If you have your Bibles with you today, I would encourage you to open up to Philippians chapter four. Philippians chapter four, we're going to be looking at verses one through three this morning. Let me just pray for us once again. Heavenly Father, as we have just sung, we ask that you would speak to us today through your word. Use me, Father God, as your instrument. Bless us, give us ears to hear what you have to say to us today. We ask it in Jesus' name, amen. Well, after several months, today we begin the final chapter in Paul's very personal letter to the saints who made up the church in Philippi. As we have seen and heard throughout this letter, Paul had a great affection for those that had come to know Christ through his church planting in Philippi. And they had shown great affection and support for Paul and his ministry, even now as he writes this letter while he's enduring house arrest in Rome while awaiting trial. Paul loved the Philippians and he wrote this letter to encourage them to hold fast to the faith, to run with endurance the race that was set before them in living out the Christian life, and to do all these things together in unity as citizens of the kingdom of God, as brothers and sisters in Christ. Paul knew full well that the church was under attack just as Jesus had predicted it would be and it is unto this very day. Remember in John 16 33 Jesus warned quote in the world you will have tribulation but take courage I have overcome the world. Paul echoes Jesus' warning when he said, quote, through many tribulations, we must enter the kingdom of God, Acts 14.22. Through many tribulations, through many trials. And later, he wrote to Timothy, quote, indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. 2 Timothy 3.12. Now, that's probably not a promise that we like to proclaim and hold on to, but nevertheless, it's true. It's true. If you're living for Christ in this world, you will suffer some measure of persecution eventually. If you've not yet, just wait. All who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. So not surprisingly, the Church has always and will always suffer persecution. These assaults upon the Church come from the world, the flesh, and the devil and his minions, The world, with all of its allurements, endeavors to entice believers. It also actively persecutes the Church, both openly and subtly. Our own flesh is another source of attack. The flesh, or our fallen, unredeemed human nature, can entice us to sin, to be selfish, to envy, to argue, and to fight, thus disturbing the unity of the Church. and energizing both the world and the flesh is the devil who wants the church to fail in its calling and mission. Satan wants the church to fail to be the light of the world. He wants the church to fail to reflect Jesus Christ to the world around us. To be that light The Church, brothers and sisters in Christ, must stand out from the world. We must be different. We must live for Christ and endeavor to live like Christ, to have His mind as our mind, and to live accordingly. Our lives should be characterized by the fruit of the Spirit of Christ who indwells us. love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. These qualities should be evident in our lives and when they are they result in a greater unity in the church and a brighter light, a brighter reflection of Jesus to those who are still in the darkness. That is what Paul wants for the Philippians and for all of Christ's churches. And that is what our elders desire for our church as well. As Paul concludes this letter, he must address an issue that was affecting the unity in the church in Philippi. And he does so very carefully. again, in so doing, serves as an example for us. So if you're able, I'd like you to stand for the reading of our text. I'll be reading from Philippians chapter 4 verses 1 through 3. This is God's Word to us. Therefore, my brothers, whom I love and long for, my joy and my crown, stand firm thus in the Lord, my beloved. I entreat Judea and I entreat Syntyche to agree in the Lord. Yes, I ask you also, true companion, help these women who have labored side by side with me in the gospel together with Clement and the rest of my fellow workers whose names are in the book of life. May God bless the reading of his word to us. You may be seated. I think it's interesting that this sermon falls on Mother's Day and it's a sermon directed really at a couple of women in the church. The word that Paul opens this final chapter with, the word therefore, refers back to the gospel and doctrinal truths and the admonishments of the previous three chapters. And those culminated in chapter 3, verse 20. Let me read that to us, 20 and 21. But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like His glorious body by the power that enables Him even to subject all things to Himself. Therefore, my brothers... These set the stage for the commands in chapter 4 that spell out what it means to follow the example of Paul and the other like-minded believers who are resting in God's grace, which they've already received in Christ, but who are also running together towards the consummation of God's grace. That moment when we shall be like him. He will help them meet their sufferings with joy, with gentleness, with prayer, and with thankfulness. And we will see this in this final chapter. But first, as I alluded to before, Paul must address a delicate issue of conflict between two believers in the church in Philippi. Paul, being a loving, spirit-filled apostle and pastor, must choose his words carefully, and he writes with a tenderness and a compassion that sets an example for us of speaking the truth in love. This brief text contains three commands. Stand firm, agree, and help. stand firm in the Lord, agree in the Lord, and help these women. These commands are just as needed in our church today as they were when Paul wrote this letter. Let's start with stand firm in the Lord. As we have already