministered to my wants. For he longed after you all and was full of heaviness because that he heard that he had been sick. For indeed he was sick, nigh unto death. But God had mercy on him, and not on him only, but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow. I sent him therefore the more carefully, that when ye see him again, ye may rejoice, and that I may be the less sorrowful. Receive him therefore in the Lord with all gladness, and hold such in reputation, because for the work of Christ he was nigh unto death, not regarding his life to supply your lack of service toward me." That's the reading of the scripture. The text, as I said, is verses 1 through 8. Family visitation begins this week that venerable tradition in which all of the elders visit each of your homes to ask what are your unique needs this year. That's family visitation. That all of the elders visit each of your homes to ask what are your unique needs this year. How are you doing is the first question they ask, and how may we as elders help you is the second question they ask. Beautiful tradition that we have had for centuries called family visitation. It's been lost by many to their great hurt. It's not existent among others, who never heard of it. Your elders do what? Visit your home every year? But it's a cherished tradition among us who understand it, and we need to remind ourselves not to misunderstand it. Because if we misunderstand it, we're either going to ignore it and let it disappear, as happens in churches that become weak, Or we will turn it simply into a social visit which is enjoyable enough, but not the purpose of family visitation at all. The purpose of family visitation is so that every year, the elders may come into every home in this congregation and ask, how are you doing in your home, in your unique circumstances this year? And how may we help you? Family visitation. The regular food and care that you get is in the preaching. That's the pastor all of us graze in every week. The regular food for your needs in your children is in catechism. It's the pastor that all of the young people and children graze in every week. The regular care of you is in Bible study, where all of the people of God hear the very same word from the very same passage. The special care that the elders express toward you is in family visitation. It's like a flock of sheep where all of the sheep every day and perhaps all year graze in the same pastures and drink from the same quiet stream. But every wise shepherd understands that there may be unique needs in individual sheep, so regularly he examines each individual sheep. determines the needs of that particular sheep or lamb, and prescribes a special remedy for whatever may ail it at that time. An ointment for a wound, a supplement to the diet, or whatever that particular sheep needs. And likewise in family visitation. We all have normal needs, and they're met every week in preaching and in catechism and Bible study. also have special needs, and that's what the elders want to know about you in family visitation. They understand the proverb, 27-23, Be diligent to know the state of thy flock, and look well to thy herds. And representing our Lord Jesus Christ, they want to look well to this flock and this herd. And you, Thankful to God for membership in the church, receive them into your home. Thankfully. And you and I remind myself and yourself that I ask them to come into my home by virtue of my church membership and my election of them as elders. I gave them this mandate. Visit me and visit us every year to ask about our needs. That helps us understand the place of Philippians 2 and family visitation this year must not be misunderstood. Philippians chapter 2 is the particular area of the pasture of God's Word that the elders have determined that all of us want to study and graze upon for a little while. Very important passage. I need this passage. The Protestant Reformed churches need this passage. It may well serve as a good theme for the church visitors to ask every congregation in the whole denomination, how are you doing with regard to unity? But having said that, if your needs, unique this year in your home, have nothing to do with Philippians 2, the elders have two choices. The first choice, we will not talk about Philippians 2 more than for a few minutes. We will talk about your particular needs tonight. That's what we're most interested in. Or we will talk tonight about Philippians 2 and schedule another visit with you very, very quickly because we are determined to meet your particular needs. So with that in mind, let's look this morning at Philippians chapter 2. Gospel unity with the mind of Christ. Every word in that theme is important. Unity, gospel unity with the mind of Christ in us. Let's see the call that Paul issues for unity in the text. Let's see the way to that unity. that Paul explains in the text, and let's see the blessedness of that unity that is implied in the text, but very clearly. Gospel unity with the mind of Christ, the call to it, the way to