Sermon
Call
to Unity
Chapter
4… In case you’re counting, this is sermon number 13 in what is now a series of
17. We’ll take a break for advent,
We’re nearing the end of the
letter, so Paul is making his parting comments. These first nine verses fall
into a nice outline:
·
Call to Unity (1-3)
·
Call to Peace (4-7)
·
Call to Wisdom (8,9)
Let’s
march through this short passage (page ____ ).
As the text comes up on the
screen, you might notice right away that I’ve added a few words to how the NIV
translates the passage. The NIV says “my brothers,” but I’m suggesting that we
really ought to read “brothers and sisters” here.
Fee makes a strong case that
this Greek word should be translated inclusive of both genders (just as it
should be in 1:12). I suppose we could say “siblings” but “brothers and
sisters” does the best job of conveying the affectionate relationship that is
intended here.
Fee, of course, has all the academic chops to make a detailed
linguistic argument… but his most compelling argument is the common sense argument. This statement is
followed by specific reference to two female leaders of the Church (Sally and
Jane). Paul isn’t addressing a men-only club here!
The main point of the term here
(brothers and sisters) is affection… and that affection is echoed in the words
that follow. We’re reminded, again, of Paul’s deep relationship with his friends in the faith in
We
also see here that Paul returns to a familiar refrain, specifically to stand
firm in the Lord. More specifically he says “Therefore... that is how…
“
He’s moved through things personal,
and things theological, now on to things practical.
He has given principles…
and examples…
now for a bit of specific direction into the Philippian situation.
Paul
moves to specific problem by calling two leaders by name. The problem is so
evident to the Philippians, that it doesn’t need to be spelled out in detail
here… hence, we’re not really sure what,
exactly,
the problem was.
But the solution was simply
stated: agreement.
It is worth noting here that we
have every reason to believe that Euodia and Syntyche were significant leaders
in the
Without wasting a bunch of time
speculating about what the disagreement was, suffice it to say that it was
something far more significant than two church ladies arguing about how the
church kitchen was organized. Paul is calling for agreement among two
legitimate and significant leaders of the Church in
In
verse two, Paul asserts that it is the Church’s job to help find unity.
How does the saying go?
The only thing worth fighting for is unity.
Paul calls specifically on one
church leader, referred to as his loyal yokefellow, to help (probably
a pastor, Fee thinks it is Luke).
What interests me most here is
what is not here. Paul doesn’t offer a specific solution. Modern
management theorists would applaud Paul’s technique. Rather than send some
missive with detailed directions, he sends principles and examples and delegates to
someone close to the situation. Paul doesn’t indicate judgment, and he doesn’t
take sides. His goal, for the sake of the Gospel, is unity, and he urges
Euodia, Syntyche, the local leaders, and the Church to pursue and achieve
unity.
In
this second part of the verse Paul underscores what we have said:
·
These are significant women, who
have contended at Paul’s side
·
That the Gospel is the prime
concern
·
That the Church is full of
workers
·
And that the prize is eternity
The
call here is to unity.
I wonder if we really know what
that means… the reason I wonder is because it seems common that people have
misconceptions about the word. Some operational definitions, especially in
Christian contexts, seem shallow…
others seem flat out wrong.
Would you bear with me for a few
minutes and walk through a few examples of what unity is not?
I’ve
come up with a short list of ideas that might easily be mistaken for unity…
unity misconceptions.
First, unity is not merely orderliness.
It is not that unity isn’t necessarily orderly; it is that orderliness, merely
having a process in place and strictly adhered to, is a cheap substitution of
unity.
Paul has made this argument in
Chapter 3 as he has railed against ceremonial righteousness. We can’t
make unity happen simply by our rules.
Even a good liturgy won’t guarantee unity.
Unity
is certainly more than uniformity.
My work at the University has
driven me toward using some teambuilding tools that categorize personality
types, traits, and characteristics. Any of you that have been around me much
lately know that I’m really fascinated by this stuff these days. I’ve delved
deep into the mysteries of the MBTI and the sixteen types… I’ve gone a little type
happy.
I’m learning what it means to be
an ENTJ, working and living with ESFJs. The expert advice of my pal John has
helped me decipher what the letters and combination of letters mean.
In all of this, I think the most
helpful realization is really the most simple realization… not everyone is
just like me… actually lots of people are really different from me. Different
preferences, different ways of thinking about things, different priorities and
skills.
And that is the way God has
designed it. He’s made us parts of the Body of Christ with different,
complementary gifts.
Uniformity
is more than mere happiness.
It is good and pleasant when
we dwell together in unity… but we know from our study so far in Philippians
that our joy is much more than circumstantial. Paul was not happy to be in
prison.
Likewise,
unity is more than mere affection.
Even here in Philippians Paul
demonstrates that he couldn’t simply love them into unity; it was going to take something more than just his
affection for them.
I’m not even sure that affection
and unity necessarily have all that much to do with one another.
