Standing Together - Philippians 4:1-4

How often do we see bickering and disagreements become destructive within the church body?

How does that benefit and progress the kingdom of God? 

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Philippians 4:1-4
¹ Therefore, my beloved and longed-for brethren, my joy and crown, so stand fast in the Lord, beloved.
² I implore Euodia and I implore Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord. ³ And I urge you also, true companion, help these women who labored with me in the gospel, with Clement also, and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the Book of Life.
⁴ Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!
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What is one thing the church body must do? Stand fast in the LORD. It sounds simple, and often times we forget this. We are all the beloved of Christ, but sometimes, our individual differences get in the way of making disciples of all nations. 

How can those outside the church see a true Christ-like example if the church body cannot even agree and stand fast together? Paul calls out Euodia and Syntyche in his letter to the Philippians. How embarrassing was it for those two to hear their names read out loud to the church, and it wasn’t in a positive tone? Bickering and squabbling about minor details can be destructive within the church. Disunity can hinder the progress of growing our personal relationship with Christ, our strength within the church body, and the progression of making disciples of all nations.

Now, what are we supposed to do as fellow members of the church body if we see this? Paul calls us to come alongside and encourage those who have disagreements. We must insert CHRIST into the situation. The members of the church body all labor together, and we must demonstrate LOVE within our body. Christ said the greatest commandment is to love the Lord God with ALL our hearts. When we demonstrate our love for Christ, the second greatest commandment can easily come to fruition…loving our neighbors as ourselves. 

When we pour out our love amongst each other, it becomes infectious. The joy that comes from love is truly radiant. Others outside the church body can see that radiant light demonstrated through love. 

It is through that love toward God that we may be able to REJOICE in all things. We can rejoice when trials come our way because God is grooming us for greater things. We can rejoice when we stand together as a church body because unity strengthens our bond with Christ and each other. We can rejoice, because we know that our names are in the Book of Life, and the small disagreements are not important. 

Therefore, let us stand together and demonstrate our love for each other within the church body. Come together and support those within our body who may be struggling and have disagreements. We are called to be witnesses of Christ to those both inside and outside the church walls. 

Stand together, in Christ.