it, and the blessedness of it. Of course, with that theme, you understand that I have judged that unity is at the very heart of the text. And that's found in verse 2, especially the second part. Be like-minded. Have the same love. Be of one accord, and then again, of one mind. Unity is the theme of the text, and unity is actually one of the main themes in the book. Gospel unity, congregational unity, not your family ought to be united, though there's implications there, and not the denomination, though that's true too, but Philippi, be united, and Grace, Protestant Reformed Church, be one together. Now I said that gospel unity is one of the main themes of the book, and we want to see that briefly, too, and then narrow in and zoom, focus on our text. But look at the whole book for a moment. The Apostle Paul begins with gospel. If you have your Bible open, see that Paul wants Christ and his gospel to be magnified. Verse 3, I thank God for you, precious Church of Christ, preachers of the gospel. Verse 8, with the love of Christ in me, I long to see you, to promote Christ in you. Verse 9, I hope that you grow in Christ, Paul says. In verses 12 and following, he even explains how his imprisonment and the ill-motivated preachers who are preaching in his absence, both are serving the cause of the gospel. Christ is being preached, and that's what I'm interested in, the gospel. And then when you get to that beautiful verses 20 and following in chapter 1, Paul says, I can't even decide whether I want to die or stay here, because both are good. If I die, I'm going to go be with Christ. And if I live, I'm going to preach Christ to you. And I can't determine which is better, but I think probably to stay with you, because I want you to know our Lord Jesus Christ. Now, as you come to the end of chapter 1, he really brings to the point His purpose. Let your conversation be as befitting the gospel of Christ. Verse 27. Now, we're talking about the gospel and now we're connecting the gospel to your way of life, your conversation. That whether I come and see you or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs that you stand fast in one spirit with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel. Three words there in that conclusion of Chapter 1. You walk, Paul says to the church at Philippi, in this way, one spirit, one mind together striving for the faith of the gospel. Though that's not the last word in Chapter 1, he's going to talk about not being terrified by your adversaries and the privilege it is for you to suffer. That's the subject in his mind when we come to our text in verse 1 of chapter 2. He's not changing the subject here. He's sticking with the subject, be one. If there's any consolation in Christ, any comfort in love, any bowels and mercies, fulfill my joy, be one. be like-minded, have the same spirit, the same love of one mind. That's the heart of the text. That's the heart of the book. And before we get to the text and see that more carefully, I wanted to point out, and we're going to look at that later too, that when in chapter 4, He says in verse 2, I beseech these women that they be of the same mind in the Lord. He's not bringing up something new. He's bringing up the very same subject. We have a problem in this congregation, and that is that Mrs. Euodias and Mrs. Syntyche are not getting along. They're not of one mind. He uses the very same words as in our text. He doesn't tell us why they were divided. He simply makes their disunity a part of this public letter, which means that it must have been publicly known and a scandal in the congregation. That woman and that woman are at odds. We're going to address it in the public letter. And then he beseeches them, get along, be of the same mind, and he even asks the assistance of his co-worker, my fellow laborer, to help them. They haven't been able to reconcile on their own, they need help now. help them. We're going to come back to that in a moment. That's the book, unity. That's the book, a specific example of disunity. And so in chapter 2, 1 through 8, and especially in verse 2, is the very heart of the call. We're going to come to the mind of Christ in a moment, but the heart of the call is B1. Four words or phrases call for unity. Number one, be of the same mind. Your mind, how you think, what you believe, what you are convicted of as true over against everything else that contradicts that. What do you think? What do you believe? What do you understand as true? Let it be the same among all of you. Yours the same as mine. and all of you the very same thing. Be of the same mind. Second, have the same love. And how that relates to be of the same mind has two possibilities. One, this is the way you are of the same mind, that you love the same thing, or this is the fruit of being of the same mind, you love the same thing, and both of them are true. What you are convinced of is true, What you are convicted of is right over against all the errors. That's what you must have as the object of your love. Now, that's a different