Untitled Sermon (2)
Notes
Transcript
Handout
Northside Church
Phil 2:1-11
Jamey Mills
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed
These words have wisdom that helped form the greatest country the world has ever known.
I was watching the movie here comes the boom the other day, and in it Kevin James tutors people who are seeking citizenship in our country… it was crazy how excited they were, how hope filled… they say the potential for real change in life.
We are in the 3rd week of a series we are calling unchained… looking at the NT book of Philippians… It’s a letter actually, written from the Apostle Paul to the church that he planted in this influential city called Philippi.
I love that we can still see so many of the remains of Philippi… we realize that this was a real letter, written to a real church, in a real place with real people.
Paul was writing from a prison in Rome, encouraging this young church to hold on to the joy that’s theirs in Christ.
Last week we read Phil 1:27… where is says ABOVE ALL… do you remember how Matt defined it? It means… Above… ALL… you must (not if you want or when it suits you) live as citizens of Heaven.
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed
These words have wisdom that helped form the greatest country the world has ever known.
I was watching the movie here comes the boom the other day, and in it Kevin James tutors people who are seeking citizenship in our country… it was crazy how excited they were, how hope filled… they say the potential for real change in life. Even today with as crazy as things seem, there isn’t a shortage of people who’d love to be be citizens here.
We are in the 3rd week of a series we are calling unchained… looking at the NT book of Philippians… It’s a letter actually, written from the Apostle Paul to the church that he planted in this influential city called Philippi.
I love that we can still see so many of the remains of Philippi… we realize that this was a real letter, written to a real church, in a real place with real people.
Last week we read Phil 1:27… where is says ABOVE ALL… do you remember how Matt defined it? It means… Above… ALL… you must (not if you want or when it suits you) live as citizens of Heaven.
And that line… citizens... was no mistake. He chose it. Phillipi was a Roman Colony… under Roman rule and privilege. And just like so many value our would value citizenship here in our country… Citizenship in Rome was HUGE. It meant pride, power, and privilege.
And it caused all sorts of problems when Paul showed up and started talking about the true King which was Jesus (not Caesar) and a greater citizenship (not Rome). This young church was trying to stand up and walk against the most powerful and influential culture of its day… not in rebellion… but in faith.
It was hard… Paul knew it was hard. They faced persecution, prison, oppression…
Paul goes on to say live a life worthy of the calling you’ve received… basically he's saying if your citizens of heaven, act like it!
And in the passage we are looking at today… unpacks a little of what it looks like to live as citizens of heaven.
It doesn't mean simply being a good person… it’s not about seeking morality, kindness, purity or patience… it's about seeking Jesus… putting Him first in your life. And the product, the fruit of honesty and authentically putting Jesus first in your life are those things…
And with that… lets jump in
Read Philippians 2:1–11 (ESV)
1 So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy.
Four things that belong to those who are citizens of heaven… it’s part of the identity of those who are citizens of heaven.
Part of the way Paul was encouraging this young church in the face of oppression and persecution… was reminding them of what to hold to…
Encouragement in Christ
To lift up, exhort or console… No matter where you are or your circumstances, knowing that Jesus will lift you up…
The word Encouragement is from the same root word we get paraklete… Which is not just what football players wear on their feet… It's the word for Holy Spirit… what Paul is saying is take encouragement that you are NOT ALONE…
It carries this idea of hope, that He is bigger than the struggles you face and that He is at work.
Encouraged by who He is, and who we are in Him… it speaks into our Biblical identity.
IT’s OURS…. ENCOURAGEMENT in CHRIST… HOLD ON TO IT.
Comfort that comes from His love in and over us
Paul is saying that in the face of oppression and persecution… there is comfort in knowing for sure that you are loved by God…
Paul is saying it’s YOURS… KNOW IT… HOLD ON TO IT…
He’s speaking of the nearness to God… and this bizarre peace that He brings to our life in the face all sorts of things. Knowing we are loved… by God. You… are loved by God.
No matter what we face… no matter how crazy the world gets… no matter what kinds of oppression comes our way… Paul is saying there is COMFORT in knowing you are loved perfectly by the God of all creation…
You are loved… its part of who you are… it's part of your identity as a citizen of heaven.
IT'S YOURS… HOLD ON TO IT.
