Philippians 2:3-4 (NKJV) Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.
In the above Scripture, Paul advocates for unity. What was happening in the church of Philippi was an example of members causing discord through their attitudes and actions. The church there was more concerned with its prestige, selfish ambition, and was drawing members away rather than fostering unity within the local church. They were highly opinionated without reason or basis and had an attitude about almost everything. Some of them thought they were superior to the others, and as a result, they were unable to work in harmony. There was spiritual pride among some believers. Pride is the opposite of humility. It is very subtle, and begins with murmuring about the style of teaching, practices, and even the different social strata within the congregation. If such issues are not effectively managed, they will eventually destroy the church. While many mainstream denominations were born out of a revival, others branched out due to church splits.
It is never pleasant to deal with issues in the church and make difficult decisions, but the Apostle Paul had to address some of the problems in the church of Philippi. It is never a good feeling to know that the church you have planted is divided. Nobody wins in a divided church except the enemy, who wants the church to be in strife and divided, rendering it ineffective for the kingdom of God. Nothing can be achieved when a church is divided, as it will lose its witness and effectiveness in the city. Therefore, the house must be put in order before any church can be an effective witness in society.
The church is made up of imperfect people, and it takes time to grow spiritually. It takes time to renew our minds to think like Christ and not let our carnal nature have the better of us. If Christians refuse to grow, they will remain as carnal Christians forever, and the fleshly nature will have ascendancy over the new creation.
1 Corinthians 3:3 (NKJV) for you are still carnal. For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men?
We can easily be proud, opinionated, and critical towards leadership, and judge their decisions and how the ministries are being run. The church is filled with people from diverse backgrounds, cultures, denominations, and practices, as well as various liturgical traditions. Let us avoid falling into the same trap as the church in Philippi by focusing on the commonalities rather than the differences!
Sermon Series：Unity in Diversity (ServeFest 2025)
同心合意的重要性
腓立比书 2:3-4凡事不可结党，不可贪图虚浮的荣耀；只要存心谦卑，各人看别人比自己强。各人不要单顾自己的事，也要顾别人的事。
在这段经文中，保罗极力倡导教会的合一。腓立比教会当时的光景，正是信徒因态度和行为导致分裂的实例。那里的教会过分关注自身威望，存着自私的野心，不是在地方教会中促进合一，反而使会众离心离德。他们常常毫无理由地基於主观意见，对几乎所有事都抱持对立态度。有些人自以为比别人优越，结果就无法和谐同工。某些信徒中存在属灵骄傲——骄傲正是谦卑的反面。这种骄傲十分微妙，往往从抱怨教导风格、教会惯例，甚至会众中不同的社会阶层开始。若不能有效处理这些问题，最终将摧毁教会。许多主流宗派虽诞生于复兴运动，但也有不少是因教会分裂而产生的。
处理教会问题并做出艰难决定从来不是令人愉快的事，但保罗不得不直面腓立比教会的诸多问题。亲手建立的教会陷入分裂，这种感受实在痛心。在分裂的教会中，除了那企图让教会陷入纷争分裂、以致无法为神的国发挥功效的仇敌之外，没有人是赢家。当教会分裂时，任何事工都无法推进，不仅失去见证力，也在城市中失去影响力。因此，教会必须先整顿内部，才能在社会中作有效见证。
教会由不完全的人组成，属灵成长需要时间。我们需要时间更新心意以拥有基督的心肠，不让属肉体的本性占据上风。若基督徒拒绝成长，就会永远停留在属肉体的阶段，让老我性情支配新造的生命。
哥林多前书 3:3因你们仍是属肉体的。你们中间有嫉妒、纷争，这岂不是属肉体、照着世人的样子行吗？
我们很容易陷入骄傲，对领导层抱持主观意见和批判态度，质疑他们的决策和事工运作方式。教会聚集了来自不同背景、文化、宗派和礼仪传统的人。让我们以腓立比教会为鉴戒，专注於共同点而非差异！
讲章系列：ServeFest 2025—在多元中合一
Image Source：pixabay.com