Our Gospel lesson text this morning is also from Philippians Starting in chapter 4 verse 2 and going all the way to verse 3 That's on the next page and probably regardless of what Bible you're using You know that I you've been around a while You know I prefer to preach on larger passages Because I lead context is very important. Yeah, we're at the end of the book of Philippians here and We've got the context all behind us and so Paul makes the statement in these couple of verses that is is just It's a summary of all this stuff that he has been talking about Through the rest of the rest of the books. That's appropriate for us to look at these two verses and to connect these two verses up to the rest of the book of Philippians Philippians chapter 4 starting in verse 2. This is God's word eternally true. I Plead with you out here and plead with Syntarchy to agree with each other in the Lord Yes, and I ask you loyal Yoke fellow help these women who have contended at my side in the cause of the gospel along with Clement and the rest of my fellow workers whose names are in the book of life Here ends our reading. Let us not respond and thankfulness to the Lord. You have a response printed for you in your bulletin the word of the Lord Let us pray I got in our father. This is indeed your word inspired by you at the pin of the Apostle Paul Teach us by it by your spirit grant us understanding Jesus preached to us This message you saw fit to put in scripture not just for the Philippians during Paul's day But for us to we have system christening You ever get a gift at Christmas. Maybe you got a gift this Christmas where it didn't fit It's some so clothing or maybe some shoes or or hat or something and it didn't fit and What do you have to do? Well, you if you like it you can Hopefully find that the store where it came from and maybe that person has a gift or seat or maybe the person the store has a good exchange Holstein you can just exchange it for something else That's just like it and different size or or when you go back and to exchange it Maybe you could get something all together different. Maybe you got some pants and you really need a shirt or whatever Because the thing that you got didn't fit Paul talks about this morning something that doesn't fit With the gospel Something that doesn't fit with being a Christian because it doesn't fit It's to be Paul says taken back and exchanged for something else What doesn't fit with the gospel and the Christian is this what Paul talks about arguing Arguing if you like to fill out blanks you can you can start now the first one is arguing doesn't fit with the gospel Arguing doesn't fit with the gospel now. We should define arguing as Paul uses it here. He doesn't Well, we'll get there. He doesn't meet all forms, shapes and sizes of not being one-to-one and agreement with somebody He he means it in a certain a particular way Paul speaks of arguing and as he does he considers its effect
Talks about arguing is disputing over a matter to the point of having bad feelings toward the other person perhaps to the point of a breaking fellowship with the other person or to the point of Even avoiding the other person because of the words that have been spoken the key here in arguing is the idea of a broken relationship We can see that as we look at this passage
Arguing to the point of a broken relationship either partially broken Little feelings hurt here or there or broken all together Some kind of division or disunity remaining because of the argument put another way The arguing about which Paul speaks is and here's what you've got in your your bulletin here sinful arguing disputing over a matter especially in a way that harms That harms the relationship Paul speaks of arguing is disputing over a matter especially in a way that harms the relationship between the two people We'll hear about this in a little bit Harming a relationship with a brother or sister in Christ Harm of relationship is the sinful component of arguing Paul also speaks about arguing in terms of its content And Paul speaks against arguing about non-gospel matters. He wants us to recognize what's important and what's not important what we need to argue to the death about and what we don't and there are a whole lot of things We need to argue to the death about and that's why we say here. He's talking about not arguing about non-gospel matters Not to do that. We don't want to argue about what kind of Cheese we like best or what kind of pizza toppings That we have or what kind of microwave popcorn is the best if it's going to harm the relationship If it's a non-gospel issue Paul says let it go Let it go. Don't argue to the point of harming your relationship The Paul is not afraid and does not shy away from Confronting people when they're wrong about the gospel Paul did that with Peter We read about it in Galatians 1 Peter had been messing with the gospel message and It'd been communicating something about it by his actions Which was not true about the gospel and so Paul confronts Peter and even tells about it Paul is not saying here. Don't care about gospel matters We do care about gospel matters. Paul is saying keep truth. That's your blank keep truth certainly keep truth But don't cause division Keep truth but don't cause division don't damage relationships with your brother or sister in Christ over non-gospel matters over your opinions In the church get along and love each other Love God says to us through Peter covers a multitude of sins and Also covers a multitude of opinions that other people have that don't agree with your opinions Now this is not saying that you can have you can't have friendly guests with your friends about What kind of pizza toppings you like or various things like that? My perfect pizza is is pepperoni anchovies green peppers and red peppers don't make that face
