Paul is writing to the local church in Philippi (modern day Greece). This was a church that came into existence through the ministry of Paul about a decade prior, and they had become his dear friends and supporters over the years.  For that reason, Paul is very affectionate towards these believers.  

He made it clear, back in chapter 1, that he saw the fruit of salvation all over them… there was plenty of evidence in the way they behaved to show that they were truly in Christ.  

• They exhibited love for one another; they were partnering with Paul to spread the gospel; they were willing to stand with him even in his imprisonment in Rome.  

And so Paul writes to encourage them.  

But he also writes to spur them on and remind them that there is MORE in Christ than what they are currently experiencing.     

• Paul said back in 1:9, “it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more…” 

And I’d like to lovingly remind you of the same thing this morning.  That no matter what stage of development you’re at in your relationship with Christ, He has more for you.   

More joy, more peace, more comfort, more assurance, more love… 

And in 1:27 Paul zeroes in on a specific area of their development––a specific trait that he knew God wanted to grow them in: unity. 

• He says, “let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and 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…”  

In chapter 4 we are told that there was a divisive situation going on between two women in the church, who he even mentions by name.  So maybe that’s on his mind as he brings up the topic of unity. 

But besides that, unity is a megatheme in the New Testament, and there’s almost nothing more relevant for any church to talk about regardless of present circumstances, including ours.   

Jesus Himself, in his high priestly prayer in John 17, prayed for unity in the church. 

• John 17:20-23 “I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one… that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.”  

• 1 Corinthians 1:10 “I appeal to you, brothers and sisters… that all of you agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in mind and thought.”

• 1 Peter 3:8 “Finally, all of you, be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble.”

• 1 John 1:7 “If we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another…”

• ‭‭Romans‬ ‭12‬:‭18‬ ‭ESV “If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.”

It makes sense when you think about it: how are we going to be effective at reaching the world with the gospel if we aren’t unified?  How are we going to be helping each other grow in our faith if we can’t get along?  How are we going to be a picture of Jesus’ love and forgiveness if we defy that love by our strife within the church?  A divided church is not a very convincing or effective church.  

And let’s be honest: none of us want discord––there are few things more uncomfortable than being at odds with those in your closest circles of community.  

So today, we are going to see in this passage the definitive pathway to unity within the Church.  And let me give you a hint: it’s incredibly obvious…. but it’s impossible without Christ.    

Now, two weeks ago back in chapter 1, I told you it was going to be difficult for me to give you an outline for that sermon and instead we were just going to tediously pick thorough the passage phrase by phrase.  And we did. And you were so attentive that today I’m giving you a little treat.  I took it upon myself to do the stereotypical pastor thing and create an outline with alliteration.  

So today, as we discuss the topic of unity, we’re going to see in the text… 

The plea for unity. 

The path to unity. 

The precedent for unity.

The product of unity.  

Let’s begin with the plea for unity… 

Philippians 2:1–18 (ESV): 

2 So 

(this word ‘so’ or ‘therefore’ is how we know that Paul is building on the same idea of unity from the end of chapter 1…) 

if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, 

• He’s listing things that are true of believers––we’ve been encouraged in Christ, we’ve been comforted by God’s love, we’ve participated in the Holy Spirit (if you are a believer, you have the Spirit living in you), we’ve experienced a change of heart towards others, like affection and sympathy… 

• So these are euphemisms for salvation… He’s saying, “if you are really in Christ”... (which he believed they were)… then…   

2 complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. 

There’s his plea. 

And in his request, notice, he’s giving them a full-orbed view of what church unity looks like.         

• Same mind- literally, contemplating the same thing.   

• The same love- they are on the same page in their love and affection for God and one another. 

• Being in full accord and of one mind- driven by the same desires, motivated by the same mission, harmonious in their pursuits. 

By the way, this is about as countercultural as it gets. In case you haven’t noticed, our culture is constantly trending towards disunity and polarization. 

But the Church is called to rise above culture, and in this case that means relentlessly pursuing unity.  

Just to be clear: we’re talking about unity… not uniformity. Unity doesn’t mean everyone is the same or that we give up our individuality. 

• Remember from our study through 1 Corinthians 12-14 earlier in the year: the church is like a body with many different members.  The church is diverse by design. We differ from one another in our personalities, in our backgrounds, in our cultures of origin, in our preferences, in our gifts and abilities. 

• But God, in his infinite wisdom, has providentially assembled us all together so that we can compliment each other and unite in a common mission.  

• Romans 12:4–5 (ESV): 4 For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, 5 so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.

