Sermon Tone Analysis

*Appeal to Serve*

Philippians 2:1-11

 

Introduction

 

John Kenneth Galbraith, in his autobiography, A Life in Our Times, illustrates the devotion of Emily Gloria Wilson, his family’s housekeeper: It had been a wearying day, and I asked Emily to hold all telephone calls while I had a nap.

Shortly thereafter the phone rang.

Lyndon Johnson was calling from the White House.

“Get me Ken Galbraith.

This is Lyndon Johnson.”

“He is sleeping, Mr. President.

He said not to disturb him.”

“Well, wake him up.

I want to talk to him.”

“No, Mr. President.

I work for him, not you.

When I called the President back, he could scarcely control his pleasure.

“Tell that woman I want her here in the White House.”

·         Who do we serve?

·         I would hope that each and everyone of us would say without hesitation, “God”

·         But if I an truly honest with myself there is more than one occasion where I serve another master.

·         More times than not I really serve my own interests.

·         In my home I would rather do what I want to do than serve my family.

·         I would rather set my own agenda at my job than follow my boss.

·         In the community I would rather take time for myself than to try to introduce them to Christ.

·         In the church I sometimes desire to be served rather than be served.

·         This is reality.

·         The problem is that I have a relationship with Jesus Christ and as such I have pledged myself to serve him alone.

·         I cannot have two masters but only one.

·         This world does not help.

·         At every turn in interactions with people and media I see over and over again the pull towards this ideology that says I should do it all for myself.

·         According to this world I have the right to do what I want and have what I want even if I have made a prior commitment to my wife or children.

·         I can go into all kinds of debt because whatever I want I deserve it.

·         I only have to make a commitment to something as long as I get something from it.

·         In every way this goes against what Christ showed us.

·         He is the best example of what our church is to be like.

·         In his life Jesus showed us that the church was designed to serve.

·         Phil.

2:1-11.

\\ Paul’s Appeal as a Servant (2:1-2)

 

Therefore, if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort provided by love, any fellowship in the Spirit, any affection or mercy, *2:2* complete my joy and be of the same mind, by having the same love, being united in spirit, and having one purpose.

·         Paul begins his appeal to the church by stating four things that come from the work of Christ.

·         He is not trying to indicate that these things are conditional.

·         They should be understood more accurately in translation as saying, “Since there is…”.

·         All four clauses of verse 1 make reference to atoning act Jesus made on the cross.

·         To receive encouragement from Christ or in Christ has the idea that through his sacrifice we no longer are down cast without hope.

·         He has freed us from the bonds of sin and despair and has given us new life.

·         Paul is reminding his audience of the change that took place in their lives when the gospel was preached to them.

·         They had a changed outlook and perspective that made life better.

·         The second clause speaks of Christ’s comfort that he provides for us by his love.

·         No greater form of love could be expressed then when he was willing to die for our sins.

·         He took upon himself the wrath of God made for us and bore our punishment.

·         His love provides safety for us.

·         His love provides security for us.

·         The work of Christ also provides for us a relationship that previously was not universal to all who had faith in God.

·         The Spirit was not poured out on all believers.

·         Christ began this presence of permanence and continued it with the work of the Holy Spirit.

·         Fellowship seems easy to understand but I fear we do not grasp the fullness of what is being said here.

·         Fellowship: close relationship involving mutual interests-participation and sharing.

·         Fellowship in the Spirit is participation and sharing in relationship the same mind.

·         Jesus sent the Spirit to those who would believe so they could have the involvement of God present in our every moment.

·         God was no longer in dwelt by a few or present in the sanctuary as we see in the O.T.-he is now available to all whom would believe.

·         Fourth clause: Affection or mercy refers again to the work of Christ through the gospel

·         The word translated affection refers to the inward parts of the body-bowels or heart.

·         The center of emotion and feelings.

·         So when it is translated affection it refers to Christ’s deep seated love for us that sent him to the cross.

·         This love was so great that he could see past our sin and depravity and find mercy for us.

·         By our sin nature we all deserve the penalty of death but because of his affection that produced mercy he died for us.

·         He saw our misfortune and chose to relieve us from it.

·         Paul has described what has happened in the lives of those who follow Jesus-they have been encouraged, comforted, been in fellowship with the Spirit, loved and had mercy poured upon them

·         Because of this work that come in the preaching of the Gospel he says finish my work by bringing your relationship with Christ into your relationship with each other.

·         He is stating in four different ways the same thought-be unified.

·         Have the same thinking, love one another, be unified in your emotions or feelings and have the same goals.

·         We may wonder how this is too take place?

·         He has given the idea through the work of Christ but will give further clarification in the following verses.

For the sake of each of us he laid down his life—worth no less than the universe.

He demands of us in return our lives for the sake of each other.

- St. Clement of Alexandria

 

 

\\ Paul’s Call to Service (2:3-5)

 

*2:3* Instead of being motivated by selfish ambition or vanity, each of you should, in humility, be moved to treat one another as more important than yourself.

*2:4* Each of you should be concerned not only about your own interests, but about the interests of others as well.

*2:5* You should have the same attitude toward one another that Christ Jesus had,

 

·         Remember that Paul is calling the church to think with the same mindset of that of Christ.

·         What advantage would there have been in Christ coming to earth- What would he have gained personally?

·         In our world there is little room for the concept that someone would give up many things, move a great distance and change their lifestyle without a reason that would be beneficial to them.

·         Jesus does exactly that-there was nothing in it for him.

·         But what about doing something sacrificial so that there would be some accolade or praise?

·         People are often drawn to give vast sums of money or go to places at great personal cost if only for the reason that it will give them some recognition.

·         Jesus does not do that-there was no desire for vanity.

·         Selfish ambition does not display the mind of Christ nor does it help the church.

·         Christians who are selfish in their conduct do not advance the Kingdom of God.

·         Paul encourages his audience to treat one another as more important than themselves

·         The problem is that whether we admit it or not we have such a high opinion of ourselves that we find it quite difficult to place others before ourselves.

·         When we are unwilling to give up our wants and desires for the sake of others we are basically communicating the love we have for ourselves.

·         We are provided with the answer to the problem of selfishness.

·         We are given the solution-living with the same attitude and behavior as Christ-humility.

·         Our motivation is Christ and his motivation was humility-a willingness to put others before ourselves.

·         Now Paul is not unrealistic- He understands that each of us have legitimate concerns for ourselves.

·         It is perfectly acceptable to have enough to put food on the table, clothes on our backs and a roof over our heads.

·         I even think that he would not care if we buy ourselves those things that are purely wants and not needs.

·         If you are unwilling to care for others because you will not make others a priority then you have lost the plot.

·         Christ for those people is not their example and model-the world is.

·         Further we are not to only think of others when they are good, pious, smart or attractive.