word, isn't it? What's precious to you? What do you devote your time to? What are you interested in living for and even are willing to die for? That's love. Let your love be the same as their love, and all of our love be the same. The truth that we have in our minds. And then third, of one accord. That's an unusual way to say it in the English. Literally, it simply says, be of the same spirit. And your spirit is your inner life, what's deep within you. Your feelings. It's another way of saying mind and love, but what is firm in your mind becomes a part of your inner being in your life. What you love can't be separated from your existence. be of one accord, let's be all together in this, unified in what's important to us, and let no one be apart from anywhere, anyone else, in what's inside you. And then he comes back and repeats, in the fourth place, of one mind, the very same Greek word as in the first. To repeat and underline and emphasize we are interested in unity, and the unity begins in our minds, what we think about, Now, what is in our minds? Well, it's the same thing that we talked about comes up in chapter 1. What's Paul interested in? What's he determined to promote? What does he believe? What's he convicted of? What is a lie that opposes this? And it's the gospel. That's why the sermon theme is gospel unity in with the mind of Christ. Look back at chapter 1 this afternoon. fellowship in Christ's gospel, defense of Christ's gospel, preaching of Christ's gospel, magnifying Christ's gospel, rejoicing in Christ's gospel, and hope for that Christ whose gospel it is for Him to come back. This is what's in Paul's mind, this is what's in our mind, and this is what unites us. One mind, one love, One deep inner life. Nothing is important to us if Christ isn't in us. The truth of our Lord Jesus Christ. What is that? What is the Gospel? Well, that's what every sermon and every worship service is all about. That God, as I prayed in eternity, determined to love you, wrote your name in the palm of His hand, And the way He would love you is by taking His own Son out of His own bosom and sending Him down to be with us. To take upon Him all of our guilt and shame and give up His life, all of His life, for the sake of your eternal well-being. That's God's love. That's the gospel. That's what's in my mind, and that's the truth that I have as the object of my love. I want to live for that, and I'm willing to die for that. Deep in me is what is deep in you, that precious gospel. Whereafter Christ has come, laid down His life for us, sends His Spirit in us, and with irresistible grace, because we're naturally inclined to resist it. He's irresistible in His grace. He subdues us and brings us to Himself and makes us willing in the day of His power. Us, us, who are undeserving, helplessly lost sinners, He comes to save. That's our unity. That's what I know, that's what I believe, that's what I'm convinced of, that's what I love, and you do too. And if anything else in your mind is what unites you to the others, then you are making a very, very grave mistake. Our unity is not that we all have the same earthly interests. Our unity is not that we engage in the same congregational activities. Though there may be those similarities, that's not what binds me to you and knits my heart to your heart. I may like reading. You may like fishing. He may like to be active. She may like to sit. Some are old. Others are young. Men are men. Women are women. God made us different. We don't need to be the same in our earthly interests. My politics may differ from yours, and that's okay if it's not fundamentally sinful that I embrace a certain politics. Whether college education, is best or going straight to work after high school, that's up to you. You determine that. That's not our unity. But even in church activities, doing the same thing does not constitute our unity. You teach Sunday school. You clean the church. You lead Bible study. You visit the sick. This man serves on the building committee. That one plays the organ. This one is a janitor, another one brings meal. We're different. We have different gifts. That's not our unity. And then especially, people of God, the warning comes not to imagine that our unity is in things indifferent. That's an important word. Things indifferent mean those things that the Bible does not either command or forbid. There is liberty in things indifferent. And you must not bind upon your neighbor a certain activity that the Word of God does not bind, and you must not condemn a neighbor when he does not do what you do in these things indifferent. Be very, very careful. Our unity is not in that we all pray with the very same words. Our unity is not that we all wear the very same kind of clothing to church. Our unity is not that if Reverend Motman declines the call and we make another trio, we all have to want the same man. That's not our unity. And though we don't have time to say very much about that, look in the church order in two places especially and see that there's even built into our