• A lot of people want to go to a church where everyone is exactly like them.  I’ve seen plenty of people leave churches (including this one) because they feel like a misfit.  Hear this loud and clear: Your differences are exactly why we need you!  You are uniquely gifted, and unless God explicitly moves you somewhere else, you belong where He has placed you! 

So, Paul is pleading with them to be unified.   

Now we come to the pathway to unity. 

3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. 4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.

Simply put: the pathway to unity is humility. 

Incredibly obvious, isn’t it?  Nobody is surprised by Paul’s prescription.  

Every single time disunity occurs in the church, it’s because somebody failed to be humble and look to the interests of others instead of their own. 

Plain and simple.

• Ego got in the way.  Personal preferences got in the way.  Hurt feelings got in the way.  Whatever the case may be, disunity results from some version of pride, which is the opposite of humility. 

Humility is the pathway to unity.  

• By the way, that’s not just true in the church… it’s also true in your marriage, in your friendships, in your work environment… A breakdown in humility always results in disunity.  

Verses 3 and 4 form a great working definition of humility, by the way.   

Some think that being humble means we need to be self-deprecating and negative about ourselves.  

That’s not humility; that’s just self-centeredness re-packaged.  Because think about it: when we make things all about how awful we are, we are still making things all about us. 

According to these verses, true humility is to make things all about others.    

The trouble is, you and I both know that this is not our standard mode of operation.  Our standard mode is not ‘others’ our standard mode is ‘ME’!  

• Dave Shormann was reminding me of a Brian Regan sketch about this.  

• He describes a typical situation out at a restaurant with a group where there’s always one guy (whom he dubs the “me monster”) who always wants to make the conversation about them.  

• He says “beware the ME monster”.

• ‘Tell you what: When it comes to church, we need to beware the ME monster in our own hearts. 

The average church-goer does not have an others-serving mindset toward church; they have a self-serving mindset.  For many, church is just another product to be consumed.  

• If it meets MY needs, and serves MY purposes, and makes ME feel important, and builds ME up, and keeps MY kids entertained, and serves ME and MY family in all the ways I want… then I will participate.  And I will only participate insofar as MY standards are being met… and guess what? If they’re not… I’ll just go shopping for somewhere that they are.  

That’s consumerism.  That’s transactional.  It may be ok to have that mentality towards a gym membership, but not towards the church.   

Instead, imagine this:   

Imagine a community where everyone is working together towards a common, eternally significant goal… where we show up asking ‘how do I help others grow and thrive and love Jesus more’... where everyone has a role to play and every person is needed and important, but those roles are not about status or platform, but about whatever moves the mission forward… where each person within the community is looking out for the best interest of others, not themselves… where Jesus is the center of attention and affection… and the driving question is always, “what does HE want”, not “what do I want”.   

That’s how Jesus designed the church to be.  That is a culture of unity fueled by humility.  

Where did this pattern of humility originate? 

Let’s look at the precedent for unity… 

5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 

Now, other translations render it something like, “have this mind among yourselves which Jesus also had”, or “adopt the same mindset that Christ had”, or the “mindset which was also in Christ Jesus”.  

Honestly, those options seem more accurate to me.  Closer to the original Greek. 

The ESV has chosen to render it as the mindset “which is yours in Christ Jesus”. 

You can make of that what you want. 

But the reality is, the theological truth is accurate either way: We need to adopt the mindset of Christ––a mindset that is available to us as a benefit of our salvation.   

And here it is: 

What we are about to read is one of the most famous and significant passages on the humility and exaltation of Christ.  It is sometimes referred to as the “christ hymn” because of its poetic structure.  

(Stand?)

6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. 

(Sit)

The precedent for unity is the humility of Christ. 

We are called to be humble because it’s how Jesus is.  

There is so much rich theology of Christ in these verses… 

6 who, though he was in the form of God, 

Before He was born in a manger, before the world was formed… Jesus was, gk. morphe theo.  He was, ‘in His very form, God’.   

You remember the intro to John’s gospel: in the beginning was the Word (Jesus), and the Word was with God and the Word was God.  All things were made through [Jesus]... 

And then throughout John’s gospel we see Jesus make a series of seven identity statements, each beginning with “I AM”––which is the eternal name of the One true God.  God revealed that name to Moses back in Exodus, in order to convey the fact that He has no beginning and no end; He simply IS.  He is self-existent from eternity past.  And Jesus says the same about Himself. 

• I AM the light of the world

• I AM the way, the truth and the life

• I AM the resurrection and the life

• And so on.  

