Courage!

 Courage!

 

Philippians 2:1-13
2:1 If then there is any encouragement in Christ, any consolation from love, any sharing in the Spirit, any compassion and sympathy,

2:2 make my joy complete: be of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind.

2:3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves.

2:4 Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others.

2:5 Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus,

2:6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited,

2:7 but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness. And being found in human form,

2:8 he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death-- even death on a cross.

2:9 Therefore God also highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name,

2:10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,

2:11 and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

2:12 Therefore, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed me, not only in my presence, but much more now in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling;

2:13 for it is God who is at work in you, enabling you both to will and to work for his good pleasure.

 

LOTS going on here, friends! The church at Philippi is a lot like the Christian church in our day: diverse, yet seeking unity; missional, yet focused on its own health, passionately; having lots of energy, yet drained, because they were spreading themselves thin, in light of the “urgency” they felt; monied, yet needing much more than they had to accomplish what they believe God was calling them to do. There is more: they had a kind of “patron saint” in Paul, who loved them dearly, but who only “passed through,” and was not available for more steady leadership. They MET needs, yet they HAD needs. From what I remember from my seminary days, they were “team players” with the other churches, yet had a few squabbles with the Jerusalem Council. They had many common doctrinal threads, but also points of disagreement that threatened to be their undoing. If they were a denomination, it would probably be United Methodist!

 

Speaking of United Methodist, the “big news” this week was the conclusion of the trial of a bishop (Bishop Minerva Garza Carcaño), who had been charged with four offenses, or violations of this denomination’s “Book of Discipline.” The result of the first church trial of a United Methodist bishop was that she was acquitted on all charges, which, of course, thrilled many and angered about as many others. Differences in cultural backgrounds, theology, and practice certainly led to the charges, and the trial court apparently concluded that these differences did not lead to punishable offenses. Carcaño’s trial paralleled the very public legal challenges of former U.S. President Donald Trump and several of his minions, as well as the beginning of an impeachment inquiry into President Joseph Biden by a Republican-controlled committee that sure hopes to find a “smoking gun” where they see “smoke.” Trials are usually the last resort of disputing parties, whether they are criminal or civil, in nature. The results never please everybody, as they ultimately draw a line. That’s their job, and it is certainly a “thankless” one. 

 

I bring this up, as a key subject matter in the various epistles of the Apostle Paul is often the cultural, theological, and practical differences that occurred in the early church. Sound familiar? Paul tried to keep these disputes “out of court,” addressing them in his letters. Some—like Romans—became major theological treatises that still guide the church in our time. Others, like the letters to the church at Corinth, serve both as “how to’s” and with a dose of chastisement thrown in, seeking to mend relationships and foster others. Corinth would also have been a great United Methodist congregation, as oxymoronic as IT was—not United and certainly lacking in any cogent “Method.” 

 

Reading the Letter to the church at Philippi, however, gives one the sense that Paul is “taking a breath” from the challenges he faces in addressing the other churches. He seems to really LIKE these people, and just wants them to “keep on keeping on,” or in other words, sustaining the avoidance of pitfalls that threatened the OTHER local churches springing up around them. Paul speaks of joy, compassion, sympathy, same love, same mind, humility in Philippi—sounds like a church I’D like to attend! I’ll bet others “got the memo,” too and joined THAT church in droves. The “memos” leaking out of most of our churches today are anything but this: “Here is a list of the kinds of people welcome here”; “This is what WE believe—if you don’t fully agree, you need not apply”; “Please join our church—we need young families!”; “Please join our church—we need your OFFERINGS!”; “You will like our church—we have a great pastor!” And on and on. Even some of the messages that COULD be positive are turned into stomach-churners: “Accept Christ or go to hell”; “We are a BIBLE BELIEVING church, SORRY about yours!”; “Come find Jesus HERE (as he’s obviously missing at the other churches in town).”

