MOTIVATE

Conflict is exciting. I know that may sound unusual or even unhealthy, but here me out.

• Books are mostly boring, setting the stage for tension and trouble, which needs resolved
• Movies are memorable when there’s adventure and battles 
• Animal life requires struggles before they transform or train into a beautiful butterfly
• Even human life and relationships don’t grow deeper until you overcome difficulties;
  maturity comes from adversity

Today we look at Scripture to understand how our faith informs our relationships, especially those within the church.

• We are Christ Followers,
  • where confident hope in every problem remains bc God is faithful to work good in every circumstance. Paul was in prison, but the gospel unleashed and advanced.
  • where joy is not based on circumstances but obedience to Jesus;
    “To live is Christ and to die is gain.”  Php 1:21
•  We are Church Members
  • The greatest job and highest calling of any Christian is to be a church member.
  • On earth, Jesus’ primary work is building His church (Mt 16:18)
  • Christians are living stones (1Pet 2:4), no longer strangers but fellow citizens (Eph 2:19-20), and to have God’s fingerprints in our life means we must be in fellowship with God’s body.
  • Xianity gives us faith AND family, bc can’t be devoted to Jesus & dismiss His bride.

• “Give yourself to the Church. You that are members of the Church have not found it perfect and I hope that you feel almost glad that you have not. If I had never joined a Church till I had found one that was perfect, I would never have joined one at all! And the moment I did join it, if I had found one, I should have spoiled it, for it would not have been a perfect Church after I had become a member of it. Still, imperfect as it is, it is the dearest place on earth to us… All who have first given themselves to the Lord, should, as speedily as possible, also give themselves to the Lord’s people. How else is there to be a Church on the earth? If it is right for anyone to refrain from membership in the Church, it is right for everyone, and then the testimony for God would be lost to the world![1]

EXAMINE    Philippians 4:1-9

“Therefore, my brothers, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm thus in the Lord, my beloved. I entreat Euodia and I entreat Syntyche to agree in the Lord. Yes, I ask you also, true companion, help these women, who have labored side by side with me in the gospel together with Clement and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life. Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.”
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3 principles for how faith informs relationships

Faith requires us to pursue gospel identity.

• ¹ my beloved, you whom I love and long for, my joy and crown
  • God’s love declares us accepted w/o performance
    3:7 whatever gain I had, I counted loss for sake of Christ
  • Love always changes a person, but only godly love transforms from inside out.
    • Outside-in love based on what you do for others, changing feelings
    • Inside-out love based on secure peace and unqualified grace
  • Paul’s aim for relationships was for eternal joy and crown – στέφανος ‘wreath’ awarded to the victor in the ancient Olympic games.^[2] Our boast in eternity will not be material possessions but friends saved by grace in Jesus (1Thes 2:19; Php 2:16; 1Cor 15:58).  
          
• ¹ stand firm in the Lord
  • Amid challenging circumstances, Paul exhorts them to stand firm with gospel identity.

    *ID = name     *Entity = who owns you, Lord     *Only gospel makes dent  
  What’s the entity that owns you? (cf 1Cor 6:20)

• Make sure you are standing firm in faith side by said with Jesus and His body (Php 1:27) – like deep tree roots twisted together underground.
  
  

> Stand firm by frequently repenting (Gal 5:1 “keep standing firm and do not be subject to a yoke of slavery; Christ has set us free”) & readying the armor of God each day (Eph 6:13)  
 

Faith requires us to pursue common comfort.

• ² I plead with Euodia and I plead with Syntyche to agree with each other in the Lord.
• Issue wasn’t likely theological or moral since Paul was never shy to rebuke.
• Issue was likely relational, with Paul not taking sides but urging παρακαλῶ = comfort.
• Not every disagreement has to be a disaster or division
• Conflict can be destructive or constructive.
  • Destructive when sides are self-focused and stubborn. The differing sides view the other as rival rather than relationally.  
  • Constructive when sides approach each other relationally with a common comfort – – – > names are in the book of life
• We can win arguments but lose people.
  Make it a goal to be a peacemaker (principled) w/o being a peace-faker (pretending) 
• Understand difference between open handed (compromise) vs closed handed (confront) issues. And remember to attack problems not the person.
• Unity ≠ sameness but common comfort – – – > why we’re to Member vs Dismember
  
  

Not every disagreement has to become a disaster or moment to divide. We must discern how to win conversations without losing relationships. Blessed are the peacemakers.

Tweet

• ³ true companion (ESV) loyal yokefellow (KJV) genuine partner (CSB) help these women
  Whoever this individual was, he was to squash any gossip & promote peacemaking.

• Not every friend will be a Christian; but every friend will influence you.
  • Christian friends still need accountability – frequent “one anothering”
  • Non-Christian friends need you to be trustworthy & testifying in cause of gospel

• Agreement and joy in the Lord doesn’t come from perfection but empathy.
  ⁵ Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.

> Church is people. We should do more than strive to be a friendly church but to be a church of friends on mission; /“one anothering.”/ A dark and lonely world needs the light and love of Jesus, and that occurs when the church as people live on mission meeting needs, serving the marketplace – – – being trustworthy & testifying in cause of gospel.

> Courageously speak truth in love.
 If someone approaches you with truth in love, listen w/o being defensive.
Prayerfully, discern how God wants you to respond.
Pr 15:31 “The ear that listens to life-giving reproof will dwell among the wise.”

Faith requires us to pursue soul care.

• ⁴ Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!

Paul’s practical encouragement to overcome relational dysfunction was the healing balm of rejoicing in the Lord. Praise is God’s weapon against His adversaries & any anxiety.

• ⁶ Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer… ⁷ And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds

• The best solution to the struggle and conflicts we have in life is to feed our faith and not our anxiety. There are enough troubles each day to be concerned, but our Creator is sufficient to solve them.
  • Our Heavenly Father clothes the grass of the field, feeds the birds of the air, and the mountains melt like wax before Him.

• Soul care is not merely mystical wishing away our problems. We must do our part to invite the Lord’s presence; having the Spirit inform our perspectives.
  • Anxiety grows when you carry it alone. Peace grows when you give it to God – he’s the guard of our heart!
  • God guards our heart with the protective covering of whatever is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and praiseworthy.  
• Worry means we believe God will get it wrong but worship is trusting God’s righteousness.
  • True vs falsehoods         God’s Perspective in Scripture
• • Do vs freeze                    3 boxes: in control / influence / out of my control
  • Renew vs forsaken         go to verses

APPLY/TAKEAWAY

God: We are worshipers of Jesus Christ      – – – >  Believe. Baptism. Membership

Others: We are family                                    – – – > Group… Unity.

Spirituality: We are thermostats                   – – – > Maturity. Service.

Prayer: We are warriors                                 – – – > Pray Pray Pray

Evangelism: We are sent                              – – – > #WhosYour1 in 2026 /// Let’s pray for 20 in 26.

Legacy: We are growing godly generations – – – > solo dei gloria   

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[1] –Charles Spurgeon, “The Best Donation,” (No. 2234) an exposition of 2 Corinthians 8:5 delivered on April 5, 1891 at the Metropolitan Tabernacle in London, England.

^[2] Peter Thomas O’Brien, The Epistle to the Philippians: A Commentary on the Greek Text, New International Greek Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1991), 476.