Sermon Recap: “How to Overcome Our Differences in the Church” (Phil. 3:20)

The immediate connection we have with other believers, despite great differences, it a beautiful thing. But maintaining and deepening those connections and love for one another, in spite of differences, is much harder. Among the many ways Paul addresses how to overcome our differences is this one: together, we are citizens of heaven.

This reality unites us when we…

Understand what heavenly citizenship means (Philippians 3:20)

“But our citizenship is in heaven” (Philippians 3:20). This isn’t just a future reality but a present identity. Being a citizen of heaven means living under God’s reign now. We live with the hope that heaven will one day fully come to earth in the new creation, but even now, we are called to reflect God’s kingdom and live under his rule.

Citizenship in heaven transcends earthly identities. It calls us to look beyond temporary, worldly divisions and align our lives with God’s eternal kingdom.

Being citizens of heaven also unites us when we…

Prioritize God’s Kingdom Over All Others (Ephesians 2:19)

“Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people” (Ephesians 2:19). In Ephesians 2, Paul emphasized that in Christ, Jew and Gentile—two vastly different groups—were united. The blood of Christ destroyed the dividing wall of hostility and created a new humanity.

In the same way, our differences—whether political, cultural, or social—are secondary to our shared citizenship in God’s kingdom. Overcoming differences starts with prioritizing that identity above all others.

But this is hard. At a fundamental level, we all tend to believe our culture, group, or subculture is better than others. We elevate ourselves by defining others as “less than.” Yet the gospel levels the playing field.

As Tim Keller wrote, “The gospel is this: We are more sinful and flawed in ourselves than we ever dared believe, yet at the very same time, we are more loved and accepted in Jesus Christ than we ever dared hope.”

We also deepen our connection, in spite of differences, when we…

Live by God’s Kingdom Values

God has “rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves” (Colossians 1:13). As citizens of God’s kingdom, we are called to live differently. This means rejecting self-indulgent, temporal values (Philippians 3:19) and embracing God’s ways—values marked by humility, love, and justice.

Peter reminds us: “You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession” (1 Peter 2:9). Our lives should reflect this holy calling.

Lastly, we deepen our connection to each other when we…

Invite Others into God’s Kingdom of Light.

God’s people are called to declare his praises and invite others into his light (1 Peter 2:9). Evangelism is more than a task—it’s a shared mission that unites us. Few things bind a church together more than the shared purpose of helping others discover the hope and freedom found in Christ.

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Snippet: "Let's chill."

Snip·pet | ˈsnipit | noun a small piece or brief extract.

Here’s one from Justin Giboney, president of the (&) Campaign, on his Church Politics podcast episode from February 4, 2025 (slightly edited for reading vs. listening).

“There's a whole lot of misinformation on the Internet right now, on social media. A lot of Christians don't know what to believe. Sadly, some of this is making its way onto pulpits and into the feeds and the accounts of Christian leaders who are repeating it, not knowing that some of this stuff isn't legitimate.

“So, I want to ask everybody to slow down. Even if you don't like the other side, whoever that may be, you don't need to repeat the worst thing you hear about them immediately because while some of that stuff might be true, when it's not, you're losing credibility and freaking people out.

“…Let's chill. Let's be more thoughtful, more discerning, and more sober about the information that we put out. Not all the information that fits our narrative needs to be immediately put out there.

“…There are people on your side, regardless of what side you're on, that will feed you bad information to get a reaction out of you or get you to think a certain way.

“You cannot trust everything that comes from your side because sometimes people are trying to be provocative. Sometimes people are trying to make things seem worse, even if things are really bad already.

“So you have to be discerning and thoughtful with what you share, okay?”

Giboney believes there are real things we should be deeply concerned about, but repeating misinformation damages our integrity, and if we have a legitimate concern, it hurts our influence.

And remember, some of the most egregious misinformation is based on partial truth.

Recently I heard a Christian thought leader write off the opinions of another Christian thought leader by claiming he had left a biblically orthodox position on sexuality. I checked, and it seems that what he had changed was his stance on public policy regarding that issue, not his personal convictions or beliefs.

The wisdom of that kind of policy stance can be debated, but the speaker’s broad, sweeping statement was untrue and made me question his integrity and veracity.

I think all of this applies to our conversations as well.

I know I’m always tempted to refer to things I’m not sure about when it bolsters my political commentary. In the heat of the discussion, I give into that temptation.

When someone is referring to something I doubt is true (or I actually know to be untrue), I’m apt to ask, “How do you know that?” It works pretty well to get us back on track in the conversation.

You have permission to do the same to me (not that you need my permission).

Photo by Alejandra Rodríguez on Unsplash