In 2009, I was being screamed at by a 6’2 man in a US Army uniform. He towered over me while giving no regard to my personal space. He then began to throw everything I owned (one medium-sized duffle bag) all across the reception bay. He followed this welcoming gesture by giving me my first order as a Soldier in the United States Army: “Retrieve your gear. Organize your gear in your duffle bag. Report back to me. You have 30 seconds.” At this time, and a few other times during Basic Training, a thought occurred to me: “Why on earth am I here?”           

Churches are emptying more than they ever have in our lifetime. People have stopped coming to church. A lot of people are not “here” anymore. Many churches have closed their doors because there are none to walk through them. Why is this? If asked, a variety of reasons might surface. Some may want to protect their health in the midst of a pandemic, others prioritize work, some fear the opinion of other people, and it is not far-fetched that many would explain that they have not found the church that is right for them. The list seems to be endless. 

While it is concerning to see people leaving church in unprecedented numbers, I believe the problem is not found in the reasons they have stopped coming to church but in their initial motive(s) for coming to church. If their motive(s) were not consistent with what Scripture says, it should not be surprising that people have stopped coming to church. 

Why should I come to church? 

This is the issue that Paul addresses in Philippians 2:1-5. The church in Philippi was being threatened by a deadly enemy: Disunity. Paul’s concern was not that they would show up to church, put on a friendly face and just agree with everyone. The Lord wrote through Paul to communicate the inseparable nature between unity and motive. Paul gives three reasons that should motivate Christians to come to church and affect how they come. 

Christians are motivated to participate in Heavenly blessings 

So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, (2:1) 

Encouragement, comfort, participation, affection, and sympathy are all blessings bestowed on a person who has been saved by grace through faith in Christ alone. These blessings are not for the believer to possess and experience alone. Note how they are “in Christ,” they are from His love, and that they are shared in the Spirit. These blessings are first based on the love that has eternally existed in the Persons of the Trinity and is then poured out on believers to possess and experience together. What kind of encouragement is there in Christ and how we do share it with other believers? Ephesians 1:3 says that God has blessed us in Christ with “every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places.” These also are heavenly blessings. They are blessings from heaven for believers to experience together. Christians are motivated to come to church to experience these blessings with one another. 

Christians are motivated by a Heavenly disposition 

“complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind.” (2:2) 

The Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary defines “disposition” as a person’s “prevailing tendency, mood, or inclination” and parallels it with the idea of “one’s characteristic attitude or mood.” The main idea in verse 2 is that Christians are to be motivated to come to church by their disposition. This sounds problematic. It is often one’s “prevailing tendency” and “characteristic attitude” that causes painful and selfish motivations (James 4:1). This is why Christians must be motivated by the heavenly disposition they receive when they are born again by the Holy Spirit. Paul exhorts Christians not only to be “of the same mind” but gives three descriptions of this disposition. Such a disposition loves, is of full accord (lit. “with one soul”) and of one mind. Their disposition is to be of a certain heart, soul, and mind. It is not without accident that this resonates with the command given to Israel in Deuteronomy 6:4 for Israel to love Yahweh their God with all of their heart, soul, and strength. 

In Mat. 22, Jesus was asked by an expert in the Mosaic law which commandment was the greatest. Jesus answered by pointing to Deut. 6:4-5 and Jesus said, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ Loving God with all of your heart, soul, and mind is the disposition of the believer. It is the mindset that encompasses all areas of the life of the person who worships God. All of the laws that followed Deut. 6:4-5 were based on the disposition of a person who loved God with all of their heart, soul, and mind. The command to love your neighbor and the foreigner is founded on this disposition. This is the one encompassing way to think and to live. In Phil. 2:2, this is the same mindset and the difference is that Paul is calling upon the entire church to think and live this one way together. 

Christians are motivated to sacrifice earthly desires 

3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. 4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. 5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus,” (2:3-5) 

Lastly, Christians are motivated to sacrifice their preferences for others just as Christ sacrificed  His for ours. Christ preferred to not go to the cross because it meant He would face the wrath of the Father that was due to us because we sinned against God (Luke 22:42). However, Jesus wasn’t here for His own preferences, He was motivated to sacrifice His own preferences for the needs of others (Hebrews 12:2). Jesus is our example and motivation to sacrifice time, comfort, and much more for the needs of others. 

Why are you here? Is it for earthly treasure which rots or heavenly blessings which do not, is it because of a change of heart or a change of pace in life, is it to live like Jesus, or is it to live for yourself? Why are you here?