Sermon Tone Analysis

I COULD HARDLY BELIEVE WHAT I WAS WITNESSING.

IF YOU WOULD HAVE TOLD ME THIS STORY, I WOULD HAVE PROBABLY NEVER HAVE BELIEVED IT.

BUT I WAS THERE.

I SAW IT HAPPEN.

I WAS MAKING MY WAS THROUGH THE K-MART PARKING LOT AS A TEENAGER IN SOUTH FLORIDA.

IT WAS VERY CROWDED AND YOU HAD TO TAKE YOUR TIME IN ORDER TO FIND A SPOT. ALL OF A SUDDEN I CAME TO A COMPLETE STANDSTILL.

TWO CARS WERE BACKING OUT OF SPOTS IN THE SAME TIME FROM OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS.

AT FIRST I THOUGHT, “OH NO, THERE’S GOING TO BE AN ACCIDENT.”

BUT AT THE LAST POSSIBLE MINUTE THE TWO DRIVERS SAW EACH OTHER AND STOPPED.

I THOUGHT, “WHEW, THAT WAS CLOSE.”

I EXPECTED ONE TO PULL UP AND LET THE OTHER BACK OUT FIRST, BUT THE TWO CARS JUST SAT THERE, THEIR DRIVERS GLARING AT EACH OTHER, MAKING GESTURES FOR THE OTHER TO MOVE.

I THOUGHT TO MYSELF, “THESE LADIES HAVE LOST THEIR MINDS,” AND FOUND A WAY TO BACK OUT AND GO TO ANOTHER AISLE TO LOOK FOR A SPOT. AFTER A FEW SECONDS IT BECAME QUITE APPARENT THAT THIS WAR OF THE WILLS COULD GO ON INDEFINITELY.

FINALLY ONE DRIVER GOT OUT OF THEIR CAR AND STARTED WALKING TOWARDS THE OTHER CAR.

NOT TO BE OUTDONE THE OTHER DRIVER GOT OUT AS WELL.

WHAT FOLLOWED WAS A HEATED ARGUMENT OVER WHO HAD THE RIGHT OF WAY.

WHEN I FINALLY PARKED AND MADE MY WAY INTO THE STORE, THEY WERE STILL ARGUING THEY PROBABLY WASTED TEN MINUTES ON A PROBLEM THAT COULD HAVE BEEN SOLVED IN FIVE SECONDS IT SOMEONE WOULD HAVE BEEN WILLING TO GIVE INTO THE OTHER.

THE ABSOLUTE RIDICULOUSNESS OF THIS SITUATION IS REAL EASY TO CRITICIZE WHEN SOMEONE ELSE IS IN INVOLVED, BUT WHEN WE ARE ARGUING FOR OUR RIGHT OF WAY WE OFTEN DEVELOP AN ACUTE NEARSIGHTEDNESS.

WHEN SOMEONE ELSE ARGUES A POINT THEY’RE JUST BEING STUBBORN; WHEN WE ARGUE A POINT, WE ARE STANDING FOR A PRINCIPLE.

AND, THE CHURCH IS NOT IMMUNE TO STUBBORN WILL AND DIVISIVENESS.

AND USUALLY THE DIVISION COMES OVER SOME GREAT DOCTRINE OF THE FAITH SUCH AS CARPET COLOR, PULPIT SIZE, AND OF COURSE, THE STYLE OF MUSIC YOU SING.

THAT IS A LIGHTENING ROD OF CONTROVERSY.

THE SAD TRUTH IS THAT, WHILE WE DEBATE TRIVIA, THE WORLD IS RACING ITS WAY TOWARDS HELL.

WHEN WE DO MANAGE TO GET OUR MESSAGE OUT ONCE AND A WHILE, ITS TRUTH IS SUBVERTED BY THE VERY DIVISION WE ALLOW.

THE ONLY LIMIT THERE IS TO WHAT GOD CAN DO THROUGH HIS CHURCH IS THE LIMIT WE PLACE ON HIM THROUGH OUR OWN DISUNITY.

WE HAVE A GREAT CHURCH HERE AT PEACE.

THERE ARE SOME TRULY WONDERFUL CHRISTIAN PEOPLE WHO WANT TO REALLY DO SOMETHING FOR GOD.

