SERIES: Philippians: Cheerful Sounds from a Jail Cell
Removing Obstacles; Releasing Power (or Godly Mulch for a Church Plant)
SPEAKER: Michael P. Andrus
Introduction: My mind thrives on structure. Perhaps as a result of a graduate degree in logic, I have a difficult time dealing with things that don’t seem to fit. I’m working on a remodeling project at home, and my wife will tell you that I drive her nuts because everything has to fit perfectly. It may take me three times as long to get a job done as anyone else, but when I’m done, it has to fit.
What does that have to do with Phil. 4? Only that I struggled a bit with this text because the various instructions and exhortations Paul offers don’t seem to fit together as previous portions of the Book of Philippians have. But of course, he’s only writing a letter, and as most of us do when we’re winding down a letter, he touches briefly upon a number of concerns without devoting an entire paragraph to them.
I realize, of course, that the items broached here are no less important because they are not tightly structured. “All Scripture is God-breathed and profitable.” However, being addicted to structure, I looked for a common denominator that would in some way tie the passage together, and I have opted for this: “Removing Obstacles; Releasing Power.” In some way each of the items Paul addresses here involves the removal of an obstacle to spiritual growth and power, and the substituting of that which enhances growth and power.
I also came up with an alternative title, “Godly Mulch for a Church Plant.” I guess what generated the idea is that mulch is just a bunch of random vegetation particles that only produce value when lumped together to hold moisture around a tree or plant. Paul is committed to nurturing the church he planted in Philippi, and these somewhat random notions will accomplish that when followed.
The first issue the Apostle addresses today is …
Restoring unity (2-4)
Do you realize that the Bible does not ask us to create unity in the church; that’s not our job. Jesus Christ created unity among believers when He broke down all barriers between Jew and Gentile, slave and free, male and female, through His death on the cross. All we are asked to do is to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. When we fail to do that and the unity is broken, there is the need to restore it, and that is the subject addressed beginning in verse 2: “I plead with Euodia and I plead with Syntyche to agree with each other in the Lord. Yes, and I ask you, loyal yokefellow, help these women who have contended at my side in the cause of the Gospel.”
Apparently these two women, who have been unfairly nicknamed Odious and Soontouchy, had developed some kind of disagreement. When I first came to Wichita in 1975 to pastor First Free there, a beautiful new building was already underway. It included a very spacious kitchen and fellowship hall. I distinctly remember that at the very first Christian Education Board meeting I attended, two of the ladies got into quite a donnybrook over whether the new kitchen should be locked or left open. One argued that it belonged to the whole church and we should make it available to everyone. The other argued that it would be a constant mess and silverware would be missing if it were not locked up. In fact, she didn’t even want to give the pastor a key!
Now there was something instructive about this particular dispute. Both of these women were hard workers in the church. They had poured significant energies into the planning of the kitchen, as well as into the general life of the church. I was not dealing with two people sitting on the sidelines, taking potshots at the church. Nor was Paul. Notice, if you will his affirmation that “these women have contended at my side in the cause of the Gospel.”
Perhaps a rather common dynamic was at work here. It is not unusual for people to assume ownership of something they have poured their lives into. And that’s fine to a point. But when that sense of ownership goes too far and they begin to assume that ownership means always having their own way, trouble lies ahead.
This is especially true in church planting. I have been involved in the planting of dozens of churches, some as a member of the church planting committee, others as pastor of the mother church, and now in St. Louis as first pastor. In nearly every case, tension has developed at some point as the people who sacrificed so much to get the work started were called upon to begin turning over some of the tasks and ministries to gifted people who came later.
The difficulty was not that they were unwilling to involve others so much as it was that they had a very solicitous attitude toward the work. They had put so much into the ministry and feared the new leaders might not be quite so concerned about the church’s welfare. It was not unlike the case of a new mother having to leave her infant with a babysitter for the first time.
I suspect that something of this dynamic was operating in Philippi, and that Euodia and Syntyche, part of the original fellowship, were coming down on opposite sides of some issue stirred up by rapid church growth.
But Paul is more interested in solving disagreement than in discussing it.
