A Study in Philippians - The Danger of Disunity

I do rejoice –do you rejoice?

Selfish Ambition

There is always the danger that people stop working to advance the Kingdom of God and start working to advance themselves. It's extraordinary how the true great leaders in church history have never wanted to take the office of church leader because they thought they were unworthy.

Ambrose was one of the great figures of the early church. He was a scholar and Roman governor. He governed with such loving care that the people regarded him as a father. The bishop of the district died and there was a great discussion on who should be his successor. Suddenly out of the crowd a little child's voice arose "Ambrose - bishop! Ambrose – bishop!" the whole crowd took up the cry. To Ambrose it was unthinkable and he fled by night to avoid the high office the church was offering him. It was only direct intervention of the Emperor that made him agree to become bishop of Milan.

Far from being filled with ambition, the great men and women were filled with a sense of their own inadequacy.

Personal Reputation

Prestige is for many people an even greater temptation than wealth. To be admired and respected; to have a platform seat; to have one's opinion sought; to be known. It could even be that I am friends with the church leader or I am in "in-crowd" at the church.

Our aim however should be self-obliteration and not self-display. Our deeds should bring glory to God and not to ourselves. Our desires should be hat everyone's eyes are focused on God.

Concentration on Self

If our concern is to be first and foremost, looking out for our own interests, we are bound to collide with others.
Concentration on self is when we ask God to change us but are unwilling or scared to actually change. It is that I am too important to change. I am not willing to die to self but I would rather keep on in the same old way.

John 12:24-25 (MSG)

"Listen carefully: Unless a grain of wheat is buried in the ground, dead to the world, it is never any more precious than a grain of wheat. But if it is buried, it sprouts and reproduces itself many times over. In the same way, anyone who holds on to life just as it is destroys that life. But if you let it go, reckless in you love, you'll have it forever, real and eternal.

When we are unwilling to change , and that may be do to fear, we are looking after our own interests. If life is a competition whose prize we must always win, we will think of others as opponents who must be pushed out of the way.

Concentration on self inevitably means the elimination of others and the object of life becomes not to help others but to push them down.

The Cure for Disunity

It's interesting that everything that causes disunity is bound up with self. With the danger of disunity Paul sets down five things that should prevent disharmony.

In Christ

The fact that we are all in Christ should keep us in unity. No one can walk in disunity with others and be in unity with Christ.

The Power of Christian Love

True Christian love is that unconquered good-will which never knows bitterness and never seeks anything but the good of others. It is not a mere relation of the heart, as human love is: it is the victory over the will, achieved only by the help of Jesus.

True Christian love does not mean just loving our friends or those wholove us. It means an unconquerable good-will even to those who hate us or those we don't like and it makes an impact today and for eternity.

The Same Holy Spirit

As each one of us share the same Holy Spirit it will keep us in unity together. The Holy Spirit not only binds us to God but also to each other. It is the Holy Spirit that enables us to live that life of love which is the life of God. If we live in disunity we don't have the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Compassion

Just the existence of human compassion should keep us from disunity. Weare built to live in fellowship with each other. It's why the tea and coffee, fun and games, and shared meals are so important to us. All of these build the structures of life allowing unity and peace to flow between us.

Personal Appeal

Paul appeals to the church in Philippi and tells them there can be no happiness for him while there is disunity among the church he loves so much.

It's the same appeal that I personally make to this church. Agree with each other, love each other, be deep-spirited friends with each other that my joy may be complete.

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