church order a warning not to think that you must be uniform. that is identical in every respect, and there are two examples there. The one is with regard to the Lord's Supper. The church order says that as long as you keep the fundamentals, the essentials, bread and wine, broken and poured, eaten and drunk, you may practice the Lord's Supper here at Grace different than another congregation, and that does not break your unity. You may decide to have a common cup, one loaf of bread, and take turns coming up to sit around a table to express unity, as many other Reformed churches do. And when you do that, you are not breaking unity, and no one may accuse you of that. We have liberty in certain things. And then the church order even says how often you celebrate the Lord's Supper. At least two or three times per year, but if you, per I forget what it says now. I won't try to think of it. Frequently, frequently, at least this amount. But the other part of the church order that is even more significant is when at the very end of the church order it says, churches that differ from us whose usages differ from us in non-essentials shall not be rejected." Which indicates to me that already four or five hundred years ago, our Reformed fathers had their ears wide open to a certain spirit in the church that says, unless you are identical to me, you are not one with me. And so they built it into our church order. That's not the case. Be careful, people of God, how you judge and treat one another. You may differ with how to do evangelism. You may not agree with what book to study and Bible study. You may have a different opinion as to how to conduct nursery or whether to have a valet service for church. You're united in the gospel, the important thing, the gospel. That's what the elders pray for. That's what the elders exhort you to live in. And you must be careful not to allow yourself, or I myself in my congregation, to fracture that unity. But we can. And so before we come to the second point of the sermon, I want to point out what Paul says are some threats to unity. He mentions three of them, but at bottom there's only one. The end of verse 3, the beginning of verse 3, don't do anything through strife. Don't do anything through vainglory, and at the beginning of verse 4, do not look every man on his own things. But those three threats really come down to one threat, and that is that I am the king upon the throne, and you will all do what I want you to do. That's the threat. Self. Pride. Ambition. Every man does what is right in his own eyes, the book of Judges says, because every man thinks he is the king in Israel, and he forgets that he isn't, but that Jesus is. Selfishness is the threat. Strife. Ambition. It's another way of saying, I put myself forward, I want to be first, and it's my party and my cause that will dominate. Paul must have heard the story of his colleagues, James and John, during the earthly ministry of Jesus, who wanted to be ambitious, and even through their mother's influence, tried to be first. Paul must have heard those stories of that ugly conduct. And we have too. And so that when different opinions exist among us on non-essentials, and we demand our own way as the only way, and when we don't get our way, we sulk and withdraw and maybe just quit. Paul has something to say to you and to me. Don't strive and be ambitious. Don't seek for vain glory, that is, glory for me, position for me, attention on me, which makes this a prime, a word of prime importance for every preacher of the gospel, because we always need to be in front, and we always need to be the center of attention, except our purposes always must be, don't look about at me and don't think about me, Look at the one who we point to, the Lord Jesus. That's a warning to me. And then third, don't look only on the things of yourself. Look on is too weak, it doesn't simply mean look at, as though you need to consider yourself, don't even consider yourself, but it means don't scope out in such a way that this is what you focus on, the things of your own, or you destroy the unity in the church of Christ. And so important is that unity that Paul's even willing to call out publicly in a letter. Who would dare do that? Mrs. Euodias, listen up. And Mrs. Syntyche, give ear. Get along. That's striking. Public rebuke of these two women. We know they're women because the form of the name is in the feminine, and the pronouns in the next verse are feminine. And we know that they're not just women who are on the fringes of church life, but right at the very center of church life, because they labored with Paul in the gospel. They contended for the truth of the gospel over against error. These were prominent women, well-known women, and they were not getting along. They're divided. For what purpose and reason? It wasn't something indifferent. I mean, it was not something essential, or Paul would have taken a side. Euodius is right, Syntyche is wrong. He doesn't do that. He says to both of them, get along, which means that one of these