Which is horrid to everybody nobody likes that maybe my dad and brother like that We should get anchovies on our pizza when we're growing up the the guys would get anchovies and My mom and sister would get the non anchovies half so if you ever see me and and I have the opportunity to order for pizza that I am I and I alone are going to eat that's what I'll get on my pizza I did this summer when I was a G.A. I got a personal pizza my family wasn't there. No one else had to eat this thing I got anchovies red and green peppers and pepperoni. It was awesome We can get each other about these things and you can come up to me and say green peppers Yeah, and I'll say to you in no way. Yeah, I'll say you're missing out and that's all right I was talking I remember several years ago with Lance Canterbury and Lance said something to me like Everybody's different and I think it's our differences That make us interesting and if everybody was just the same I think life would be kind of boring and I think it's a biblical perspective first cranking 14 talks about that world different world gift to differently Well different opinions were all from different places have different likes and dislikes and all that kind of thing that makes us interesting And it makes life interesting You heard probably a lot of jokes recently with all the the cloning stuff going on about the people that we would not like to be cloned And And this is getting at this point. There's a certain enjoyment and a proper celebration that we have with everybody being Different everybody having something different to offer a different slice of things Summary don't argue especially when the effect is damaging the relationship with a brother or sister in Christ And especially when the content is non-gospel Now why does arguing not fit the gospel? Why is arguing like a a shirt that we get at Christmas time. That's too small or too big Well, first of all Paul says arguing doesn't fit the Christian who has the gospel because He says don't argue the gospel unites us together Don't argue because the gospel the gospel's effect is that it unites us together the gospel's unifier If we think about the nature of arguing There's this unity That's why there's an argument because the two people aren't unified in what they think or what they believe and So arguing doesn't fit in with the gospel person it doesn't fit in with the church Because by nature arguing shows this unity and got the gospel brings unity
Why don't we argue as believers? Why does the lack of arguing Paul says and in what Bob read for us this morning chapter two verses 14 through 16 Why is arguing a sign that we're not a child of God? Paul says do everything without arguing or complaining so that you may become so that you may prove yourselves Blameless and cured children of God Paul puts this together as part and parcel with being a Christian Part and parcel with the church is that we're not arguing and we're not complainers Why does Paul do this? Because Paul has been arguing through this whole book that the gospel brings unity Not disunifying arguments Paul writes that the gospel is unified as chapter one verse five Says we have a partnership a fellowship a sharing together our coinnonia in the gospel
Verse seven same chapter chapter one verse seven. He says we share in God's grace with each other Chapter two verse one. He says we are united together with Christ Chapter three verse 21 He says that we will all be united together joined together in the resurrection when all said and done We're all together being resurrected receiving our glorified bodies together. We share in the gospel. We share in Christ It makes us will be resurrected together We'll be with each other in heaven and the new Jerusalem It makes no sense for us to be disunified This thing this thing called the gospel is something we all share and we all have a part in it We're unified because we share in the gospel. That's your blank. If you want to fill that out We're unified because we share in the gospel. We share in Christ Himself Therefore we really are unified more than our Relationships whatever show in fact We are unified because we share in the gospel in fact. We're unified because we share in Christ So God first of all says to us arguing doesn't fit the Christian who has the gospel because The gospel unites us together. So don't argue Secondly God says to you arguing doesn't fit the gospel doesn't fit the Christian who has the gospel because the gospel is the end of arguments That's for point two the gospel is the end of argument. So don't argue Paul and chapter two verses 14 and 15 you can look there He says do everything without complaining or arguing So that you may become blameless and pure children of God Why are children of God not? Arduers Why is Paul so concerned about Eodia and Sintiki? Why is he so concerned that they agree with each other in the Lord chapter four verse two? Why does he plead with them with great emotional intensity? How can not arguing be a characteristic so closely tied to being a Christian will the answer is this? God says they're not arguing is so closely tied to being a Christian because not arguing is so closely tied to the gospel Not arguing is so closely tied to the gospel the gospel message itself What is the gospel message we'll look at it in two different ways and two angles both of which are true The gospel's first of all the message that your argument with God that's your blanks your argument with God is over Your argument with God is over. We can summarize the gospel by saying that Your argument with God is over God had an argument with you and You with him God had an argument with you and you with him God said I created you I gave you birth I caused your your heart to be I give you breath in your lungs