Participation with the Holy Spirit
The word is Koinonia… we use the churchy word fellowship…
Paul is reminding us that part of our identity is wrapped up in partnership with the Holy Spirit…
it's not little. When you have Jesus you have the spirit in you… The Bible talks about the HS …
Acts 1:8… you have power… what you wouldn't have without Him.
The HS is a channel of God’s love in our life Rom 5:5
He is an advocate for us (jn 14:16)
He teaches us (jn 14:26)
He is a gift to us
He is at work in us
He reveals the thoughts of God to us (1 Cor 2:11)
Spiritual gifts and fruit come from Him.
And Eph 4:30 talks about the HS as a seal… or proof of the presence of God in our life…
That God is with us… and won’t forsake us… the most repeated promise in all of scripture from God to humanity is this… I am with you.
It’s a reminder of the very presence of God in our lives… working in then and through them.
Fellowship with the Spirit… its part of who we are… its ours… HOLD ON TO IT.
Tenderness and compassion (affection and sympathy)
These qualities carry the concept of lost being found… It’s like having your eyes opened to the reality of God’s love, mercy and grace…. And realizing just how much we don’t deserve it.
It’s like raw joy knowing God’s mercy… and brokenness over those who don’t yet know. It compels us to make the world a better place by sharing what we have found in Him
Paul is saying God’s Mercy and Mission is YOURS… HOLD ON TO IT.
It feels like Paul is watching from a distance… as this Church that he planted and loves is struggling… and he’s saying… I know it’s hard. As I sit here in prison… I pray for you… HOLD ON… Know what’s yours and HOLD ON.
And Paul uses that to jump off into what He really wants to talk about…
The word so… at the very beginning is best translated because here… Paul is saying because these things are yours… Encouragement, comfort, God’s presence, God’s mercy...
Then make my joy complete… Pauls deep desire was that this would be a church that got it right… that honored God above all… both as individuals and as a church… and that… would bring him joy.
He goes on to say…
Phil 2: 2-4 2 complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. 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.
God deeply desires unity for His Church… Why is unity such a big deal?
It was what Jesus prayed for in the longest prayer recorded in the bible (Jn 17).
We are designed for unity… in the face of oppression, persecution… in a culture that is very anti Jesus… There is strength in together! There is help in Together.
One author said the greatest tragedy within the church today is apathy or coldness to God’s Word. That even for many in the church… it's no longer seen as good advice, let alone the life changing, way finding, salvation providing, Good news we build our lives on.
He went on to say the second was disunity in the church.
God uses others in your life to strengthen and shape you. He uses you in the lives of others for their sake too…
And we don't just get to cash it in… it’s part of what it means to follow Jesus… and one of the most dangerous and arrogant things any Christeian can do is pretend like they don’t need the Church.
It is a great truth to know and live out the truth that what brings us together in Jesus runs so much deeper than anything that would seek to divide us…
And if unity is what God deeply desires, you can bet there will be opposition.
Have you ever noticed that almost everything good for you requires intentionality. Eating, rest, family time, health… It’s a battle, but have you ever asked why? I believe it’s what the Bible calls spiritual warfare…. That Satan is real and the father of lies and that his agenda is to steal you joy, take the full and free life from you, and destroy hope.
And one of the ways he does that is isolation. There is real opposition to unity… it's hard… and that's one of the reasons we know it matters so much.
Paul says…
Be of one MIND… this isn’t paul saying demand everyone thinks like you.
He says have the same love… which is modeled after the way you love others… but the way Jesus loves others…
And he says being of full accord… agreement… Paul isn’t saying disown people who don’t agree with you…
In every one of those thoughts… The would YOU doesn’t belong. It’s not about you and that's part of what Paul is trying to say…
As citizens of heaven, what unites us is the pursuit of Jesus; we agree, we have the same love, we are of one mind and mission by pursuing Him first in our lives.
Paul says the greatest enemy to unity is selfish ambition and vain conceit…
The me monster…
Have you ever noticed how empty life is when you cannot see past yourself… when you are the greatest good in your own life… That’s by God’s design. It’s a HUGE part of God’s word and the example Jesus set for us.
Selfishness and conceit are the doorway for us much disunity in….
Ourselves… lack of peace and inner turmoil, in our homes, our workplace, our neighborhood, and in our churches.
Paul says… get over yourself… get passed all this ME nonsense
Pauls says in HUMILITY…. remember how we define it?
Having an accurate view of ourselves; all that we are not in light of all that HE is.