threats was in them. Ambition, so that they were willing to fight for something not important. Vain glory. Paul says, get along. And so we hear the word of God to us this morning. Be very, very careful, people of God. Unity in the gospel is so, so important. Let nothing fracture it, and especially let not you fracture that unity. The way to this unity, Paul says, has two aspects to it. A path on which you must walk, and we'll treat that first, and a model that you must follow, and we'll look at that second. A path and a model. First part of point two, the path. Second part of point two, the model. Walk this path, Paul says. What path? Well, first of all, in lowliness of mind, esteem each other better than yourself. See that in the text? Verse three, at the end, in lowliness of mind, let each esteem other better than themselves. If ever a catechism book would give a definition of humility, I can't think of a better verse in all of the Bible than this verse. Lowly mind, and when you look at others, you esteem them better than you. There's an old saying that comparisons are odious. If you think that through, you understand why. Comparing someone to someone else, you to someone else, is not a good thing. But Paul says it is, as long as you do it this way, that when you compare yourself with other people, you always say, they are better than I am. This is a path on which we walk to unity. Look at the others and say they're better than I am. There's two ways to understand that. One is that they are above you. Not morally better, but simply above you. The word in the text is hyper. Hyper means high. And the instruction then of this mandate, this path, is always live under others and see them above you so that you become their servant. You're never their Lord, you're always their servant. That's a biblical idea. This is the idea in the Lord Jesus Christ. He came to go under you and to become your servant. He didn't come to be a Lord of you, He obeyed His Father in heaven and died for you. This is one way, a good way, to look at this injunction. But the other way is not bad either and is also a biblical idea that you actually consider others better than you. That is, when you compare their sin and your sin, you always come to the conclusion that I am the chief of sinners. So you understand that's a biblical idea as well. Better, truly better. And then the problem always comes, how in the world can I do that? Well, this way, stop looking at the sins of others and spend your life looking at your own and taking the beam out of your own eye and be busy with that every day so that you come to the end of the day the way you started the day. I'm a wretched sinner. I need help. I need pardon. And I'm very, very weak. God, I did it again. How could I say that again? Why would I think that another time? Look at your own sin. And when then you have opportunity to stumble upon the sin of another, you won't magnify that sin as greater than yours. You'll keep saying what Paul said, and he meant it, I am of all the sinners the chief. And then when you do look at others and you see their sin, let love cover their sins. Love covers a multitude of sins. And see, as I prayed, that they are clothed with that same white robe of the righteousness of Christ so that the way God sees them is the way you know God sees you. Not as a sinner, but as righteous in the righteousness of His Son. On this path, in lowliness of your own mind, let each of you esteem the other better than himself. That's number one. Number two on this path is look, each one of you, on the things of each of the others of you. The negative that was a threat is met here by the positive. Now, what you ought to pay attention to and scope out and focus on is not your things, but the things of all of the others. What do you concentrate on? What's your life's focus? Not me, but the others. And you see that this is the path where there is unity and peace in the congregation. Paul gives a couple of examples in the latter part of chapter 2 that we read, both Timothy and Epaphras. Timothy, he said, I hope to send to you because no one else is like-minded. Timothy is a model for you to look at. Now that's not the model that we're going to look at in just a moment, but he's an example. Everyone else naturally cares for themselves and seeks their own things, not Timothy. And that's why I'm going to send Timothy to you. He was a servant, verse 22 says, with me in the gospel. He was under you and he was under me. He was a servant. And then he brings up Epaphras. I already sent him to you. You know him. He's my brother, verse 25 says, my companion in my work, my fellow soldier. He ministered to me. And verse 26 says, he loved you. And verse 30 says, he loved you so much for the work of Christ that he became sick and almost died when he was serving you and serving me. On that path, says the Apostle Paul, walk. Be like those men. Let each of you think of every other one. Now, the language in the text is very specific. It does not say, let each of you think about all the