Therefore it's appropriate to obey me God says to do it when I ask in the research frame from doing what I forbid That's reasonable and appropriate on our end. We don't do that God says I have a righteous Beef with you you've earned my anger you've earned my wrath We on the other hand say Either nah, I don't agree that we owe that to anybody. It's God or we say well I do agree, but I'm not gonna do I'm not gonna do it. I'm not gonna do everything God says for me to do I'm not gonna refrain from everything God says for me to refrain from and therein lies the argument but in Christ and the gospel God in the argument God in the argument he gives us eyes to see and understand that he was right He did make us he does give us every heartbeat He does put breath in our lungs. We do owe him all obedience and that is proper and reasonable for him to expect from us Also in Christ and the gospel God has given us new hearts hearts to the cease from being angry at him for asking us to do as he wants us to do In addition God the Father on his end is it has extinguished his rightful anger his wrath against us for our disobedience How did you do this? He did this by placing our disobedience our sins on His son Jesus on the cross and he punished his son Jesus for our sin for our disobedience So all the wrath all the anger God had on his end of the argument has been expended upon Christ and He has no more anger left to expend on anyone who believes Because all the anger for all their sins has been expended upon Jesus And so God has ended the argument The argument between us and God is over. That's the gospel. There is now not an argument. There is now peace Between God and us not argument between God and us not division between God and us not the sentient between God and us and the gospel There's peace now because God has made it God has brought about peace between him and his people. He's brought about like-mindedness What she pleads for with Eodian and Sintiki which he tells us to have in Philippians 2 once through 4 The argument is over God through Paul and all through this letter has been pounding the point that our lives are to reflect To reflect the truths of the gospel Paul has been explaining to us what the gospel is what the gospel is what the gospel is What the gospel is and then Paul says act like this gospel act like Jesus acted in accomplishing the gospel act according to the truths of the gospel message as Paul's method He wants us to reflect the truths of the gospel That as he wants the gospel to show through in our lives So when Paul writes in in chapter 2 14 through 16 that not arguing with each other is proving that we are Christians Proving that we are children of God. He's saying that we That just as God intended his argument with each just as God ended his argument with each Christian So each Christian ends his argument as well The gospel means God's argument with us and our argument with him is over That's the gospel God says live this out Inger arguing Inger arguing and ending our argumentative ways we the church show forth to the world with the gospel's about That God is into this argument with all of who believe Because this is true. We don't argue with each other And the gospel arguing is extinguished Extinguished between us and God and extinguished between us and each other The gospel will affect is that arguing is over So in chapter 4 verse 2 Paul pleads with Eodia and Seneca to agree with each other in the Lord arguing doesn't fit the gospel he says Loyal Yoke fellow whoever that was somebody there at Philippi help these women come along alongside them get them together So that they can agree with each other in the Lord because this agreement between them that is causes the vision doesn't fit the gospel It makes no sense in the church if you argue you two Paul says The gospel is not being demonstrated to the world in you and the church has become just like every Thing else in the dark black sky of the world the church is not arguing it's its mode of operation a bright shining light in the dark sky So Paul says as he goes on in chapter 2 of verse 14 through 16 He says by not arguing by not complaining we shine his stars What's he saying the world is is a dark sky of arguing and complaining? But Christians in the world are to be like sharp stars shining in the darkness How do we shine by not arguing by not complaining? So Paul says understand the gospel for if you do you will not argue to the point of causing division Understand the gospel for if you understand it you will not argue to the point of causing division the gospel is the end of argument for him who believes Not by arguing Paul says by not arguing you will preach the gospel to the world around you in your actions So secondly arguing doesn't fit the Christian who has the gospel because the gospel is the end of argument Thirdly God says to you don't argue the gospel is caring About and loving others over self Don't argue because the gospel is caring about and loving others over self The good news the gospel is that God Sir blank God has cared about and love us his people in Christ Christ Jesus left the comfort of heaven to come and rescue us from the wrath of God that was against us because of our sin And as Paul pointed out in the bookings to this was Jesus looking not to his own personal interests but to our interests our interests in eternal life Jesus didn't have to die in a cross for his own eternal life He didn't have to come to earth to do anything to live eternally He was eternal. He is eternal He didn't have any penance to pay or any penalty to pay for himself to enjoy Being in heaven penalty to pay for himself to enjoy Being in heaven for eternity. He didn't the only reason he came was for us He cared about us He loved us And that's why