It was seen as a weakness in Rome… a man with humility was less than a man. Arrogance… was strong and celebrated… and it happens in our culture too. We tend to celebrate those who take credit for the gifts that God gave.
Paul says consider others more significant than yourself…
Paul isn’t saying abandon truth and appease people… He is not saying get walked on… He is saying treat other people the way you’d want to be treated… listen… consider… pray for… encourage… love…
How many of the world's problems would disappear and how many bad attitudes would disappear RIGHT NOW if we began to consider others more significant than ourselves.
I will never understand how people look at God’s word and see this kind of wisdom… and then literally not consider the reality of its source… which is God… the creator of it all.
Vs. 1 reminds us of what’s ours in Christ
Vs. 2-4 what humility looks like
And vs. 5-11 teaches us that we can’t do it alone…
Phil 2:5-11 5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every v name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Jesus is the ultimate example… of humility… and unity. Anyone that would accuse Jesus of being passive, weak or conceited didn't read the Bible and doesn’t study history.
You’ll never be able to give up your life like that, or put others first, or treat others like that without coming to grips with the one who gave more up for you… and treats you far better than you deserve.
Paul says that we should have the very mind of Christ… Which is already yours.
It’s like Paul is saying it's already yours… choose it.
If we want to be humble, experience unity, and live the full and free life God has for us… encouraged, comforted, spirit filled, and purpose filled… Paul says then take on the mind of Jesus… choose it! It’s already yours…
The mind is such a powerful thing… and no one really wants to talk about it anymore.
It shapes our decisions and forms our thoughts… where passions tend to be viewed as issues of the heart… the mind turns those passions into actions.
As I was thinking about it, our minds play a huge part in self control which is acting apart from selfishness and emotion.
No one really talks about that anymore, but our minds matter. What we fill our head with matters… No one is immune… it doesn't matter how sophisticated we think we are… If you constantly fill your mind with the messages of our culture… self indulgence… lust… hate… messages that deny God… how do you expect anything good to come out of it.
I am sure that I’m not the only one that has had one of my kids say publicly something I said privately… WHY… because our minds capture things. I believe it's one of the reasons porn is one of the most destructive and addictive things in the world today. It’s a HUGE mistake if you think it’s not a big deal or if it has no effect on you.
Paul tells us to think differently… to be smart… to have the very mind of Christ.
Do you take that seriously?
God’s Word says a lot about the mind…
The greatest commandment… Love God with our heart, soul, MIND and strength.
Later in Phil it talks about guarding our hearts and MINDS…
Hebrews talks about fixing our MINDS on Christ…
2 cor 10 talks about taking every thought captive…
Romans 12 talks about the danger of floating in purposelessness in a godless culture… We are told to renew our minds… ground them in God’s word…
Philippians 4:8 (NLT)
8 Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.
Our minds matter…
And then Paul goes on to show this amazingly interesting picture…
He says that Christ… who was in the FORM of God… form here literally means “shape of”… he says… Christ, who IS God…
It says he emptied himself… gave up what was His… and took on the form, the shape of a servant… he became a bond servant, which is willfully being sold into the service of another…
As Christ emptied Himself… of heaven and all these amazing things… as he lowered Himself to serve… to do things for us we could not do on our own..
We on the other hand.. As we empty ourselves… he elevates us. We step out of selfishness, brokenness, hate, conceit, and so much of what robs us of real life…
We realize what Jesus gave up for us, for our good… so that in emptying our selves… we might find life.
Paul was saying it’s hard. I know its hard. But if you want to live like citizens of heaven in a culture gone mad…
Hold on to whats yours: encouragement, comfort, His presence in us, His mercy and His mission.
Stay united to and connected with His church… by actively and authentically pursuing Jesus first.
And by emptying yourself in obedience to God…
It’s hard… remember as citizens whats yours, stay plugged in, and empty yourself before Jesus.
AMEN?
As move to worship, I want to invite you to participate in communion with us this evening… we will sing a few songs… and if you want, there is communion thats been carefully put on the back table for you.
Communion is a time that we stop… and remember what Jesus did for us and this passage reminds us so well… that Jesus emptied himself… took on the cross so that we might step out of the brokenness and sin… and into life the way it was always intended to be… in Him. Feel free to go grab communion off the table anytime during the next three songs… as a family or on your own… I’d only ask you to