Solving disagreement in the church
1. What the principal parties should do, that is Euodia and Syntyche themselves: “agree with each other in the Lord.” Notice this comes in the form of a plea, not a command, and it is a plea offered twice, “I plead with Euodia and I plead with Syntyche.” Paul is consummately fair with people, and he knows that if he only said “plead” once, the woman named first might take some offense, so he makes sure that both are treated the same.
“To agree with each other” is not necessarily to see the issue identically. The dispute may have been a very legitimate issue that was a sincere difference of opinion. Paul would not want either of them to compromise their convictions. But he does want them to “agree with each other in the Lord.” I think the implication is that they must have spiritual agreement, agreement in attitude.
2. What the spiritual leaders should do is also addressed, and this is very important. “Yes, and I ask you, loyal yokefellow, help these women.” Paul is not averse to mobilizing the resources of the church to solve the dispute. I wish I knew who this unnamed leader was, but we are not told. He was apparently one of Paul’s comrades or associates in the work, a man of influence, and a man of extraordinary tact.
Often when there is disagreement in the church it is not possible for the differing parties to work it out on their own—they’re too close to the situation, too emotionally involved. So, the spiritual leaders should help them by providing a referee, a third party who can listen to both sides.
I have been involved in arbitrating disputes on several occasions. Sometimes we have been successful, sometimes not. I recall one that involved two couples. One couple was publicly claiming the other couple was demon-possessed. We sat them down for several hours, listened to all sorts of charges and countercharges, solved some of them, and then finally asked if they were willing to consider forgiving their hurts and allow God to bring about healing. The one couple said “Yes”, but the other said “No,” they could never be friends again. Well, with an attitude like that even spiritual leaders couldn’t help, and the one family ended up leaving the church.
Now before completing our comments on “restoring unity,” I want to say a word about …
Naming names in the church. How many pastors today would have courage to name a couple of ladies from the pulpit and plead with them to get their act together? Or two men, for that matter? Of course, I notice that even Paul did it in a letter, not in person. It takes courage to confront, but sometimes it’s necessary. Fortunately, I don’t have anyone to name today, so relax.
But there’s something else about names in verse 3. Having commended Euodia and Syntyche for contending at his side in the cause of the Gospel, Paul similarly commends Clement and “the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life.” It was an honor for Clement to be named in this letter, but there’s something far more important than having your name mentioned in a letter, or found on the membership rolls of a church, or listed on a plaque in the narthex—it’s having your name in the book of life. That’s the only place it really counts. Is your name there? You really don’t need to wonder about it. The book of life is the book that God keeps, and names are placed there in indelible ink as individuals receive Jesus Christ as Savior.
So, the first concern Paul addresses in his effort to remove obstacles and release power in the church is restoring unity. The second is …
Rejoicing in Christ (5)
Tired yet hearing about rejoicing? This is at least the tenth time we have been confronted by it in this summer study in Philippians. And this is his strongest statement yet about rejoicing: “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!”
Who is this addressed to? Well, clearly to all of us, but perhaps especially to Euodia and Syntyche. A Christian who is rejoicing in the Lord is not so likely to be nitpicking with his fellow Christian as they were.
What is the meaning of “rejoicing?” As we have noted before, it is not a synonym for happiness, for happiness is almost entirely dependent upon circumstances. Joy is rather a supernatural delight in God and in His goodness. Every Christian virtue has its counterpart (actually counterfeit) in the world. The world has sex; Christians have love. The world strives for security; Christians have trust. The world seeks self-gratification; Christians know peace. The world seeks happiness; the Christian has joy.
Paul is in prison awaiting almost certain death when he writes these words. There is very little happiness to spread, but he can never lose his joy, because he can never lose Jesus.
When should the believer rejoice? “Always.” There is no trial, trauma, or difficulty that can legitimately interfere with the Christian’s joy.
Restoring unity, rejoicing in Christ, and third, …
Responding with sweet reasonableness (5)
Verse 5 reads, “Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.”
The attitude that is called for here is summed up in a word that is translated differently in almost every version. It is a very rare word in Greek and is difficult to capture in one word in English. Among the various translations besides “gentleness” are patience, softness, modesty, magnanimity, forbearance, and bigheartedness. But careful analysis of the word indicates that “sweet reasonableness” may be the best translation of all. A person has this quality if he knows when not to apply the strict letter of the law and when to relax justice and exercise mercy. It is a warning not to be unduly rigorous about unimportant matters.