came Just as Paul points out in the bookings to Jesus sacrificed That's your blank sacrifice himself for our sake for us for our benefit. He came to earth to live his life for us That's your other blank Jesus lived his life for us And that's what we're to do Paul contends through Philippians. He says we are to live our lives in this pattern We are to live our lives in this pattern in this pattern Philippians 317 Paul says join with others and following my example brothers and Take note of those who live live according to the pattern. We gave you What's the pattern the pattern of Christ living his life for others? What's the pattern the pattern of Paul living his life for the Philippians and others? What's the pattern pattern of Timothy living his life for the Philippians? what's the pattern, the pattern of the Paphroditus, living his life for the Philippian brothers and sisters. Live your life for others. That's the pattern that I've showed you. Live this pattern. Take note of others who follow in this pattern because you can trust those folks. We're to live our lives on earth for the sake of others in there. To consider others is better than ourselves, chapter 2, verse 3. So how does this relate to arguing? You know, it's easy to make a case that the whole book of Philippians is written against this one verse here, verse 2. You can make a whole case that the whole book of Philippians is written to have impact and import on the argument between Eodia and Sintiki. The whole book can aim itself if you read the whole book of Philippians and answer the question and ask the question of each verse. How does this relate to Sintiki and Eodia's argument? Their answers all through the book. Paul is demonstrating what parts of the gospel mean that we don't argue and that we don't have divisions. How does this relate to arguing that Jesus lived his life for us, that Paul lived his life for others? Well, it's important to note that a non-gospel matters. They can be discussed in an argued and an offensive or in a non-offensive way. A non-defensive discussion on differences is done with adjusting and humor and smiles and all that kind of thing. There's love, there's enjoyment in the differences. There's a high concern for the relationship. You know, I can't show these, but there's an offensive way too. That conversation is a conversation that's done with a lack of love or with a seriousness instead of just. Perhaps with perturbment about the differences and with a lack of adequate concern for the relationship. And when kidding about these non-gospel matters, about these differences in opinion is done without a concern for the relationship then, the non-gospel matter can bring about division, which is sin.
Such seems to be the case with Eodia and Sintiki in our passage this morning. If we were over a gospel matter that they had to dispute Paul would have hit it head on like it did with Peter, but he doesn't even address the issue that they're arguing about. This is a non-gospel matter, he just says, get along, it doesn't fit the gospel for you to be divided in arguing.
So if you see that in your jest and expressing differences and opinions is starting to cause damage to your relationship with that person, just assist. That's your blank, assist or quit. Quit asserting your opinion immediately before the damage is done in the relationship. The relationship is very valuable, you don't want to damage it for the sake of your opinion.
If you talk to me about World Cup soccer and we start talking about different teams that play, please don't take offense to this and you'll hear the non-offence in a bit. You'll hear that I don't appreciate West German soccer or German soccer now. The style of play they play, I just don't like it very much and I think there are too rough and rough in a way that goes outside of what is legal. But you know what, if I start talking with one of you about this and find out that you're a fan of German soccer or find out that you grew up in Germany at first nine years of your life or something like that. And I see that you start to get hot over this. What do I do? Well, a red flag goes up in my head and I say, you know what, if I continue in this, I might damage the relationship. And so I pull back, I desist. Because my relationship with this brother, this brother not being hurt, is more important to me than whether I prove to him that West German soccer stinks. Now, so what do I do if I see my brother getting hot here? Well, I say, well, you know what, you're right. German soccer is good. They are, they're in the World Cup finals but every other time. And you've heard me say, I don't appreciate their style but nevertheless their style gets them in the World Cup finals about every other time. And what I do at that point is seek to agree with my brother or sister if she's a soccer fan. And that's what I do at some point there so that there's not a damage that's done in the relationship. My brother and Christ, all of a sudden and I are agreeing with each other. As feelings aren't hurt, we don't have a division between us. And if he's thoughtful about the matter, he'll go away from the conversation and he'll say, you know what, John really doesn't like German soccer but he stood there and complimented my team. And I'll realize that I love him and that will encourage my brother even more and bring us even, even more together.
My brother and Christ is more important to me than winning an argument with him. It's more important to me than my opinion about German soccer. That's the principle. It's a gospel principle. The principle we see in Christ as he accomplishes the gospel, that people, that's your blank, that people are valuable. People are valuable. My relationship with my brother or sister and Christ is more important than my opinions.
