The Book of Philippians (Study 8)
HOW TO GET ALONG WITH EACH OTHER
Philippians 2:1-4

1. Mark Twain once said, "I built a cage and in it I put a dog and a cat. After a little training I got the dog and the cat to the point where they lived peaceably together. Then I introduced a pig, a goat, a kangaroo, some birds, and a monkey. And after a few adjustments, they learned to live in harmony together.  So encouraged was I by such successes that I added an Irish Catholic, a Presbyterian, a Jew, a Muslim from Turkestan, and a Buddhist from China, along with a Baptist missionary that I captured on the same trip. And in a very short time there wasn't a single living thing left in the cage."

2. How sad it is that many churches instead of majoring in communion are often muddled in contention. Many churches are like the cartoon I once saw that showed two sections of a congregation sitting with their backs to one another and each facing a sidewall. The preacher is in the pulpit and he is saying, "Its come to my attention that there's been a split in the church."

3. In the opening verses of chapter two, Paul speaks of believers getting along with each other. He desires to see unity and harmony among believers and tells how we can get along with each other.

4. Jesus said in John 13:35, "By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another." Jesus was saying that the one thing that would give credibility to the message, was the unity of the messengers. As believers it is important that we get along with each other. It is important because division and strife hurt the credibility of our witness for Christ and the ability of our work for Christ.

5. You are most likely to be familiar with the "Andy Griffith Show." The first episode was the one in which Sheriff Taylor invited his Aunt Bea to come and live with Opie and him. Opie had a hard time accepting her. Andy tried to help the situation by taking Aunt Bea fishing and frog catching with them. But Aunt Bea failed miserably. She finally deciding that is not going to work out, so she decides it is best if she leaves. The morning Andy is taking to her to the bus station, Opie runs down the stairs and says, "We can't let her go, Pa. She needs us. She can't catch frogs, take fish off the hook, or throw a football. We've got to take care of her or she will never make it."

6. Whether you realize it or not we need each other. The truth is, we can't make it without each other. For that reason, it is imperative that we learn how to get along with each other. Notice what Paul has to say about getting along with each other.

1. THE ADVANTAGES THAT DEMAND HARMONY!

1. Notice verse 1, "If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies." Paul speaks of the advantages or the blessings that are enjoyed by a harmonious people. There are 4 "Ifs" in verse 1 that distinguish four advantages of harmony. Paul says, "If these things are to be experienced and enjoyed, believers must get along with each other."

A. The Consolation of Christ.

1. He says, "If there be any consolation in Christ." The word "consolation" speaks of "encouragement, comfort, and cheer." The ideal is of someone standing with you to help and strengthen you. If we are to experience this help and encouragement as a group of believers, harmony is essential.

2. We need each other's support, but even more we need His strength. There are the battles of life and the burdens of life that necessitate His help and encouragement. Division and discord deprives us of this work of Christ.

3. How blessed it is to gather with a body of believers united and dwelling together in harmony. It is a place where Christ is exalted and most of all experienced. There we experience His consolation.

B. The Comfort of Love.

1. He also says, "If any comfort of love." We need the comfort and consolation of a spiritual family that loves us and cares for us. In the dark, distressing, difficult hours of life, we need those who will be there for us and with us. We need the shoulder of our spiritual family to cry on and lean on.

2. When our spiritual family is getting along with each other, we find among them people that will stand with us, pray for us, and hold us up. A harmonious people are a helping people.

B. The Communion of The Spirit.

1. He says, "If any fellowship of the Spirit." Nothing grieves the Holy Spirit anymore than division and discord. A people fussing and fighting never enjoys the presence of the Spirit.

2. Paul said in Ephesians 4:30-31, "And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:"

D. The Compassion of Others.

1. Finally, "If any bowels and mercies." Today the heart is spoken of as the seat of emotions. Yet, in Paul's day, the bowels were considered the seat of emotions. Paul is describing an act of affection and kindness by the part of one for another.

2. In a united and harmonious people you will find those who deeply care about you and reach out to you. Yet this is always missing in a people of discord. They are more concerned about themselves than they are others.

3. Paul say's "IF." If these wonderful matters are to be enjoyed and experienced, harmony is a must. These are the advantages of harmony. These are matters that demand that we get along other. These are blessings that we miss if we can't get along with each other.

1. THE ADVANTAGES THAT DEMAND HARMONY!

2. THE ACTIONS THAT DEVELOP HARMONY!

1. Notice verse 2, "Fulfill ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind." If these things are to be enjoyed and experienced, then we must fulfill certain things. The word "fulfill" literally means to "fill full." We must fill out life full of the things that promote and develop harmony.

A. There Must Be A Common Motive.

1. Paul spoke of being "likeminded" and "being of one accord, of one mind." The ideal is that of thinking the same thing. When he tells us to think the same thing, he is not suggesting that we must never disagree over something.

2. As you know, there are times that we disagree about certain matters. Politics is one good example. That's why there is more than one party. You have Democrats and Republicans. People disagree about political ideologies.

3. We don't always see things the same way and at times there are misunderstandings among us about certain matters. I heard about a woman that answered the knock at her door and found a destitute man standing there. He wanted to earn money by doing odd jobs, so she asked, "Can you paint?" "Yes," he said, "I'm a pretty good painter." "Well, here's a gallon of green paint and a brush. Go behind the house and you'll see a porch that needs repainting. Be very careful. When you're done, I'll look it over and pay you what it's worth." It wasn't more than an hour before he knocked again. "All finished," he reported with a smile. "Did you do a good job?" she asked. "Yes, but lady, there's one thing I'd like to point out to you. That's not a Porsche back there. That's a Mercedes."

