Becoming a Church that Cares (Philippians 2:1-11)

Big Idea: Churches should be caring communities where believers prioritize love for one another, as Jesus commanded.

I return this morning from my holiday with mixed feelings. They're mixed because I enjoyed sleeping in, swimming, tubing, and other summer activities, and I'm sad that summer is over. And yet I return with a sense of enthusiasm over returning to this church, a church I love greatly. I'm excited, too, because I believe some exciting things lie ahead.

I wonder how many people share my enthusiasm about the church? I wonder if we handed out bumper stickers that said, "Honk if you love the church," how noisy it would be on the street? No matter what happens, I can't get past the fact that the church is the bride of Christ, purchased with his blood, and his chosen people, the objects of his love. The church is the very institution ordained by God to be a vehicle of his love until Christ returns. Regardless of how humble or troubled it may seem, I genuinely love the church.

This morning we could list some problems with churches in general and with our church in particular. Anyone can identify problems. What we're going to do is identify solutions. I'm not exaggerating when I say that I love the church so much I would give my life to see her increase in strength and vigor. I dream of the church as a lively community of believers who worship God, support one another, grow in faith, use their gifts to serve, and lead others to Christ.

I believe it's essential for every church to be a place where loving and genuine relationships enrich all areas of church life. Where honest, loving, authentic, and caring relationships become the norm. Where people come in and say, "Wow, that's love!"

One of the startling things that Jesus said is found in John 13:

A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." (John 13:34-35)

Jesus commands us to love one another as he has loved us. Jesus freely shares his love with us, and he asks us to love one another similarly. This love is meant to be so central, so unmistakable, that it becomes the defining characteristic of his followers. Jesus didn’t say we would be recognized by our buildings, steeples, Bibles, or public prayers. Not even our theology would set us apart. Instead, Jesus said the world would know we are his disciples by one thing: our love for one another.

One of my dreams is that the church would be known as a place of love, a place that cares. I dream that everyone who enters a true church worship service feels the welcoming sense of community. I dream of people, despite their differences, coming together through a love that feels supernatural. Just imagine how attractive such a fellowship could be!

To become the church we desire, it's crucial to enhance our ability to care for one another. In Philippians 2, Paul gives the people in the church family at Philippi some advice on how this can happen. What Paul wrote to Philippi equally applies to us. We are God's family as well.

Understanding Our Privileged Position

Paul assumes some things about the church at Philippi that I think we can assume about our church as well. First, he assumes that they would find encouragement in the fact that they were united with Christ. "If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ." (Philippians 2:1) Christ is the glue that holds us together.

Also, as believers, they were at the receiving end of God's love; this is a great comfort to God's people, knowing that Christ loves us. "If any comfort from his love." This is especially important for those of us who are lacking love in other areas of our lives. We're greatly comforted by the fact that no matter who else may not love us, Jesus loves us.

Paul believes that the Holy Spirit within each believer creates a bond that unites them. "if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion." He assumes we already share fellowship and compassion because we have the Spirit and belong to the same family.

If this is true of us, the apostle Paul writes in verse 2: "then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose." (Philippians 2:2)

Paul urges them to become a loving, caring community of believers, the family that God wants us to be.

If you've gotten anything at all out of following Christ, if his love has made any difference in your life, if being in a community of the Spirit means anything to you, if you have a heart, if you care, then do me a favor: Agree with each other, love each other, be deep-spirited friends. (The Message)

Life-Changing, Family-Transforming Principles

Let's look at some life-changing, family-transforming principles. Philippians 2:3 says: "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves." (Philippians 2:3)

Avoid Selfishness

It's amazing how easy it is to get caught up with ourselves and the things we want to do. We occasionally need a reminder to focus on others instead of being self-absorbed. Paul says that two things get in the way of caring for others: selfishness and trying to make a good impression on others. These are the mortal enemies of unity and harmony in the church.

The first, selfishness, is listed as one of the "acts of the sinful nature" in Galatians 5:20. It's putting our interests ahead of the interests of other people. Does anyone here struggle with selfishness?

Too often, we can get sidetracked with trying to make a good impression on others. We're concerned with how we appear and how we sound. This is our natural tendency.

What do you get when you combine a group of people who are trying to get ahead by pushing forward and charming their way to the top? The very opposite of what Christ intended for the church.

Choose Humility Over Self-Interest

Instead, Paul says in verse 3: "In humility consider others better than yourselves." This is a life-changing, family-transforming principle. Imagine if, for one day, we all viewed others as better than ourselves in our homes and churches. Imagine if we all started trying to do more for each other than anyone is doing for us. Imagine if we fought at home, in a positive way, for the chance to cook meals, and set and clear the table. Imagine if, at church, we stopped trying to impress others and focused on serving them instead.

The irony is that when people are like this to us, they make a huge difference in our lives. Meeting someone who is humble and selfless deeply inspires and humbles us. Think of someone in your life who has positively influenced you. They respected you as a person, they loved you, they were caring and encouraging, and they caused you to grow. This is what we are to be to others within the body of Christ.

Look Beyond Your Own Needs

Verse four gives us another principle: "Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others." (Philippians 2:4)

We have no problems looking after our own interests. It's obvious sometimes we don't even have the foggiest idea what the interests of others might be! We need to listen to others and find out what their interests might be. In the church, it means trying to understand others and deferring to their needs. It's refusing to be obsessed with getting our own way and forgetting ourselves long enough to focus on others. It's listening and deferring to others.

Saying we love others or that we're a caring church is simple, but truly valuing others and prioritizing their needs over our own is much harder. Picture a church that truly loves one another, honors each other, lives in harmony, and connects with people of all backgrounds. That's what the Bible describes as a caring church. That's the sort of church that I dream about.

Follow Jesus' Example

The real key to all of this is to have the attitude of Jesus. Philippians 2:5-11 teaches us how Jesus humbled himself in obedience to become human. And then, as we all know, he became sin for us and died for us. Now, if Christ was willing to do all that for us, shouldn't we at least be willing to care for the others who are our brothers and sisters in Christ?

Learn from the Early Church and Personal Experience

That's the way it was in the early church. Read about it in Acts 2:42-47 and 4:32-35. They weren't perfect, but they were characterized as a group that loved each other.

That's how it has been in my life as well. I wouldn't be here this morning if it hadn't been for the influence of a number of people who loved me in the way I described. My Sunday school teacher stayed with me through every class I graduated to. He had a lot of problems in his life, but he loved me and he cared for me. A youth group leader who taught great lessons, but whose greatest contribution to my life was one-on-one. He took me out and treated me as an object of his love. He cared for me in a godly way. A seminary teacher, a pastor-friend, and others have taught me the true meaning of Christian love. And that is how we are to love one another.

We're going to close with a prayer. The prayer is appropriate, I think, in our efforts to become a caring church. Would you pray this prayer with me?

Lord, I want to be part of a caring church family, but I struggle to understand what people truly express. Please teach me to listen with your ears of compassion. I lift my prayers for [a need you've heard recently]. Lord, help me respond with a heart that cares the way you do. Amen.