Never win in your opinion and lose a person. Win the person by dropping their opinion. Think about the other person, not yourself in your own interests, chapter two, verse four. That's what Christ did. Care for the other so much like Christ did for you that you abandoned your own interests and likes and dislikes and desires to lift the other up to encourage him to build him up. This is Yodia and Seneca's problem. They believe that the facts they were arguing about were more important than their relationship together. They were concerned so much about those facts. They didn't care that it was causing division in the church and disturbance in the church. And Jesus and Paul say to this, this idea that the facts and opinions are more important than your relationship, hogwash. Jesus says, hey, you church person, my child. You know that person you're arguing with.
Person that you're hurting for the sake of that argument that you won't abandon. Well, I abandoned my life for his sake. That's how important he is. Your argument on the other hand is not that important. Abandon your argument for his sake like I abandoned my life for his sake. And you know, Jesus says, I died so that you and he could be brothers so that you could love and care for each other. That you could be concerned about being together and sharing in the gospel and rejoicing in that. That you could be concerned about your needs and all. And if you're divided over some matter, you're not going to love and care for each other. And that's what I died for so that you could do that. Care for this child of mine. Jesus says more than care about being shown as right in this argument. So thirdly, arguing doesn't fit the Christian who has the gospel because the gospel is about caring about and loving others over self. That's what Jesus is about. Carrying about us and loving us over his own interest over his own safety. So don't argue. My daughter, Larissa, is in the sixth grade and she's she's starting to grow and and she told me yesterday. I think it's yesterday morning she said, Daddy, look at these pants. She said, I just started to be able to wear these pants late last spring. And now I just I even have to scoot them down a little bit on my waist so that they're long enough so that I can wear them just five, six months, whatever it is later. Remember that those days when you were growing still adults, I'm speaking to you here. You were growing still and and and you're always very concerned about flood pants, weren't you? In that a great term flood pants. Hey, you're ready for the flood, aren't you? Got your pants at. You look down during class or maybe you sat down when you got to school and your pants came up too far and you're like, Oh, no, I've got floods. You go home and you take them off and you never wear them again. Your mom, these are too short.
What God calls us and the gospel to grow up to mature in him. And as we mature as we grow up, some of the things that used to fit won't. They'll be flood pants for us. It does not fit gospel maturity, maturity and Christ to be arguing for arguing, especially arguing into the to the point of causing damage to relationships on non gospel, non essential matters or any matters. It doesn't fit the gospel. Arguing is the pair of pants that's become too short because we've grown. We used to think arguing was great. It was a good thing. Some Christians fail to progress in the gospel and they go their whole lives never learning this lesson. They think the more I can argue intelligently about spiritual things or anything, the more mature I am.
And what Paul says here, what God says to us through Paul here is just the opposite. The more you argue, the more you show you're immature. Matured in Christ, some of the most mature men I know in Christ are men that are the quietest. They've realized they're sin. And they've realized the importance of being united with your brothers, united with your sisters and not arguing. The more mature you are, the less you argue because you've come to understand the gospel and greater and greater deaths. Brothers and sisters, don't be one of these people that never learns this lesson through your lies and thinks that being mature is being able to argue and to distinguish and all those kinds of things. We grow in our depth of understanding certainly but don't be an arguer. You never understand Jesus in his gospel in this way because if you are at all deprived of joy, we'll connect this up next week. You see, starting in verse four, we talk about rejoice that the contrast to arguing. If you do argue, it'll deprive you of joy and it'll make you divisive force in the church. Outgrow arguing. It doesn't fit the gospel. It doesn't fit you as a gospel person. Let us pray. Our father with our sin natures we argue. We argue about all kinds of things. Some that are important, some that aren't important. Sometimes things become important just because we're arguing them and then our pride comes out and our pride is at stake and so we continue to argue. Lord, your pride wasn't a problem but you took the form of a man. And as a man became the servant of all, the most humble, cause us to be humble with our brothers and sisters in Christ, cause us to not be arguing, complaining people but satisfied people, satisfied in you and in your gospel. Help us not to argue realizing that our brothers and sisters are more important than our opinions. Help us not to argue because we realize that we share it together with our brothers and sisters in the gospel and help us not to argue because we realize that your argument with us in the gospel is finished. The gospel is finished. You have ended us through Christ. Help us to reflect these truths in our lives. We ask in Christ name. Amen.