I SENSE THAT RIGHT NOW OUR CONGREGATION IS PLATEAUED; I SENSE THAT WE ARE WAITING TO CATCH THE NEXT WIND FROM HEAVEN THAT WILL PROPEL US INTO THE NEXT MILLENNIUM WITH A NEW VISION AND A NEW CONFIDENCE IN GOD.

WE FACE A BUILDING PROGRAM AND PAYING FOR A FACILITY THAT WILL BE STATE OF THE ART IN EVERY WAY, BUT WILL PROBABLY HAVE THE PRICE TAG TO PROVE IT.

WE FACE A CHALLENGE OF A CRUMBLING HOME STRUCTURE THAT THREATENS TO UNDERMINE OUR SPIRITUAL HEALTH AND DESTROY OUR CHURCH.

DO YOU REALIZE THAT 66% OF ALL MARRIAGES TODAY END IN DIVORCE?

WHAT DOES THAT SAY FOR THE CHURCH LEADERS OF TOMORROW.

WE FACE THE CHALLENGE OF A PROSPEROUS SOCIETY THAT IS ALWAYS CALLING US TO MORE MATERIALISM INSTEAD OF GREATER SPIRITUALITY AND DEEPER RELATIONSHIPS.

IN THE FACE OF THESE AND OTHER CHALLENGES THE ANSWER TO WHETHER WE HANDLE THEM, OR THEY HANDLE US MAY BE AS SIMPLE AS WHETHER WE HANDLE THEM TOGETHER

WHEN IT COMES TO THE SUBJECT OF UNITY, I WOULD SAY OUR CHURCH IS MUCH LIKE THE CHURCH PAUL ADDRESSED AT PHILIPPI.

THE CHURCH AT PHILIPPI WAS PROBABLY ONE OF PAUL’S FAVORITE CONGREGATIONS, AND WHEN IT CAME TO UNITY, THEY WERE CERTAINLY BETTER THAN AVERAGE, BUT PAUL DID NOT TAKE THEIR UNITY FOR GRANTED.

LITTERED THROUGHOUT THIS FRIENDSHIP LETTER OF PHILIPPIANS, YOU FIND PAUL URGING THE THEM TO BE UNIFIED; TO HAVE ONE MIND, TO HAVE THE SAME LOVE.

PAUL RECOGNIZED THE DANGER OF DIVISION.

WHENEVER HE SENSED DIVISION HE WENT AFTER IT LIKE A BEAGLE ON A RABBIT TRAIL.

HE SNIFFED OUT DISUNITY AND ATTACKED IT LIKE THE GREAT THREAT IT IS.

I WANT US TO LOOK AT ONE OF THESE PASSAGES TODAY, FOR IN PHILIPPIANS 2:1-4, PAUL TELLS US HOW WE CAN ACHIEVE UNITY IN OUR CHURCH.

HE GIVES US 3 DISTINCTIONS OF THE CHRISTIAN LIFE THAT SHOULD GUARANTEE OUR UNITY.

READ WHAT HE SAYS: (READ TEXT HERE)

THE FIRST DISTINCTIVE THAT GUARANTEES OUR UNITY IS OUR COMMON EXPERIENCE.

WE CAN BE UNIFIED IF WE SHARE A COMMON EXPERIENCE.

NOTICE THAT FIRST VERSE.

IN IT PAUL GIVES US IN A NUTSHELL SOME OF THE GREATEST BLESSINGS OF THE CHRISTIAN LIFE.

NOW THE CONSTRUCTION IN MANY BIBLES READS LIKE AN “IF-THEN” CLAUSE.

“IF” WE HAVE THIS, “THEN” WE SHOULD DO THIS, BUT THAT IS NOT EXACTLY RIGHT.

IT SHOULD READ “SINCE WE HAVE THIS, THEN WE ARE ABLE TO DO THAT”.

SO YOU WOULD READ VERSE ONE LIKE THIS: “SINCE WE HAVE CONSOLATION IN CHRIST, SINCE WE HAVE THE COMFORT OF HIS LOVE, SINCE WE HAVE THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE SPIRIT, AND SINCE WE HAVE GREAT AFFECTION AND MERCY, THEN FULFILL MY JOY BY BEING LIKE MINDED, ETC.”

NOTICE TO THE BLESSINGS PAUL MENTIONS HERE: CONSOLATION IS SIMPLY ENCOURAGEMENT AND REFRESHMENT.

