Contending for Contentment
A sermon brought forth from Genesis 32:22-31 and Philippians 4:1-9 preached on August 6, 2023
Paul is nearing the end of his letter to the church in Philippi. From his first words to his last, he has laid out his Christ-centered vision of what a faithful people do, how they live, how they are to worship, and what a faithful people on the Jesus Way are to focus upon and give themselves to—to joy and steadfast unity, to living humbly with and for one another, putting away all hint of selfishness among them, to speaking plainly with each other, especially when any unresolved or unspoken contention came between them.
Earlier in Philippians, Paul encourages the faithful in Philippi to work out their salvation among themselves, to bring out into the light whatever darkness might exist between them, to speak plainly about it, to work out whatever unspoken difference that might separate them one from another.
“Work out your salvation.” That’s a fine way to put it. “And do so with fear and trembling.” Fear and trembling because even within the Body of Christ, even within the most faithful of churches, there’s always something that needs working out—and that’s hard. We’d rather not.
Paul refers to the church in Philippi as his joy and crown. This church in Philippi was the one he was most proud of. But that doesn’t mean their track record was spotless. The beginning of chapter four tells us it wasn’t. The fact is that there are no successful churches. There are instead gathered communities of sinners who come before God week after week in towns and villages all over the world. The Holy Spirit brings them together and does her work in them, helping them and we speak God’s Name into the middle of the world. In these communities of sinners, one of the sinners is called the pastor and is given a designated responsibility.
A church like the one in Philippi and every other church since, is a community who confesses their inadequacies, their blemishes, and their brokenness to God and one another but is also a community in whom the Holy Spirit is working. It is because we share in this work with and beside each other that we contend with one another, all in an effort—a life-long effort—to work out our salvation side by side.
Paul begins the last part of his letter to the church in Philippi mentioning two leaders among them who were at odds. We don’t know the details. It’s possible that these two women, Euodia and Syntyche were among the first believers in Philippi. They aren’t referred to by name in any other book of the New Testament, but we know they were church leaders—both honorable and faithful—who at the time weren’t seeing eye to eye.
It might seem rude for Paul to drop their names here for all in the congregation at Philippi to hear as this letter was read aloud in their gathering, but that’s not the way Paul saw it. He wrote these words expecting the church to help with the healing that’s involved with any part of the Body of Christ. Just as the human body suffers and acts to compensate for other parts that are hurting and in need of healing, so it is with the Body of Christ, the church.
Whatever it was that needed working out between these two leaders was for all the community to tend to, because mending that relationship was for the good of the whole. This is how we work out our salvation. We do it together, contending beside one another in the greater cause of the Gospel.
Most of the time, we hear the word “contending” and think of it in negative ways. People who contend with one another are fighting each other for the same prize. They’re in competition, and in the end, there will be a winner and there will be a loser. Even when two or more people within a beloved community like church disagree about one thing or another, we tend to see the matter like that—that there’s no way out of conflict without casualties. But this is not what Paul has in mind. Instead, he urges the Christian community at Philippi to help Euodia and Syntyche, these faithful co-workers, to work with one another, whether they ever see things eye to eye, to strive together.
This word in verse three, “contend,” is one that an athlete would use to encourage a fellow competitor. He wants to encourage the faithful to work with and for one another—not against each other—for the church’s one purpose: for the sake of advancing the Gospel. It’s also reminiscent of our first story for the morning, where Jacob wrestles with God. What gets wrestled out there is a blessing and ultimately a closer relationship with God. This is how we work out our salvation. We strive together. No one gets their way or the whole will suffer. Instead, we bless each other as we make it closer to what is true and noble, right and pure, lovely and admirable, excellent and praiseworthy. All along the way we strive for one another. This is our life together. We work side by side for the sake of the Gospel.
Whatever is truthful, noble, right, pure, lovely, excellent, and praiseworthy, think about these things. But there has to be more. “Think” is such a small word. Paul wants those who follow Christ to live in account to these virtues—to lift our behavior, our thoughts, words, hearts, actions, and intentions to the high mark line of the truth, nobility, righteousness, purity, loveliness, the excellence, and the praiseworthiness of Christ. Live your way with one another into these blessings, he means to say. Encourage one another along the way. Make sure that every one of you helps the other along this daring way, looking out for the good of the other, speaking words that build up, uplift, and empower; and avoiding words that hurt, diminish, or dismiss. Choose a more excellent way, one that magnifies Christ inside of the other just as it magnifies Christ inside of you. This is what blessing is—it’s encouragement to strive faithfully for what’s next, what’s true, what’s good, and kind, and Godly.
May we who are church trust in Christ’s power to take all that can separate us one from another and work them out for the good of the body and His saving purposes, so we might strive hand in hand for the salvation offered to us in Christ life with one another. It is a salvation that’s marked by and insists upon joy, with Jesus, for the sake of Jesus, because of Jesus.
All praises to the One who made it all and finds it beautiful! Alleluia! Amen.