Jump Start # 292

Philippians 2:1-2 “Therefore if there is any encouragement in Christ, if there is any consolation of love, if there is any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and compassion, make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose.”

  These verses remind me of an old suitcase that is being packed before a trip. There are more clothes than space so the suitcase is stuffed full. That’s how these verses are. They are stuffed with wonderful expressions and great ideas. Paul uses the word “if” four times. “If” used here is not doubting, as we might say, if, but rather, “since.” Since these things are this way.

  Notice these great expressions: Encouragement in Christ; consolation of love; fellowship of the Spirit; affection and compassion. These words define what’s within the heart of the Christian. They are expressed about our relationship with others. A person is not in fellowship with them self, but with others. Affection is directed toward others. Each of these words involve others, which leads to Paul’s thoughts about unity.

  Unity is a vital element within a congregation. Paul reminds them to be of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, one person. Same…united…one. That’s what unity is about. Unity is oneness. It is several people who are thinking and acting as one. Same mind, same love and one purpose is hard to find in any setting. It’s hard to find it at home. I guess that’s why most of us have more than one TV. Dad’s watching a ballgame on one TV and the kids, in another room are watching a movie. It’s harder to find unity at work. It’s a dog eat dog world we are told and anymore it seems everyone’s agenda is promoting self. Unity down at the church house doesn’t just happen and it must be maintained. We are different. We look different. We act different. We have different backgrounds. Some of us are very, very conservative and others are not. Some of us are a stickler for details and others not so much. Our personalities, attitudes and opinions can make us be at odds with each other.

  Paul wanted the church at Philippi to be ONE; to be the SAME. He told the Corinthians a very similar thing. He told the Ephesians the same thing. Few things are as bad as being at odds with someone down at the church house. It just about ruins everything. It’s hard to worship when you are upset with someone. It’s hard to think good of one another when you don’t like someone.

  The funny thing about unity among brethren is that a church must keep at it. Everyone can seem to get along and even be that one mind, one spirit as Paul mentions, and then all of a sudden a new family shows up or someone is converted. Those new people can be treated as “outsiders” even though they are not. They don’t have a long and rich history with the group as everyone else does. They might be a bit unusual and even odd, even though we never think that we are. I’ve seen new people feel excluded and not accepted to the extent that they eventually leave. That’s not right and that is not the way of Christ. Pharisees had problems with Jesus being with the tax collectors. His disciples had issues with Jesus being with Samaritans. Everyone wants to keep Jesus in their own private club. That’s not unity, that’s exclusion.

  This helps us understand why Paul told the Ephesians to be diligent to maintain the unity. It has to be maintained. It doesn’t run on auto pilot. There are constant threats to our unity and the biggest is called SELF. We want things our way. We want “those” people to go someone else.

  How can different people become one mind, one purpose, the same? The answer is Jesus. We follow Jesus. It is His way not our way. We accept who Jesus accepts. We see the big picture of the kingdom of Christ and that going into all the world and preaching to every creature includes our neighborhoods and it involves our congregation.

  We must remember in all of this that God has forgiven us and accepted us and invited us into His family. It is not our family, but God’s family. Most of us think that we are normal and everyone else a bit odd. The reality is that we all have our unique and wonderful ways that make us who we are. Some of us talk too much. Some of us love to talk only about self. Some like to interrupt a conversation. Some invite themselves over to a get together when they weren’t officially invited. Some can’t sing at all. Some get real testy if the song isn’t sung exactly as it is written. Some of us dress sloppy. Some of us are show-offs when we dress. Some think services ought to over at a specific time and get a bit bothered if we go into “over time.” Some think sermons ought to be serious and no funny stuff. Others, like a bit of humor and more conversation style preaching. Some want thunder from the pulpit. Others are afraid of thunder. Some sit in the same spot on the same pew, always. If anyone is in their seat they get upset. Others move around week to week, sitting someplace different each time.

  How I hit you yet? We are all different. There are things about us that if others really focused upon they would become upset. We could think, “why don’t they sing quieter,” or, “why don’t they talk less,” but we don’t. And the reason is God has accepted us. He could probably say a whole bunch about us. For instance, there is me. Always sitting on the front row. Why does he do that? Always has a big Bible and a little New Testament? How come? Isn’t one good enough? And those ties? Oh, my. And every week he has to stand at the door and shake everyone’s hand. You see, we could say something about all of us. And there are things that each of us do that probably invites questions or even bugs the rest of us. What are we to do? They are not wrong, it’s just the way we are. Lecture each other about being more “normal?” Exclude. Avoid. Go to another church? Or, realize, God has accepted me, even me. And if He can accept me, it ought to be pretty easy to accept each other. Unity is realizing that we need each other. The quarterback needs the coach who needs the linemen who needs the defense who needs the owners who needs the equipment men who needs the fans who needs the hotdog man. Now the hotdog man may not have a big role in the football game, but he does what he does. Is it any different among brethren? The preacher needs the deacons who need the shepherds who need the members who need a song leader who needs the people who clean the building who needs the guy who unlocks the door who needs the people that get the communion ready who needs the people that print the bulletin and on and on. We need each other.

  That’s unity. And we walk under the banner of Jesus Christ. He gets the glory, He gets the attention. One in name…one in aim…one in destination. We have to work at it…all the time.

Roger