Mount Isa Baptist Church

An Encouragement for Us to Get Along

Philippians 2:1-5

When it comes to getting along with other Christians, the Bible doesn't waste words. If we're going to really get along, we'll have to model the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. How do you practice unity when you're in a spiritual battle that we are in? How can you practice unity in an imperfect church? It is difficult, but it's just not complicated.

From the passage we read, it tells us the first thing we need to do is:

1. Eliminate selfishness

What a powerful instruction we have in verse 3: “Do nothing out of rivalry or conceit, but in humility consider others as more important than yourselves” This will mean that we're going to think more highly of other people than we think of ourselves. We can either address selfishness that we have head-on or live with disunity. There is something about a united church that attracts everyone's attention. A united church is able to withstand a mountain of hardships. If the church is united, there is harmony in that church, there’s contentment, togetherness, and cohesiveness. Disunity, on the other hand, brings discontent, discord, strife, and stress.

The Psalmist says in Psalm 133:1: “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity.”

D. L. Moody said, “Selfishness is tearing others down and vain conceit is building ourselves up.” How opposite is the message the church should be proclaiming! Our greatest leader, the Lord Jesus, was and is our greatest servant! He didn’t come down to rule as a king; he came to seek and save the lost. Have you noticed how complaining and arguing so quickly divide people? That's why the Bible says: Eliminate all things that have to do with selfishness. Stop the complaining and eliminate the arguing. Have you realized that church unity always boils down to one-on-one relationships that we have with each other? People outside the church are desperately hoping they can find a place where people put aside selfishness and simply get along. We are to view every other Christian as more important to the body of Christ than we are.

2. Be subject to Christ

There is more to getting along with one another than simply putting aside selfishness. We must all put aside our personal desires and personal standards and reach for a much higher mark. When we have “fellowship with” as vs. 1 says, or are “united with” Christ, we find that higher standard that we should be living at. When we are united with Christ the way we should be, we will be united with the Word of God. Armed with the never-changing truth from the Bible, the church has been charged with proclaiming that message without apology. Personal integrity is priceless. The Bible says: Don't lack integrity. The Bible says: Be blameless. The Bible says: Watch your step. We should be read the Word of God and simply obey it.

3. Serve others

Instead of selfish ambition, there is humility. Instead of vain conceit, there is service to others. It all leads to unity in the entire church. For Christians who forsake selfishness, submit to the authority of Christ, and serve one another will be quickly “focusing on one goal.” What an unusual Savior we have. He gave up everything to become nothing. The one who should have been served came to serve. We should have died for him, but he died for us. As Jesus promised, the first become last, but the last become first. The greatest leaders should be the servants, all of them. We already know that success and servanthood go hand in hand. Christians are to have a humble, submissive, self-sacrificing spirit towards one another, for Christ is the supreme example of humbleness. Because Christ came to serve and not be served. We Christians are to serve and not be served. This is captured in Romans 12:3, 10: “Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought...Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves.”

I pray that we would be able to put this into practice this week, by being devoted to one another and honouring each other above ourselves.

Pastor Erik Sitati – From Kenya – connected through our YouTube channel.

I received an amazingly encouraging email from Kenya, which I shared parts of at the church meeting, and I encourage you to be in prayer for this church and also our YouTube ministry that we have the privilege through it to reach people across the world. We serve an amazing God.

About my church and the ministry

It is called CHRIST FELLOWSHIP CHURCH. We are located in continent of Africa in a country called Kenya. We have a small ministry, but we thank God it is growing and touching lives of others in a mighty way. We are blessed serving God with my family and brethren here. We have a heart for the ministry, our heart's desire, hunger, and thirsty is dedicated in Christ work, and we are glad being Christ's witness and ambassadors. We don't preach about ourselves, but preaching only the message of Jesus Christ as the author and finisher of our faith.

I'm much blessed being in touch with you and your beautiful church family! I just want to encourage you that we are, and we have been praying for you all as Christ coworkers in His vineyard especially in these dreadful days we are living in.

“But blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in him. He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.”

I replied to the email that was sent, and below are some prayer requests that he has asked for:

Pastor Erik Sitati - Christ Fellowship Church prayer requests,

(1) Pray for our ongoing door to door evangelism and outreaches.

(2) Pray for ongoing church construction, pray for open doors we need iron sheets.

(3) About my community pray for thousands who are in devastating situation and starving due to lack of food and water

(4) Pray for God to provide bibles so that we may give to new converts. Below photo show our outreach meeting held recently, and the hunger people have God's Word.