Sermon Tone Analysis

#1 Strive to maintain unity with one another.

V.2 Paul is singling out Euodia and Syntyche, not because they are bad (They contended for the gospel together alongside Paul), but because they were once friends and something has happened, something has disrupted the friendship and thus Paul is calling on them to return to being of “One Mind.”

If you will remember that being of “One Mind” is having the mind and attitude of Christ.

Illustration:

Broken Relationship in the Church.

V.3 Paul also calls on someone to help mediate between the two women.

We are not sure who this individual is, but it was someone who worked closely with Paul.

Potentially Luke.

Luke was not an eye witness to the events in the Gospel that bears his name nor of the events in the book of Acts through 16:8.

However an interesting thing happens in verse 10.

It is what we call the “we” passages.

It is here that we believe that “Luke” joins Paul on his missionary journey.

Acts 16:10 (HCSB)

10 After he had seen the vision, we immediately made efforts to set out for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to evangelize them.

What is also interesting is that those “We” passages take Paul and his companions to Philippi, Then cease until 20:5-6, When Paul returns to Philippi after about 4-6 years of being away.

It looks as though Luke traveled with Paul to Philippi and then was left by Paul there to care for the newly founded church in his absence.

Then rejoining Paul when he returns through town 4-6 years later.

This time would have given Luke intimate knowledge of the church in Philippi.

Acts 20:5–6 (HCSB)

5 These men went on ahead and waited for us in Troas, 6 but we sailed away from Philippi after the days of Unleavened Bread.

In five days we reached them at Troas, where we spent seven days.

So it is very possible that Paul is addressing Luke in this letter in v.3.

Remember this letter is being read aloud to the church as they are gathered.

So the person that Paul is addressing without using their name needs to be someone who was a very close companion of Paul’s, Luke is one of those individuals.

We don’t know who Clement is other than a co-worker of Paul’s.

There is however a reminder to why the church gathers, our salvation.

We gather because we are God’s people.

We gather because He rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and placed us in the kingdom of light.

We gather to worship Him and serve in His great name.

Application:

1.

Is there someone in this church, connected to this church, in the body of Christ that you have a broken relationship with?

Set out to repair that, Involve someone to help you repair and restore that relationship.

2. Remember why we gather on Sundays.

Remember why we gather period.

Because of our Salvation.

This is the single unifying ingredient, the transformative work of God in our lives.

So convinced of the importance of this, and the need for us to gather that this church will never close its doors again.

#2 When suffering comes; Rejoice, Give Thanks, and Pray.

The church in Philippi is feeling some opposition and they are experiencing some persecution and suffering.

Paul calls on them to Rejoice, Give Thanks, and Pray.

Again Rejoice not in yourself, or something else, but in the Lord.

Rejoice in your salvation.

Even amidst the suffering, opposition, and persecution he calls them to be gracious and give thanks.

What a comforting reminder that in all the suffering, God is Near!

God’s attribute of Omnipresence means that God is at all times in his fullness in every bit of space.

So even in your deepest darkest of days the full presence of God is there with you.

Illustration:

Man drowns waiting for God, but rejecting help.

How often we forget the truth that God is right there, and we fail to cry out to him for help.

Even in the person of Jesus we see that Jesus is never far off when he is needed, but is instead right where he needs to be to be able to immediately help the one in trouble.

Application:

When you experience suffering:

1. Rejoice in the Lord, for he has rescued you from the dead.

2. Maintain an attitude of gratitude as you endure suffering.

3. Pray, take your worries and troubles to the throne of God.

#3 Dwell on Jesus.

Illustration:

What you listen to influences your heart.

What you hear is what you say.

Music - HS

Application:

What kind of things are you dwelling on?

What things are you giving thought space to?

Are you acting on the things you have recieved from scripture and have seen imitated in other Godly men and women?