One Mind, One Accord
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If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies, Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.
So as we close out a successful year here at VBC I want to introduce our new theme for 2024.
One Mind, One Accord in 2024.
I think this is very fitting for us seeing as we have really grown in unity this past year.
We have seen just a sweet peace among the breathren here and I want to continue that in 2024.
With the world being so divided, it is comforting to know that here at VBC we are unified with one mind and we are in one accord.
Tonight, before we get into the business part of our vision service, I wanted to just real briefly look at our theme and hopefully give us some encourangment as we go into 2024.
So, first we need to see where Paul is coming from when he writes what we have deemed to be the second chapter of his letter to the church at Philippi.
All of chapter 1 was about being in unity with Christ.
Here in Chapter two Paul starts out by saying “If there be therefore any consolation in Christ”
Paul is saying Since we are to be in unity with Christ, which should be an encouragement to you, you should be unified as one.
In this text, it should be noted that the word “if,” which appears four times in this text, does not mean a possibility but a factual condition and should be understood as “since.”
Paul lists out a few things in verse one that Enable us to be Unified
1. The Enablement for Unity
1. The Enablement for Unity
(Philippians 2:1)
a. The Encouragement of Love.
a. The Encouragement of Love.
“Comfort of love” (Philippians 2:1).
Love brings encouragement. The Gospel introduces us to a love unknown by the world. The redeemed are inspired and comforted by this love to live godly lives.
b. The Empowering by the Holy Spirit.
b. The Empowering by the Holy Spirit.
“Fellowship of the Spirit” (Philippians 2:1).
The Holy Spirit comes to dwell in one who has believed and empowers him to live a life that corresponds to the Gospel.
c. The Empathy of Compassion.
c. The Empathy of Compassion.
“Bowels and mercies” (Philippians 2:1).
Believers are endowed with a compassion the world does not have.
This enables believers to behave better.
This enables us to love better
This enables us to understand better
2. The Exhortation for Unity
2. The Exhortation for Unity
v. 2
a. Be One in Thought
a. Be One in Thought
“Be likeminded,..”
Paul wanted them to think the same way.
v.5 Paul says, “let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus.”
If they would think alike they would place others before self.
b. Be One in Love
b. Be One in Love
“Having the same love,..”
And if they think the same, think like Christ, they will love like Christ.
c. Be One in Spirit
c. Be One in Spirit
“of one accord,..”
Paul tells them that if you think the same way as Christ, and love the like Christ, you will be One in Spirit with Christ.
instead of a hundred souls in a hundred persons,
they had but one soul incarnate in a hundred bodies.
d. Be One in Purpose
d. Be One in Purpose
“of one mind.”
Paul tells them that if you think the same way as Christ, and love the like Christ, you will be One in Spirit with Christ and if they have these things, they will all act with one purpose.
You wont have two or three doing one thing and two or three doing something else, you will all be doing the same thing because you are all doing it for one purpose.
Philippians (Exposition) of Charles Spurgen
Dogs Fighting Each Other Instead of the Wolves
Preaching Themes: Church Fellowship and Unity, Conflict
Philipp Melancthon mourned in his day the divisions among Protestants, and sought to bring the Protestants together by a parable of the war between the wolves and the dogs: The wolves were somewhat afraid, for the dogs were many and strong, and therefore they sent out a spy to observe them. On his return, the scout said, “It is true the dogs are many, but there are not many mastiffs among them. There are dogs of so many sorts one can hardly count them. As for the most of them,” said he, “they are little dogs, which bark loudly but cannot bite. However, this did not cheer me so much,” said the wolf, “as this, that as they came marching on, I observed they were all snapping right and left at one another, and I could see clearly that though they all hate the wolf, yet each dog hates every other dog with all his heart.”
I fear it is true still, for there are many who snap right and left, followers of Jesus too, when they had better save their teeth for the wolves. If our enemies are to be put to confusion, it must be by the united efforts of all the people of God—unity is strength.
Paul would have all God’s people to be unanimous; he wanted them think alike—that is the precise interpretation of the Greek—
he wanted them hold the same views, receive the same truth, contend for the same faith.
He wanted them to be as much alike in heart as in head.
They were all to be found in the same love,
not some loving the rest, but each loving all, and not even a single person exempted—every soul flaming with the sacred fire.
He wanted them knitted together in every sacred enterprise,
being of one accord, or as the Greek has it, of one soul;
He wanted all of God’s people to be fused into one race, made to love each other, with a pure fervent heart.
By this may we tell whether we are becoming like our Lord in unity.
One mind, One Accord in ‘24. That is what we want to be and by Gods grace that is what we will be!