This, of course, is quite different from compromising our doctrinal beliefs or our moral standards. He is merely saying that those who profess the name of Christ should be a bit bending in their attitudes, especially where other Christians are concerned. They should not be inflexible, rigid, and doctrinaire.
Think about some of the practical applications of this principle. Take parenting and marriage. Some people, men especially, tend to be very rigid in their responses to spouse and children. They have this authority complex that compels them to boss everybody else around and crack heads. The Scriptures urge instead sweet reasonableness.
Or take our dealings with fellow believers in the church. The Church is a volunteer organization, and sometimes volunteers don’t act too responsibly. Sometimes their attitude is poor. And there’s a tendency to “tell them off.” The Scriptures instead urge sweet reasonableness.
The Apostle turns then from the attitude to the evidence.
The evidence demanded must be public and consistent. “Let your gentleness be evident to all.” It won’t do to be sweetly reasonable just with people we like or who are like us. Nor is this a private virtue. Sweet reasonableness must be obvious in all of our dealings with people.
Third, he deals with motivation.
The motivation is, “The Lord is near.” That could mean that the Lord is nearby, watching your behavior. But it is much more likely that it refers to the nearness of the Second Coming. Paul believed that Jesus could come at any moment, and he apparently expected Him to come during his lifetime. The fact that He did not, nor has yet come, would not have created a theological problem for Paul because his personal focus was on being ready whenever it happened.
Now the fourth and final suggestion Paul makes as a means to removing obstacles so as to release power is …
Replacing anxiety with prayer (6-7)
Let me open the exhortation about prayer in verses 6 & 7 with an observation. It is easier to talk about prayer than it is to pray. It is easier to preach about prayer than it is to pray. It is easier to attend seminars about prayer than it is to pray. It is even easier to pray about prayer than it is to pray. By that I mean all of us have at times prayed, “Lord, help me to be more faithful in my prayer life.” The Enemy doesn’t mind such prayers, just so long as you don’t follow through by actually praying.
By the way, what is prayer? It is simply talking with God, and as such it is the exclusive privilege of God’s children. As far as I can tell from the Bible, the only prayer of a nonbeliever that God listens to is the sinner’s prayer. Still, I am astounded how frequently I hear from people who are rather obviously unbelievers that they pray. I wonder sometimes who they are praying to and why they are expecting to be heard, because Romans 5:2 makes it clear that access to the Father is granted only when one puts his faith in Jesus Christ. Prayer is the means by which God’s children speak to theirFather.
Prayer is also the Christian’s antidote for anxiety, and that is the theme of this text. He begins with a prohibition.
The prohibition. “Do not be anxious about anything.” Now before we go any further let’s please note that we have just read a command of Scripture. It doesn’t say, “Please give serious consideration to getting rid of anxiety in your life,” nor does it say, “Do not be anxious about anything except the major traumas of life.” It simply and unambiguously says, “Do not be anxious about anything.”
!ith no fear of contradiction, I know that I am talking to a congregation full of sinners, mostly redeemed sinners, but sinners nevertheless. And if I knew of no other high crimes and misdemeanors practiced by individuals in this Body, I do know we have a goodly number of worriers. The tragic fact about worry is that so much of it is directed toward things only imagined. I learned recently that a survey on worry indicated that only 8% of the things people worried about were legitimate matters of concern! The other 92% were either imaginary or involved matters over which they had no control anyway.[i] Like the weather. What in God’s heaven can be accomplished by worrying about the weather?!?
Now, mind you, there is a difference between anxiety and concern. Paul is not asking us to be so laid back about life that we adopt a “comme ci, comme ca”
attitude. A certain tension in life can actually be healthy—it helps us stay on our toes and accomplish more than we can if completely relaxed. But we are not to fret, to stew, to be anxious.
It would be very hard for us to accept Paul’s prohibition if it weren’t for his exhortation which follows:
The exhortation. “But in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” Don’t fret about anything; pray about everything. There is nothing too great for God’s power and nothing too small for His Fatherly concern. A lady once asked G. Campbell Morgan, “Do you think we ought to pray about even the little things in life?” Dr. Morgan, in his typical British manner, replied, “Madam, can you think of anything in your life that is big to God?”