I heard one of the talking heads
from cable news explain that after their knock-down drag-outs on his program,
those who are genuine ideological adversaries (at cross purposes) then go about
their lives as dear friends. On the other hand, we all work with people, all
the time, without the benefit of some sort of deep friendship.
Unity
is not equality; it is not some sort of egalitarian society that
reduces everyone to the least common denominator.
Another way to put it may be
this: Unity is not leaderless. In the body, all have different gifts,
skills and roles.
Some lead.
In this passage, Paul calls out
leaders, and tasks a specific leader.
Furthermore, he doesn’t shy away from his leadership responsibility.
Finally,
Unity is not perfection.
Put simply… I think we so easily
err by thinking that unity would be easily achieved if we, or more accurately if they,
would just get it right.
Come on… wouldn’t unity be so
simply attained if we’d just stop bungling everything so much.
The problem is, of course,
nobody is perfect… certainly not us. If we’re going to achieve unity, it is
going to have to be in spite of our flaws.
So what?
We might agree
what unity isn’t…
but what is it,
and how do we get it?
How do we know
when we have it? How do we apply it? What difference should it make… to us and
those around us?
I think the answer is imbedded
right here in our passage… and it may help to draw a picture.
First,
there is the base, the solid foundation.
In this passage, Paul states it
as “standing firm in the Lord.” Throughout Philippians we have made use of this
idea that we enjoy full citizenship in heaven, God’s Kingdom and Family,
because of what Christ has purchased for us.
Then, there is the prize,
eternity, heaven.
In this passage Paul states it
as having “names that are in the book of life.”
Together, this is the Gospel,
that God demonstrates His love for us by making us His, through Jesus, and
having a plan to spend eternity with us.
These are the ends… the front
end, and the eternal end… and we are in between. We are wiggling around in the middle… and it is
in that in between that we are called
to unity.
The answer, too, is imbedded
in the passage… it is work. Paul
uses words like yokefellow, contending, and fellow workers. This is the breeding ground of unity; unity isn’t a
characterization of a group standing still, it is a description of a body at
work, in motion, pulling in the same direction, toward the same goals.
Unity is found in common
foundations, common goals, and common devotion and work to attain those goals.
Haven’t you found this to be
true? I know I have. I’ve noticed that sometimes what is needed to unify a
dysfunctional group is a good dose of work. When our
battleships are in safe harbor, we tend to get on each other’s nerves,
pestering one another about minutia (like just how polished the metal might
be)… but when we’re faced with a storm or battle, the work has a marvelously
unifying impact.
Now I’m not suggesting that ends
justify a means… that as long as we end
up OK with our work, it doesn’t matter precisely how we got there. It is
not just pushing toward the prize, it is principle based… our unity is built on
the foundation of our heavenly citizenship.
It is the tension between these
two realities that smoothes out the wrinkles (just like we would pull the slack
out of a rope, or snap the wrinkles out of sheets).
This is the sort of unity that
we, the church, should display to onlookers. They should see that we’re holding
on with both hands. That we are standing firm in the Lord, and reaching for the
highest prize. That sort of unity will be appealing; it will compel those
around us to examine what they have, and hopefully want what we have.
There is, of course, another
powerful picture that we will consider this morning… and it has in it the same
elements of full citizenship and the eternal Kingdom. It is Communion
and it is a great way for us to respond to this Call to Unity.
When the Lord said “this do in
remembrance of me,” He gave us these symbols of the bread (His Body) and the
cup (His Blood) to remind us that we are His; He purchased full citizenship for
us. We are righteous, not because of anything we have earned, but only because
of what He has done for us. We are righteous because of His Body and Blood… and
He says receive it, eat it, it is yours.
He also said when we do this
that we “proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.” We are His and we have
eternity with Him… and today, here we are, in between.
The
passage we typically read before communion is found in 1 Corinthians 11… the
passage is there all wrapped up in a
context that is calling the Church to unity. If we took the time to read it,
we’d find that it is in the midst of instructions about how to get along in
worship and how to function as the Body of Christ.
And there, right in the
instructions about Communion, inside of this call to unity, is the specific
instruction to examine ourselves.
In the context of standing firm
in what Christ has done and looking forward to eternity with Him, in this in
between, we are called to examine ourselves. To consider how we’re
doing here in the in between. And, most specifically, we are called to examine
how we’re doing in terms of unity:
·
Are we standing firm on the
foundation, deeply rooted in these principles?
Or are we treading lightly, tiptoeing?
·
Are we reaching toward the
highest prize, focused on God’s plan that finds completion in Heaven
·
And is that tension between the
two snapping the slack out of our line… smoothing out the wrinkles. Are we
working in unity, doing our part well in the Body of Christ? Functioning well
in the Body and representing Christ well to the world?
The good news, of course, is
that as we examine ourselves and see where we are so deficient, God is there,
inviting us to commune with Him again, and to there find help, strength, peace,
grace…
So, let’s find that place,
especially this morning as we respond to God’s Call to Unity.