observed, the therefore that opens this passage marks this command as an ethical inference from Paul's previous discussion. The command to stand firm flows from the realities of Christ's gracious gift to them of his righteousness, of the supreme treasure of knowing Christ, and of their need to run the race that is set before them. Their need to follow the example of Paul and others who are running for Christ. And Paul here in this first verse again writes of his love and affection for them, which has been a recurring theme in this letter. Paul once again refers to them as adelphoi in the Greek, which means brothers and sisters. All believers are a part of the one body of Christ and are spiritually related to one another. And he loves them so much that he says he longs for them. He longs to be with them again. And note this, he also refers to them as his joy and his crown. Joy, as we have seen, has run like a golden thread through this letter. Since Paul is returning to the subject of standing firm in unity, we recall his earlier appeal to, quote, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord, and of one mind. And that was in Philippians 2.2. These brothers and sisters are Paul's joy already, but they can, according to him, fill up his joy even fuller by pursuing unity with one another. The command here to stand firm is a repetition of what Paul wrote to them earlier in the letter. Back in Philippians 1, verses 27 and 28, he wrote these words, so that whether I come to see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit with one mind, striving side by side for the faith of the gospel." This word here for standing firm is actually a military term. It means to hold your ground against an enemy. So to stand firm here is to hold your ground and not give an inch to the enemy. Paul has used this same term, this same admonition in many of his letters. Let me give you a few examples. To the Galatians he wrote, it was for freedom that Christ set us free, therefore keep standing firm. Stand firm in the freedom that Christ has given us. To the Corinthians he wrote, be on the alert. Stand firm in the faith. Act like men. Be strong. 1 Corinthians 16, 13. To the Thessalonians, he writes, now we really live if you stand firm in the Lord. 1 Thessalonians 3, 8. To the Ephesians, in the passage on spiritual warfare, he writes this. Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. That's Ephesians 6, 10, and 11. And then in verse 13 of Ephesians 6, he says this, So this is a recurring theme in Paul's letters. Because Paul knows there is opposition coming against the church, against the brothers and sisters in Christ. Opposition from the outside and opposition from the inside. Our own sin nature. He knows that the church will come under attack by the world, the flesh, and the devil. And together we must be prepared to stand firm in the Lord and in the power of His might. And to do this effectively, requires that we do it together. No one, no one can stand firm in the Lord without being in the fellowship of other saints. We are not to try to stand on our own. We see that nowhere in Scripture. So it requires we do it together, every member putting on the armor of God, every member standing in the Lord, every member resisting the schemes and attacks of the enemy. And for this to happen, we have to have the same mind. We must agree in the Lord, which is the second command in our text. Agree in the Lord. Paul has repeatedly stated in this letter that unity is having one mind. The mind of Christ. And that is vital for us to face our enemies. We cannot hold off these attacks on our own. We must be united, just as Paul stated. We must be standing firm in one spirit with one mind, striving side by side. Again, that was Philippians 1.27. And then again, in Philippians 2.2, he writes, being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. So again, Paul is letting the church know they cannot achieve what Christ wants without unity, without agreement, without having the mind of Christ. Where do we find the mind of Christ, you might ask? Well, you know the answer right here, the Word of God. God reveals the mind of Christ to us. And we must study the word together. Now, Paul applies this truth to the situation regarding two women in the church to which he is writing. Let me read verse 2 again. I entreat Eudea and I entreat Syntyche to agree in the Lord. Remember, this letter was written to be read to the church when they gathered together. So, Udea and Syntyche would have been sitting in the congregation when Paul gets to this point and their names are read aloud to the church. Paul appeals here directly to these two women. Note that, I entreat Udea, I entreat Syntyche, directly speaking to them now. Now little is known to us about them or about their situation, but several facts are evident. First, they were church members. They were not visitors. They were not troublemakers from outside the church. They were members of the church. Second, their dispute was not about doctrine. If it had been, Paul would have done what he always did. He would have pointed out who was correct, and he would have corrected the other. So it's not a doctrinal issue here. Third, they were well-respected women. Paul says they had labored side by side with him for the sake of the gospel, possibly during the planting of the church in Philippi. So without taking sides, and without distributing blame, Paul appeals directly to them. Please let the friction cease. Please have the mind of Christ and let the mind of Christ prevail. Paul urges them, in essence, not to try to decide who is right, nor to come up with a compromise that they both could accept. Instead, he wants both of them to think as Christ does. To have this mind among yourselves which is yours in Christ. Remember, he wrote that very admonishment to the entire church in chapter 2. Do you think when he wrote that to the church in chapter 2, he knew what he was going to write in chapter 4? Oh yes, I think so. Let me remind you what he wrote in chapter 2, verses 1 through 5. Paul wrote this to the whole church. If there's any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation of the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord, and of one mind. So there's the goal. Same mind, same love, full accord, one mind. How is that possible? Verse 2, do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit. That's easy for all of us, right? In other words, Paul says, let there be no selfishness among you. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Were these two women doing that? No. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. This is what was needed. They needed to agree in the Lord. Paul is reminding these two women that they are sisters in Christ. had labored side-by-side with Paul and with one another in the gospel work, and thus they need to exhibit the fruit of the Spirit in their relationship. We need to do the same, don't we? When your relationship with a Christian brother or sister hits an impasse, when you can't resolve a disagreement, When it's a strain to be in the same room with him or her, at that moment, you need to take to heart Paul's admonition to think as Christ thinks. We don't think with our own mind. We think with His mind. to have his mind in that matter. And remember that this brother or sister was chosen by the Father and redeemed by the Son. Jesus Christ laid down his life to pay the penalty for their sins. And then Jesus Christ gave them his Holy Spirit who dwells within them. So they are loved and accepted by Christ. Therefore, they should be loved and accepted by you. Doesn't that make sense? But sometimes, because of our flesh, we need help in this process of reconciliation. And that is Paul's third command found in this text. help these women. Look at verse 3. Yes, I ask you also, true companion, help these women who have labored side by side with me in the gospel, together with Clement, the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life. Paul realized that these women needed the church's help to resolve their situation. Then Paul addresses someone that our ESV translates as true companion. This word in the Greek, sousagos, can also be a proper name. So he is either addressing someone who is unnamed or he is addressing someone who goes by that name. which is what I would favor. He may have been one of the elders or one of the deacons in the church. Paul asks him to intercede in this situation and he was letting the entire church know how precious these women were to him so that they might pray for them and they might encourage them as they are able. That's why he put it in the letter to be read to the church, to let the church know, these women are special. They mean so much to me. Come alongside of them. Help them through this. This incident reminds us that even the most mature, faithful, and committed church members can become self-centered and can cause conflict when they are not acting in humility, counting others as more important than themselves. Ultimately, the one who is most important is Jesus Christ Himself. Amen? We, like Paul, should be willing to love others as we have been loved by Christ. We have been loved with a gracious and forgiving love. And that produces a unity among us. And that is how we are to love. Every one of us have a role to play maintaining the unity of the church. And this reminds me of Paul's admonition in his letter to the Ephesians. So I'd like you to turn in your Bibles to Ephesians chapter 4, because here we find some very, very practical instruction from the Apostle Paul to the church on how to have unity. Here, Paul gives us five qualities that we need. Let me read this, Ephesians 4, verses 1 to 6. I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to live in a manner worthy of the calling to which you've been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope that belongs to your calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all." There's an emphasis here. in the fact that there is one God. There is one church. The emphasis here is on unity. And Paul gives us five qualities that every one of us need to live worthy of the call of God. And that's our call, amen? To live worthy of the call to which we've been called. And so these characteristics form a progression, one leading to another. The foundation is humility. Again, that's something that's real easy for all of us, right? Humility. The Greek word translated humility is a compound word, literally meaning to think with lowliness. about oneself. Now, neither the Greeks nor the Romans had such a word in their vocabulary. In fact, they would not have wanted such a word in their vocabulary. Because to the Greeks and the Romans, the goal was pride. The goal was self-achievement. The goal was being in control. In fact, the first use of this word is found in the Scriptures. The Christians had to make up this word by combining two words to describe a characteristic for which no word existed in the Greek. And Paul uses this often. In fact, we could say that humility is the most foundational Christian virtue. without which, Scripture tells us, we cannot please God. Over and over, Scripture calls us to humble ourselves. Our Lord Jesus Christ is the ultimate example of humility, and we saw that earlier in chapter two. He humbled himself by becoming a man. And He continued to humble Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. And we are called to humble ourselves before God and to live humbly before Him and to live humbly in relationship to one another. Humility then produces gentleness. Gentleness or meekness, depending on your translation, is one of the surest signs of humility. You simply can't possess meekness without humility. This word refers not to weakness, but to power under control. This word is used of wild horses that were broken and trained. Such an animal