There are four elements of prayer offered to us, represented by the following four terms: prayer, petition, thanksgiving, and requests.
The term “prayer” is the most general term for communicating with God. It includes the ideas of adoration, devotion, and worship. Too often we rush into His presence and hastily tell Him our needs, when we ought first to offer our adoration.
The second term, “petition,” refers to an earnest sharing of our needs and problems. There is no place for half-hearted, insincere prayer! While we know we are not heard for our “much speaking” (Matt. 6:7-8), still we realize that our Father wants us to be earnest and persistent in our asking.
The reference to “thanksgiving” is interpreted by some to mean that we should thank God for the answers even before they come. Frankly, I fail to see that as a biblical approach to prayer. Certainly, we can thank Him that He has heard us, for He has promised to hear us, but I think it is a bit presumptive to pray, “Thank You that You have already granted my request.” I think Paul exhorts us to pray “with thanksgiving” because reminders of His faithfulness in the past are instrumental in trusting Him in the present and future.
The final term, “requests” in the NIV, refers to definite, specific desires, not vague generalities. Prayers like, “Lord, bless the missionaries, guide and direct us, give us journey mercies,” are probably not worth the breath it takes to say them.
Leonard Ravenhill has written, “The church has many organizers, but few agonizers; many who pay, but few who pray; many resters, but few wrestlers; many who are enterprising, but few who are interceding. In the matter of effective praying, never have so many left so much to so few.” [ii]
The prohibition and the exhortation are followed by …
The Promise. “And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” One might have expected a different promise to be attached to the exhortation of verse 6, like, “Pray about everything and God will grant your requests.” But that is not what it says. “Pray about everything and the peace of God will replace your anxiety.” You see, our prayers are often in error, and unwittingly we often pray for things that are not good for us. God does not promise to give us these things. However, He does promise a supernatural peace to those who share their hearts with Him. In fact, that peace will “guard” our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. The term “guard” is a military term and must have had special meaning for the Philippians whose city was a Roman military garrison. God’s peace actually protects us from the pitfalls that the Enemy has placed all around.
Daniel provided a wonderful illustration of peace through prayer when he was faced with the prohibition to pray to anyone except the king. He went to his room, opened his window, and prayed as before. In fact, it says he “prayed and gave thanks before His God and made supplication.” Maybe he had been reading Philippians 4. And the result was supernatural peace in the midst of a rather difficult situation. He was able to spend the night with a pride of hungry lions in perfect peace, while the king in his palace was unable to sleep.
Praise God that there is a supernatural peace from God, a peace which cannot be understood; all we can do is marvel at it. You see, it is one thing for a person whose cancer has been arrested to say, “I am so thankful to God;” that is praise that delights us. But for a person who is dying of cancer, incurable and in pain, to say, “Everything is all right. The Lord doesn’t make mistakes. I have peace in my heart.”–-that is the kind of peace that passes all understanding.
For a person whose child is rescued from a near drowning to give God the glory is edifying and encouraging. But to hear a parent whose child has died say, “God’s grace is sufficient. I know I will see my child again.”—that is a peace that passes all understanding.
For some here this morning life is a veritable hurricane right now. There may be all kinds of trouble coming down around you and you don’t see any way out. Let me suggest that the best thing you can do is not try to escape but to find the calm in the eye of the storm. There is light and peace with Jesus Christ, no matter how dark and violent things appear. And you can enter the eye of the storm through prayer.
Conclusion: Are there some obstacles that need to be removed from your life today—disagreement with a fellow-believer, a negative attitude about circumstances, a rigid, unyielding sense of justice, a spirit of anxiety? God is willing to take those away and replace them with unity, rejoicing, sweet reasonableness, and peace. The result will be power released in your life. Let’s ask God to do it for us.
DATE: August 28, 1988
Tags:
Unity
Conflict
Rejoicing
Anxiety
Prayer
[i] Walter Cavert, cited by Warren Wiersbe, Be Joyful, 116.
[ii] Leonard Ravenhill, Why Revival Tarries.