others. But it says, let each of you take the time to think of each of the others. And you say, how do you do that when there are a couple of hundred people in the congregation? Well, that takes time, doesn't it? But let each of you think about every other member of the congregation. When you wake in the morning, think about the A's in the church directory, if there are any A's at Grace Church. And the next morning, think about the B's and the C's and the D's. When you can't sleep at night, pray for others. Not for yourself, God help me to sleep, but for others. Let each of you look on the things of others. And when you make plans for your day, you are not first but last. Walk on that path. And I say, that's so far from me. That's not my nature. My nature is to be ambitious. I am the king. I want my way and not your way. And that's why the real heart of this second point is not that path, but the model. Our Lord Jesus Christ, he says, let this mind be in you to esteem others better than you and to think of others before you. Let this mind be in you because that mind was in Jesus Christ and now comes what the elders had their eyes on when they chose this text, the mind of Christ. Let that be the model for the life of every single member in the congregation. I warn you and me not to think that this text is teaching, that you in your own strength are able to follow that example, or that by following that example you will merit salvation. Those are heresies. We don't think that way. We think the way the Bible says. It's Christ who is the power for our conduct. It's Christ that's the payment for all of our misconduct. And when we know that, then we have the strength to do what we're supposed to do, walk on this path. So having issued that warning, don't think wrong thoughts about this model. Do remember, number one, he is a model, and Paul presents him to you as a model. And number two, when you look at him with the eyes of faith and embrace him with the arms of faith, he, in his life, becomes in you and your life, and you are able then to walk this way. Look at him now for a few minutes. This is verses six through eight. which could be the subject of a dozen sermons, but very briefly. Number one, he did not think robbery to be equal with God. A very difficult expression, robbery. Let's start with equality with God. As God himself, he had the position The rights, the dignity, the power of God. Dignity, rights, power, attributes of God. That's who Jesus Christ is. That's who Jesus Christ was. And the text says with that robbery expression, Jesus didn't think that equality with God was something to hang on to with all of his might. He let it go. That's number one. Number two, letting it go, He emptied Himself. That's verse seven. He made Himself of no reputation. Literally, He emptied Himself. Not of the Godhead, not of His power, not of His rights, not of His beauty, but of the display of it. When He came down to be among us, you didn't see it. He didn't claim His rights. He didn't exercise His power. He let Himself be abused by taking all of His rights away from Him. And He let Himself be maligned with all of the words that the people said about Him. He lowered Himself. And then, number 3 is found in verse 8, He humbled Himself to obedience all the way. to death. He was Lord who had the right to command. But he didn't command, he obeyed the Father in heaven and submitted in obedience to the Father in heaven who said to him, now listen very carefully, don't take one step, Jesus, or two or three, go all the way, all the way. That's a very important part of the application, but just understand it with regard to our Lord Jesus Christ now. obedient unto death. That word, unto, is a word that should be translated all the way to death, not part of the way, not one step, not even a hundred step, but every step that's needed so you go all the way to die. And what that implies about His instruction in verse 2 and 3 and 4, that Christ had the mind of God and the convictions of truth and right. That man had one love that he was devoted to, that became the object of all of his passion, what was precious to him, that he wanted to live for and even die for, love. So that deep down in his spirit with his entire being, he lived for God so that he was willing to suffer injustice after injustice after injustice, had no time for himself, but never quit, went all the way. This path he walked. and He is the model for us. Oh, people of God, for the mind of Christ in me and in you, the mind of Christ. Rights? What rights do you have? Lots of them. Lots of them. Give them up for the sake of unity. What gifts do you have? and dignity that God gave you, don't display your dignity and whatever gifts God gave you, use them not for you and your exaltation, but for the sake of every other member in the congregation, especially those that are least lovely to you. Have the mind of Christ. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ. He went all the way to die. So you say, I've taken a few steps. I've done some pretty important things. all the way. Keep walking, keep going forward, keep making progress, and go all the way, even if that requires of you that you feel like you're going to die because the one that you need to serve or I need to serve is so repulsive to you that you can hardly bear thinking about them with good thoughts. All the way. Unity. And the church of our Lord Jesus Christ is in that way, looking at that model and depending on His power. The Lord commands His blessing there in life that is unending. The Lord commands His blessing there, and they that walk in love shall share in life that never ends. To those that dwell in brotherhood, the Lord His blessing sends. He crowns them with the crown of life, of life that never ends. This is a commentary, Philippians 2. and what the psalmist taught in Psalm 133. Blessedness for those and all of those who walk on that path. Blessedness. You depart from that path and walk on your own so that you are king and your way is the only way. You'll get some glory, but it will be empty. That's why the text says, vain glory. Verse three, let nothing be done through strife or vain glory, because it's a glory that's there, but it's empty. You might get a place in the church, prominent, visible, about which others speak, but it won't last. And it will be to the dishonor of God and his gospel, and in the end, death, because the Lord commands his blessings there of life, here on your path will be death, the opposite of the crown of life. Because what Jesus said is true, they that exalt themselves shall be abased, and those that want to be first shall be last. What a miserable way to live in the Church of Christ. I don't want to be a member of a church like that, and you don't either. Let's not be a church like that. Let's seek for, number one, the joy of the office bearers here. I bring that up first because that's what Paul brings up first, a strange thing it seems to me when I first look at it. Paul says, fulfill my joy, my joy. I have joy in you. This is the text. Verse 2, I have joy in you. I'm very happy to hear about you and to know how you're doing, but I need my joy filled up all the way to the top. And this is how you will fill my joy to the top, that you be like-minded, have one love and one spirit. The joy of those who are appointed to be your office bearers, whom you chose to be your servant, is not unimportant. Fulfill their joy when you do your life in the church. Number two, peace and joy in the congregation. And that could be the subject of another sermon altogether, but just look at verse one now, how the apostle begins the text. If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, any comfort of love, any fellowship of the Spirit, any bowels and mercies. That's what comes when we walk this path and have the mind of that model. Comfort that love gives, consolation that's found in Christ, fellowship that alone the Spirit blesses you with, and bowels, that is, deep, deep emotions that are emotions of sympathy and compassion and mercy. What a way to live in the Church of Christ when that's the blessing that God gives to us. In the end, it's going to be that you are exalted. You give up your rights now. You're willing to be a base now. The Word of God says, as Christ was exalted, afterwards you will be too. But let's not think of that afterwards now. Let's think now about the blessedness of life in the church. Let's work on this, shall we, people of God? That's the calling of the elders to you through this text. In families, let there be unity. parents with your children, siblings with your brothers and sisters. Let that be a part of your family devotions, not just the night that the elders are scheduled to come, but from today until the end of family visitation. Read, perhaps, the whole book of Philippians, and pray that God will give this blessing to Grace Church. School, too. Teachers with your students, students with each other. Serve one another and esteem all of the other kids better than you. Let it be a theme in your classroom, but especially people of God in church life. In the consistory room over there, there's an exhortation to elders. Don't be lords. But servants, listen, submit, serve. And when you come to our homes, take off the crown, though don't forget that you are a ruler, but also put on the robe of a servant and serve us. And we will receive you in your weakness. because we esteem you better than we esteem ourselves. Is there any conduct that's more Christ-like than that? Unity in that way. Amen. Father in heaven, we are so sorry for our ambition and striving and seeking for glory, wanting to be first, wanting to be lords and commanding, put in us all the mind and the spirit of our Lord Jesus Christ, who God Himself put off that glory and became our servants. Thanks, Father, for Him And bless this congregation in these coming weeks, in the labors of family visitation, the elders with servants' hearts, and we with hearts that submit to and respect those whom thou hast appointed to be our shepherds. For Jesus' sake we pray, amen.