HE PICTURES JESUS HERE AS A TALL GLASS OF ICE COLD WATER ON A 100 DEGREE DAY.

THE CONSOLATION OF CHRIST BRINGS REFRESHMENT IN OUR SOULS.

THE SECOND BLESSING IS THE “COMFORT OF LOVE”.

COMFORT HERE GIVES US THE IDEA OF BEING CALLED TO ONE’S SIDE.

IT IS THE PICTURE OF A MOTHER CALLING HER DISTRAUGHT CHILD ASIDE, STROKING HIS HEAD, AND REASSURING HIM THAT EVERYTHING IS GOING TO BE OK.

THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE SPIRIT SPEAKS TO OUR RELATIONSHIP TO EACH OTHER.

IT IS SHARED INTIMACY.

THE GREEK WORD IS “KOINONEA” AND IT PICTURES OF GROUPS OF PEOPLE WHO KNOW EACH OTHER INTIMATELY, ENJOY EACH OTHER COMPLETELY, AND LOVE EACH OTHER DEEPLY.

THE LAST BLESSING PAUL MENTIONS IS THAT OF “AFFECTION AND MERCY”.

IN THE OLD KING JAMES ENGLISH IT SAYS “BOWELS”.

THAT IS A GREEK WORD THAT LITERALLY MEANS “KIDNEYS”.

THE TRANSLATORS LOOKED FOR THE DEEPEST ORGAN IN THE HUMAN BODY THAT THEY COULD FIND TO SHOW US THE DEPTH OF MERCY AND EMOTION THAT A RELATIONSHIP WITH CHRIST BRINGS TO OUR LIVES.

NOW THIS IS THE KIND OF RELATIONSHIP THAT YOU AND I ENJOY AS GOD’S CHILDREN: IS IT FULL OF THE REFRESHMENT OF GOD, THE COMFORT OF HIS LOVE, THE INTIMACY WE ENJOY WITH HIM AND OTHERS AND THE DEEP EMOTIONAL ATTACHMENT WE HAVE TO HIM AND HIS CHILDREN.

WHEN WE SHARE A RELATIONSHIP LIKE THAT, WE HAVE A GREAT FOUNDATION ON WHICH TO BUILD UNITY!

AND THAT IS PRECISELY THE POINT: THE SCRIPTURE HERE SAYS THAT SINCE WE HAVE THIS KIND OF SHARED RELATIONSHIP, WE SHOULD PURSUE UNITY.

AND HE USES SEVERAL TERMS TO DESCRIBE THE UNITY WE ARE TO PURSUE.

HE CALLS IT LIKE MINDEDNESS: THAT DOES NOT MEAN THAT EVERYONE HAS THE SAME OPINION, BUT THAT EVERYONE HAS THE SAME GOAL.

OUR METHODS MAY DIFFER BUT OUR MISSION IS THE SAME.

NOW IF YOU WANT TO UNDERSTAND THE MISSION OF THE PHILIPPIAN CHURCH, ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS LOOK BACK AT VERSE 27 OF CHAPTER 1. THERE PAUL SAYS THAT THEY SHOULD “STAND FAST IN ONE SPIRIT, WITH ONE MIND, STRIVING TOGETHER FOR THE FAITH OF THE GOSPEL”.

OUR MISSION IS TO REACH THIS WORLD WITH THE GOSPEL.

WE MAY NOT ALWAYS AGREE OF HOW IT SHOULD BE DONE, BUT THERE SHOULD BE NO DOUBT ABOUT THE MISSION.

WE CAN BE LIKE MINDED.

BUT HE ALSO SAYS WE SHOULD BE OF “ONE ACCORD”.

THAT WORD LITERALLY MEANS “ONE-SOULED”, SO THAT AT THE DEEPEST LEVELS OF OUR BEING WE HAVE BEEN UNITED BY OUR MUTUAL EXPERIENCING OF GRACE AND MOLDED TOGETHER IN THE HEAT OF PERSECUTION INTO THE INSEPARABLE AND UNDIVIDED BODY OF CHRIST.

WE CAN BE UNITED IF WE SHARE A COMMON EXPERIENCE OF GRACE.

I NEVER UNDERSTOOD WHAT THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT.

I ARRIVED HERE IN WILSON IN FEBRUARY OF 1993 AND ALL ANYONE COULD DO WAS TELL ME HOW MUCH I WAS GOING TO ENJOY CAMP LAPIHIO.