 

The recent schism caused by the relatively sudden “disaffiliation” of churches from the United Methodist Church has created a number of “independent” churches and at least one new denomination, the Global Methodist Church. Like it or not, the “memo” they are sending out to potential members is: “We left because we think we have it RIGHT, and they have it WRONG.” Believe me, if you look at church history, schismatic “church starts” usually just result in even more schisms, as they tend to attract people who “want to be right,” more than they want to be “saved,” or to develop into compassionate, accepting, and courageous disciples. Hence, they tend to eventually find fault with the “new” group and build their own schism, like a child builds houses out of Legos. Paul saw this happening in some of the early congregations in his day. This is why he seems to be “letting his hair down” around the Philippians, as they seem to have “gotten the memo” actually sent out by Jesus!

 

Look at today’s verses. “Encouragement” is great word, having “courage” at its root. The actual word in NT Greek is paraclesis, which literally means “called alongside” as a helper or to support and empower. This word is of the same root as the word often used for the Holy Spirit—paraclete—as it is God’s Spirit that “comes alongside” the church, “encouraging” and empowering IT to carry out the mission God calls IT to. Paul seems to be saying that the church should be a place where ALL people may find ENCOURAGEMENT, and ergo the COURAGE to live the life of discipleship. If it is not this, then one must wonder how it may successfully attract ANY followers? If its primary message is, “We have Jesus. Come and get him. Avoid going to hell”, then it will attract fearful people who just desire “fire insurance.” Little empowering will occur, and even less courage will be evident in the lives of these “believers.”

 

Paul focuses on how Christians—then and now—are called to have the “same mind” that was in Christ. This mind was about as UNSELFISH of one as could be imagined—then and now. Jesus “emptied himself” of the privilege of his membership in the godhead, becoming the “slave” of the human race, even to the point of accepting our capital punishment for his perceived sins (or for ours?). If this doesn’t remind us of the saying of Jesus, “Greater love has no one than that they lay their life down for a friend,” I don’t know what will. What scholars call the “kenosis passage” (emptying) is Paul’s diagnosis of what was RIGHT with the church at Philippi—they GOT this humility stuff, and believed it to be the ULTIMATE “memo” sent out—lived—by Jesus Christ, and to which every Christ follower was called to emulate. It will require the acceptance of diversity, having the “same love,” and gobs and gobs of COURAGE to do, as well as personal humility in spades. 

 

Again, if ENOURAGEMENT of those who need it is not one of the primary foci of the church, then what are we doing? Judging, that’s what. Judging those who don’t believe as we do, or who don’t meet our standards of doctrine, “morality,” or who don’t share our view of “biblical authority,” that’s what. As the church is gifted by God with the Holy Spirit—the paraclete—who is called alongside of us to empower and encourage us, so the CHURCH is called to provide paraclesis to every soul who walks into our doors—even to those we encounter on our outreach missions! We are “called alongside” these people, regardless of what they believe, how they live, or even who they love. Why? Because that’s what the Son of God did. Jesus did not put the thief on the cross through a litmus test before offering him paradise. Even our “modern day” saint—John Wesley—said, “Offer them Christ!” He didn’t tell us to test their view of “biblical authority,” or make them pass spiritual “feats of strength” to receive God’s pardon OR God’s favor. “Offer them Christ,” he told his preachers, and then see what God will do.

 

Hymn writer Stuart Hamlin wrote many years ago: “It is no secret what God can do. What he’s done for others, he’ll do for you. With his arms wide open, he’ll pardon you. It is NO SECRET what God can do.” The church is not a “secret” society, friends, with a secret, doctrinal “handshake” or a password to redemption. The worse we are, the greater the grace applied. Paul called this the “same love” as was in Christ Jesus.

 

Maybe it’s time we preachers adopt a practice that newsman and former CBS TV News anchor Dan Rather used to end his newscast with (and it was considered quite weird in that day): He would finish by simply looking into the camera and saying, “Courage!” I don’t know for sure if this would ENCOURAGE our people, but it couldn’t hurt! This stuff is hard! Jesus knew it, Paul knew it, and any pastor worth her or his salt knows it. Yet, the word, will, and paraclesis to go forward has been given! Today’s wonderful scripture text reminds us and offers ITS encouragement! Remember, it is GOD who is at work in you! Amen.