still has great strength and spirit, but it's now under the control of its master. Jesus, again, is our example of being gentle and lowly. Great power, but totally under submission to his Heavenly Father. The meek person responds willingly to the Word of God no matter what. The meek person is also a peacemaker who readily forgives and helps to restore a sinning brother or sister. So gentleness flows from humility and from humility and gentleness flows patience. Patience is a result of humility and gentleness. It literally means being long-tempered or long-suffering. The patient person humbly endures negative circumstances and never gives in to them. The patient saint accepts God's plan for everything without grumbling or complaining. Doesn't sound like our culture at all, does it? In fact, I think our culture has reached the pinnacle of grumbling and complaining. But it should not be so for those who are following Christ. When did Christ grumble about His circumstances? When did Christ complain about His circumstances? Christ suffered and died in our place. He who had no sin became sin for us. And the wrath of God was poured out upon him for our sins. The patient saint accepts God's plan for everything without grumbling or complaining. He remembers all that Jesus did and endured to save us without once returning evil for evil or even complaining about his situation. May that be true of us. And a fourth characteristic of a true follower of Christ is forbearing love. bearing with one another in love. And this love here, this is agape love, the unconditional, unmerited love with which God has loved us. Remember, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. While we were his enemies, God set his love upon us. This love covers a multitude of sins. This love is absolutely unselfish. And we can love in this way because God first loved us in this way. And because God pours His love into our hearts through the Holy Spirit. This is the love the Apostle John writes about in 1 John 4.11, where John writes, If God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. Oh, but Pastor Steve, you don't know how difficult this person is. Pastor Steve, you don't know how hard it is to love this person. I think you need to look in the mirror because Christ loved you enough to forgive you of everything that you have done in rebellion to him. If God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. These four qualities then lead to the unity of the Spirit and the bond of peace that results from unity. Paul says that we should be, note this, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit. And that unity results in peace. Peace in the church. Peace between brothers and sisters in Christ. He's speaking here of the unity of the Spirit by which every true believer is bound to every other true believer. It does not come from the outside. It does not come from our circumstances, but from the inside, from the Holy Spirit who's been given to us. And it is manifested through the characteristics of humility, gentleness, patience, and steadfast love. This is the very unity that Jesus prayed to His Father for. Remember that in John chapter 17? The high priestly prayer just before Jesus goes to the cross? He's praying to the Father and asking Him to produce in us, in His church, unity. In verse 21, He makes this request to the Father. that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me and I in you, that they also may be one in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me." That's an astounding prayer to me. Because the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are one. They are one God. They are one in substance, one in being. They have one mind. And Jesus says he wants us to be like that. And he says this, that the world may believe that you have sent me. When I preached this passage years ago, that just jumped out at me. Where in the world do we find people living in unity? One mind. One heart. One love. Where do we find that in the world? We don't! Except in the church. Because it's only possible through the power of God's love and the power of His Spirit. and the power of his word that conforms us to the image of Christ. And Jesus said, that unity will let the world know that you have sent me, that I came from you, because that unity is only possible through Christ, amen? Unity is what Jesus wanted for his people. Unity is what John wanted for the followers of Christ. Unity is what Paul wanted for all the churches. We are called by God to stand firm in unity. And this will be achieved by our together standing firm in the Lord, agreeing with one another in the Lord, and helping one another in the Lord. This is what we are called to do. May we live lives that are worthy of Christ's calling, that follow the example of the Apostle Paul, and let us pray and work together for the unity that is so vital for our church that we might be a light in this present darkness. Let's pray. Heavenly Father, thank you for this opportunity to hear you speak to us, your beloved church, your beloved people. Throughout this letter, Paul has expressed his love for the brothers and sisters in Philippi. And Paul is simply a reflection of Christ and his love for the brothers and sisters in every church around the world who are His. And because of your great love for us, your covenant people, you instruct us, Father God, to be humble, to be gentle, to be patient with one another. to have unconditional love for one another. And when we do, that produces a unity and a peace that is out of this world. Father, help us. Help us to stand firm on Your promises. Help us to stand firm together on Your Word. Help us to agree in the Lord. And Father God, help us to help one another that we might truly reflect the glories of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. And it is in His name we ask this. Amen and amen. Praise the Lord. Well, part of being the church, part of being the body of Christ...