4. When Paul spoke of being likeminded, being of one accord, and one mind, he was speaking of a common purpose and cause that brings us together. The words "one accord" mean "one - souled." We may all have our different political preferences, and we may all have our favorite teams, and we may all have our differences in hobbies and interests, but the one common bond that develops harmony is our relationship to Christ and His purpose in this world.

5. The analogy of a wagon wheel is the best description I have ever heard. The hub represents Christ and the spokes represent each believer. The closer we get to the hub the closer we get to each other.

6. We may think different about many things but the one thing in which we should be likeminded is the Lord Jesus Christ! We should be likeminded on winning people to Christ and doing His work as a people and Church.

7. We are somewhat like an orchestra. One plays a violin, another the cello. One plays a brass instrument and the other a woodwind. Not all are playing the same note, but all are playing the same composition. There are different parts but all are under the direction of the conductor and there is one score that unites and brings harmony to all.

8. Having a common motive develops harmony. Living with the same goal in mind helps people get along with each other. Christ is our conductor and all eyes are on Him. What He directs us to do is the matter that unites us and makes us likeminded, in one accord and in one mind.

9. Now you could only imagine what would happen if a handful of the orchestra said, "I don't care what the conductor wants. He wants us to play Mendelssohn's 'A Midsummer Night's Dream.' But I'm going to play Bach's 'Concerto for Two Violins and Strings in D minor.'"

10. When people are not likeminded you have discord. Yet when people are likeminded, have the same motive, and you have harmony. That which pulls us together is our relationship to Christ.

B. There Must Be A Constant Ministry.

1. In verse 2 we see that we are to have "the same love." Now to understand what Paul meant by the same love, we have to define love. When we think of love of usually think of how we feel. We think of our emotions and feeling for someone.

2. But love as described in the Bible is more than words that say, "I love you," but works that show "I love you." Many times our love is no more than words. Often we are like the fellow who called his girl friend: "Darling, I love you. I'd climb the highest mountain for you; I'd swim the deepest stream for you; I'd fight a jungle of lions for you; and if it doesn't rain, I'll be over to see you tonight."

3. The love that Paul described is a love that results in actions and ministry to others. It is a love that ministers to others. It is a love that is best expressed by our feet rather than our lips.

4. T.S. Rendall said, "Love always comes to visibility." Love is an action, not just an attitude.

5. Paul is telling us that love in action and love that ministers to others is how harmony is developed. Can you imagine the harmony that would be experienced among a group of people and in a Church if that group or Church was constantly reaching out and ministering to each other.

6. Several years ago the Mayo Clinic performed an experiment that illustrated the value and virtue of love. They took a healthy dog that belonged to one of the medic, put him to sleep, and broke one of its legs. After resetting the bone, a cast was placed on the leg. Instructions were given that no one should show affection to the dog after he awakened. Water and food were placed nearby, but no one smiled or spoke to the dog. The dog refused to eat and drink. Gangrene set in and the dog became dangerously ill. Again, the doctors put the dog asleep, treated the affected area, and gave new orders to treat the dog kindly when it awoke. They found that when they showed affection and gave their attention to the dog that it began to improve rapidly.

7. There are those who need our love and affection. It is as we reach out to them in love that healing is experienced. If there is to be harmony we must have the Lord as our motive and love as our ministry.

1. THE ADVANTAGES THAT DEMAND HARMONY!
2. THE ACTIONS THAT DEVELOP HARMONY!

3. THE ATTITUDES THAT DESTROY HARMONY!

1. Notice verses 3-4. "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." Just as there are certain actions that will develop harmony, there are certain attitudes that will destroy harmony. Paul speaks of that which is destructive and that which is constructive.

A. Living Selfishly.

1. Paul speaks of "strife" and "vainglory." The word "strife" speaks of "selfish ambition." It describes someone who only thinks of themselves. The word "vainglory" means, "to make good impressions." It describes someone who makes great claims for himself by putting everyone else down.

2. One lady arrived to church late for a service and waiting outside in the vestibule for a convenient time to slip into the service. After listening for to the preacher for a few minutes, she asked an usher standing at the door "Who is that in there preaching?" The usher said, "I don't know, but he sure does recommend himself highly."

3. Someone has said that the man who lives for himself is engaged in very small business. There are those who live only for themselves. They like to think of themselves as important and as indispensable.

4. Someone has said that the mental cases most difficult to cure are those people who are crazy about themselves. There are none so empty as those who are full of themselves. Those who live for themselves are those that live in vain. Selfish living.

B. Living Selflessly.

1. Paul said, instead of living for self, "let each esteem other better than themselves Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others."

2. In Physics there is what is known as Centripetal force and Centrifugal force. Centripetal force moves inward with everything directed toward the center. Centrifugal force moves outward with everything directed toward the circumference. When we look at our own things and live selfishly we live centripetally. But when we look on the things of others we live centrifugally.

3. When Paul spoke of esteeming others better than themselves he is not saying that PhD's should defer to freshman, Elders to novices, Parents to children, Generals to sergeants, but is speaking of an interest in promoting others, encouraging others, and caring for others.

4. There are some things in which one is better than others. But the ideal is that we want to make others and see others better than ourselves. We should shout over the achievement of others, not pout. Paul is talking about living selflessly not selfishly. Selfish living is destructive to harmony. Selfless living is constructive to harmony. This is how we can get along with each other.

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