THEN THEY PRECEDED TO TELL ME WHY: FIRST THERE WERE THE SHOWERS TAKEN IN FILTHY LATRINES AT THE END OF A GARDEN HOSE SPOUTING ICE-CUBES.

THEN THERE WERE THE INSECTS: HORSE FLIES THAT COULD CARRY OFF BIG DOGS AND SMALL CHILDREN; MOSQUITOES ABLE TO CAUSE ANEMIA WITH A SINGLE BITE.

AND OF COURSE THERE WERE THE SNAKES.

I BEGAN TO WONDER WHAT IT WAS ABOUT THIS PLACE THAT MADE IT SO SPECIAL.

I MEAN, I HAD BEEN TO CAMP BEFORE AND I NEVER DEVELOPED SUCH A NOSTALGIA FOR PRIMITIVE LIVING.

BUT THEN I EXPERIENCED IT FIRST-HAND.

IT WAS JUST WHAT THEY SAID: HOT, STICKY, AND PRIMITIVE, BUT WHEN I CAME BACK I WAS JUST AS SOLD ON THE CAMP AS THEY WERE, BUT MAYBE NOT FOR THE SAME REASON.

WHAT I OBSERVED THERE WAS THAT AS WE ALL WENT THROUGH THE HEAT TOGETHER, AND SWATTED MOSQUITOES TOGETHER, THERE BEGAN TO DEVELOP IN THAT CAMP A WONDERFUL SENSE OF UNITY.

IT PRODUCED A UNITY THAT NO AMOUNT OF SERMONIZING EVER COULD.

IT WAS A UNITY THAT CAME FROM A COMMON EXPERIENCE.

THAT IS WHAT THIS PASSAGE IS TALKING ABOUT: WE HAVE A COMMON EXPERIENCE IN CHRIST AND, WHEN IT IS FULLY UNDERSTOOD, AND FULLY EXPERIENCED IT PRODUCES A UNITY THAT NOTHING ELSE CAN.

BUT I KNOW WHAT YOU MAY BE SAYING: IF THE CHRISTIAN EXPERIENCE IS SO UNIFYING WHY DO SO MANY CHURCHES SPLIT?

NOW THAT IS A GREAT QUESTION, AND I AM SURE THAT IT MAY HAVE MANY ANSWERS, BUT I BELIEVE I KNOW ONE OF THEM: IT IS BAILEY SMITH THAT SAYS (AND I AM NOT SURE OF THE EXACT STATISTIC) THAT WELL OVER HALF OF THE CHURCH MEMBERS SITTING IN THE CONGREGATION TODAY AREN’T EVEN SAVED!

THEY MAY THINK THEY ARE, AND THEY MAY INSIST THAT THEY KNOW GOD, BUT IF THEY DIED TODAY THEY’D MISS HEAVEN!

NOW MY PURPOSE IS NOT TO DEBATE THAT TODAY, BUT DOESN’T IT MAKE SENSE THAT ONE OF THE REASONS THERE IS SUCH DISUNITY IN MANY CHURCHES IS THAT WE ARE SPIRITUALLY TRYING TO MIX “OIL AND VINEGAR”.

WHEN YOU ADD TO THAT THE NUMBER OF BELIEVERS THAT ARE WALKING FAR FROM GOD, IT IS NO WONDER THAT THERE IS OFTEN DISHARMONY.

BUT IF THAT DESCRIBES THE PROBLEM, WHAT IS THE SOLUTION?

IT IS TO SIMPLY MAKE SURE YOU REALLY KNOW GOD, NOT JUST IN SOME EXPERIENCE THAT HAPPENED 20 YEARS AGO BUT THAT YOU INTIMATELY KNOW HIM NOW.

THAT YOU ARE ENJOYING HIS CONSOLATION, YOUR ARE EXPERIENCING THE COMFORT OF HIS LOVE, THAT YOU ARE INTIMATELY RELATED TO HIM AND TO HIS CHILDREN.

THAT KIND OF EXPERIENCE FORMS THE FOUNDATION OF UNITY.

A CHURCH THAT IS CONSISTENTLY EXPERIENCING THE GRACE OF CHRIST WILL BE A UNIFIED BODY!

BUT THERE IS ANOTHER DISTINCTION THAT GUARANTEES THE UNITY OF THE BODY OF CHRIST.