HEALTHY CHURCH: LIVING TOGETHER IN GOD’S LOVE
it is a continuation of showing the
TITLE: MAKING UNITY A REALITY
Philippians 2:1-11
Unity in the church must be real and it is the mark of Growing church.
Differences can bring us together:
Differences are not mean to separate us but to draw us together.
Chap.2 Continuation of Paul’s call for unity in Philippi church.
1:27-30: Paul had written about how these Philippians believers were to
careful to show forth the reality of their Christian faith in a way testifies to
the outside world of the truth of the gospel.
We can work in Harmony if we are in Unity, but if we aren’t in Unity the
harmony will be horrible – mark Moore.
Why must genuine believers work and love in unity?
- Because unity is part of God’s perfect, vast triune God.
When we stop making unity a passionate priority, we stop bringing glory to
God.
When the church is not united or whenever there’s disunity we dishonor
God’s character, we malign God’s person distort a proper understanding of
the God who is three but one.
Illustration: Herman Edwards (American former NFL head coach) is the
colorful and witty coach who was with the Kansas city chiefs, when it comes
to his thoughts on team work he said: THE PLAYER THAT PLAY ON THIS
FOOTBALL TEAM WILL PLAY FOR THE NAME ON THE SIDE OF THE HELMET
AND NOT THE NAME ON THE BACK OF THE JERSEY.
Church as team must play as a teamwork not individualism.
Philippians 2- Paul maintained a focus on the church as whole with an
attempt to Promote Unity. Instructing How they are to act one to another,
WORKING TOGETHER WITH ONE HEART AND ONE PURPOSE.
“IF” is simply a rhetorical way of forcefully saying- since you have.
Connected to “THEREFORE” back to v.27..
world as a church united not in the ways of the world but in CHRIST.
UNITY IS NECESSARY TO MAKE THE CHURCH A MOST POWERFUL CHURCH
FOR THE SPIRIT OF GOD TO WORK.
3 Essentials that we need to understand that God desires a Unity in His
Church.
HOW TO MAKE UNITY A REALITY?
I. CONSIDERING THE SPIRITUAL PRESENTATION (POINT) THAT
UNITES US.
A. Encouragements from being united with Christ.
Related to the one who is the source of encouragements CHRIST
Paraklesis en christo
Since the Philippians were suffering they need comfort or
encouragements.
God is the God of all Comfort.
b. Comfort from God’s love- God’s love in people’s heart produces
spiritual unity in their lives.
Comfort provided by love, WHOSE LOVE DOES PAUL REFER?
Paul appealing to the love of God shows towards believers.
c. Fellowship in the Spirit
Koinonia pneumatos- PARTICIPATION WITH OR COMMUNION WITH
HOLY SPIRIT ENJOYED BE EACH AND EVERY BELIEVER.
it gives strength to love each other.
d. Tenderness and compassion
God has intended His deep affection and compassion to every believer
and that reality should stimulate and empower the believers towards
Unity.
Philippians’ believer could count on encouragement from Christ.
Comfort from the love of God and communion with the Holy Spirit to
enable them to live in Unity with one another.
II. CONSTANT PROPER POSTURE THAT CHARACTERIZE UNITY.vv.2-
4
 The right attitude or proper posture that God wants us to clothe in
every day of our lives.
a. Oneness of mind and love toward each other.
Same mind- living in harmony focused on an attitude and not on critical
thinking.
It is a call for the church to focus on what they have in common in Christ
and their relationship bound up together with Him.
Same Love- love equally and not give preferential treatment to some
over other.
Inconsistent with the gospel where Christ died for all men who were all
equally undeserving; Outflow of God’s love that we received.
b. Relating to one another in Humility.v.3
1. Eliminates Selfishness; Paul says in light of encouragement in Christ,
love from God, and fellowship with the Spirit, that there must be no
selfish ambition among the Philippians. Such an attitude is totally
inconsistent with Christ who did not consider equality with God
something to be grasped, but emptied himself by taking on the
nature of a servant (2:6-7). God loves us, so he requires that we lay
down our selfish goals!
Paul does not want a believer seeking their own interest pursuing
selfish ME CENTERED AGENDAS.”
Found NT. 7times ( 5x in Paul and 2x in James)
Romans 2:8- disobey the truth
2 Cor. 12:20 – consider as sin and connected to sexual immorality.
James connects the term with “bitter envy” in 3:14 and calls on his
readers to admit and renounce such attitudes
Truth about selfish ambition
1. Individualism will destroy the church
2. Individualism will lead to vanity and further sins.
Selfishness and self centeredness are the ANTITHESIS OF BEING LIKE
CHRIST.
2. but in humility
Humility is to offer oneself as lowly and submissive.
To walk in the spirit of Lowliness.
A humble person may have a high position, power and authority but has a
spirit of humility and submission.
Christ demands that His follower or a believer or church walk and practice
Humility.
It demands 2 things:
1. Requires Honest evaluation of Self.
Humility is a call to one’s own heart to humble it self away from th
eyes of others where no one can see where no one knows except
God who see all things.
Humility is a call to consider in your own heart that others better
than yourself .
It takes courage and honesty to look at ourselves to see ourselves as we
really see.
2. Requires Courage to stand on what is true.( HONEST)
Considering others : instead of fixing your eyes on those points in which you
excel, fix them on those in which your neighbor excels you..This is true
humility.
“BE HUMBLE TO SEE THE VALUE OF OTHERS”
III. CERTAIN PERSON WHO STAND AT THE CENTER OF UNITY. V5-
11
6-11- One of the most Majestic passages in NT.
Paul stresses the person who stands and keeps at the very center of unity.
Our Unity is humanly impossible to maintain and even more impossible to
bring about, unless Jesus Christ Himself and His example will be our source.
Paul does not put forward himself but Christ “THE ONE preeminently who
sought not His own.”
First- taking on Him our very nature
Second- Humbling Himself in a lowest form.
Christ is the supreme example of humility and selfless concern for others.
Believers are exhorted to have same attitude or mind selfless humility as
Christ exhibit in His humiliation.
NO BETTER EXAMPLE OF HUMILIATION AND SELFLESS ATTITUDE FOR
BELIEVERS TO FOLLOW COULD POSSIBLY BE GIVEN THAN THAT OF CHRIST.
THE MORE HE IS KEEP AT THE CENTER OF OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH ONE
ANOTHER, THE STRONGER OUR UNITY IN HIM WILL BE.

THEREFORE:
In our relationship with God- TREASURE UNITY
Our attitude to self- learn humility
Our relationship to others- serve willingly.