3/11 Sermon on Philippians, Part 9

Last Sunday at The Family Church here in Gainesville we had a guest speaker, Darryl McCune, who continued in the series about the New Testament book of Philippians, which was a letter that Paul wrote for the Christian community there.  Darryl's chosen title for this message was Joyful Peace, and he focused on the nature of conflict and how to effectively deal with it. The scripture for this day, which you can read via Bible Gateway by clicking on it , was Philippians 4:1-9...

In his message Darryl related a memory when he was volunteering at a summer camp and coached one of the football teams.  When his superior made a decision to change one of the rules for the championship game, Darryl was taken aback and repeatedly tried to implore his friend to change his mind...but in the end realized that the dispute was in great part of his own doing and that he needed to change his own way of thinking and behavior.  As he examined the Biblical passage and an ongoing quarrel between two believers in the Philippian church there, Darryl presented his core theme: conflict with others comes from conflict within and only through the God of peace can we have reconciliation...

To Darryl McCune's incisive words I'd like to add a few of my own, based solely on my own personal experiences over a lifespan.  I can't recall ever deliberately seeking to be involved in conflicts...they often seem to arise out of nowhere and then take on a life of their own, sometimes escalating to ridiculous, even dangerous, levels.  To engage is to feed them...what Darryl did with his example is to step back and see his own role in perpetuating his conflict.  Looking at things as the other party sees them is also an important step.  Many times I have been in these situations and, when I withdrew from the "arena", I was better able to see the path of reconciliation...a path that seemed to be God's intention all along...

You can watch this week's sermon through the church's YouTube video website...click on the following link for it [link].  The Family Church, at 2022 SW 122nd Street in far western Gainesville, meets each Sunday morning at 9 and 10:30 for its services, which include the message, praise and worship music, prayer and discipleship opportunities, and a lot of wonderful people.  And if you like, there's coffee and other refreshments available in the hospitality room before and in between services.  I'm looking forward to next Sunday...