Hebrews 1 tells us that Jesus not only created the universe but upholds the universe by the word of His power.  

And yet… Jesus, with all of His infinite status and power… 

did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 

In other words, in His humility, He did not cling to that status… instead…  

7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 

• As Spurgeon put it, “the infinite has become the infant”. 

• John says it like this: the Word became flesh and dwelt among us. 

This does not mean He gave up his divine nature; rather, He refused to assert His rights as God, and instead willingly let go of that status in order to take on human flesh in the incarnation. 

But this is not just incarnation; it is condescension. It is the eternally glorious, self-existent One stepping into His creation.  It’s the One who spoke the stars into existence coming down to the level of the dirt.  And not just coming to visit us; becoming one of us.  Taking on human flesh, with all of its frailty and flaws and temptations and limitations.  

• AW Tozer- “In the Incarnation, the Creator became a creature, but in doing so He did not cease to be the Creator. He held the stars in their courses even while He was a babe in Mary’s arms.”

One of my favorite modern Christmas hymns captures it like this:

See the Mighty, weak and tender

See the Word, who now lay mute

See the Sovereign, without spendor

See the Fullness, destitute

But that’s not the end of His self-humbling… 

8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself (further still…) by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 

Roman crucifixion was the most horrific, most torturous form of death imaginable.  If I went into all the details now, some of you would be sick.  

But the horrors of physical death were not all Jesus experienced for us on the cross… He also acted as our substitute, bearing the wrath of God which our sins had earned. 

• Isaiah 53:4-6, 10-11 “Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows…He was pierced for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities…The Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.”

• Mark 10:45 “The Son of Man came… to give his life as a ransom for many.”

• Matthew 26:28 “This is my blood… poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.”

• Romans 5:9 (ESV): 9 Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God.

• 2 Corinthians 5:21 “He made him who knew no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”

9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 

In our study through the Ten Commandments, we learned that God’s ‘name’ in scripture represents His entire character and status.  By saying Jesus was given the ‘name that is above every name’, Paul is saying that Jesus has the absolute highest status in the universe. 

And that truth is made manifest in verses 10 and 11: 

10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. 

Notice, Jesus’ humility resulted in his exaltation.    

The same is true for you and I, by the way. 

• 1 Peter 5:6 (ESV): 6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you,

• Matthew 23:12 (ESV): 12 Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.

• James 4:10 (ESV): 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.

Now…that is a lot of really important theology about the humility and exaltation of Jesus. 

But what I want to show you is that this is not theology just for the sake of theology.

This is theology for the sake of life transformation.  What we really believe about Christ changes everything about how we behave.  

In verse 12, Paul uses this understanding of Christ, and His humility, as the basis of our sanctification.

12 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, 

As we look at Christ and take in all He’s done for us, we should be propelled towards a transformed life. 

And lest we think our transformation is our own work, Paul is quick to add:   

13 for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure. 

Notice the paradox: we must work; and it is God doing the work.  We must exert effort; yet it is ultimately God in us, not our own strength, that is accomplishing the results.  And the results are that our wills and our actions are transformed.   

And he continues… 

14 Do all things without grumbling or disputing, 

Back to the unity theme… 

Why are we to be unified, and do things without grumbling or disputing?  

Here is the product of unity: 

15 that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, 16 holding fast to the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain. 

The product of unity is missional effectiveness. 

We must be unified because it is mission-critical.  

People are living in the darkness. They need the light of Christ.  And a prerequisite of shining that light the way God intended is unity.    

Now, we know that as Paul was writing these words, he was facing possible execution under Rome as he wrote this letter.  So he adds… 

17 Even if I am to be poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrificial offering of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all. 18 Likewise you also should be glad and rejoice with me.

He’s basically saying, “whatever the outcome, what I really care about is that you are making progress in your faith”.

Consider the big arc of Paul’s message here. 

It is so valuable for us today. 

He pleads with us to be unified.  It is mission critical.  The stakes could not be higher.  

The pathway to unity, predictably so, is humility.  

The way to humility is not to simply try harder to be humble… it is to be enamored by Christ’s example, and overwhelmed by Who He is and what He’s done for us.

• 2 Corinthians 3:18 (ESV): 18 And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit. 

He is our precedent. 

And the product of unity through humility through focusing on Christ…  is effectiveness in our eternally significant mission… 

When we gaze upon our glorious Savior who gave it all up and humbled Himself to reach us, how could we not humble ourselves, focus on serving others rather than ourselves, and let go of our egos for the sake of reaching the world.