Sermon Tone Analysis

*Whose Image Do You Emulate?*

 

*Introduction*:

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As a child who did you view as a role model?

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When I was younger I wanted to be like John Harks, (Alexei Lalas)

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Most of you probably don’t even recognize the name.

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He was a professional soccer player of the DC United Team.

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One of the first men signed to the MLS in the United States.

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He was a forward~/midfield, the one who scored the goals.

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So what did I do?

                                                              i.

I got a training video that he hosted.

ii.

And I watched and watched that video.

iii.

Then I would go outside and practice and practice.

iv.

Obviously I never got as good as he was but seeing him in action and trying to imitate his skills did help to improve any soccer skill that I might have had.

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I am sure that if we were to go around each and every one of you would be able to relate a similar story as to a “role model.”

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Every four years when the Olympics role around there is a hype in athletics and kids will become very interested in the different events that they watched on TV and want to be just like, “Michael Phelps”

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And join the swim team.

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Only to find out that it take a lot more effort and time than they had originally thought.

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Lets be honest, how many of us have seen Tiger Woods on TV and wanted to play golf just like him.

i.

Does it come easy?

ii.

No, it takes hours and hours and hours of practice time.

iii.

And still the little ball just doesn’t want to go into the cup

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Our role models do shape us—but not just our role models.

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Truth is there are all sorts of forces that shape who we become.

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We often talk about the peer pressure that teens are under—and what we mean is that teens feel tremendous pressure to conform themselves to the expectations of their friends.

i.

There is some truth to that isn’t there.

ii.

We can all remember wanting to be like our friends in junior high and high school.

iii.

We did try to shape ourselves into their likeness—at least to a small degree.

iv.

But the truth is, adults are no less subject to the pressures to be like someone or something else than are our children.

v.

There are more forces than we can imagine trying to shape us this way and pull us that way until we become like them.

vi.

We are shaped by our parents, our schools, television, peers at work, neighbors, credit card companies, marketing firms, computer games, movies, the news, and so on.

vii.

The truth is still undeniable—we are surrounded by forces that are constantly trying to shape us into their image.

viii.

The greater truth however is this, we are going to be shaped by something—

1.

Our attitudes, actions, beliefs, values, sense of style and taste are going to be and are being shaped by something.

2.      The frightening thing is that we are fairly unaware of the forces trying to shape us.

3.      I do not know about you, but if I am going to be shaped into someone or something’s likeness, then I want that someone to be worthy and I want that someone to have my best interests at heart.

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Saint Paul wrote a letter to a church in the ancient Roman city of Philippi.

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He wrote to encourage his dear Christian friends.

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He told them that if they were going to survive in the hostile Roman world then they needed to have the same mind.

i.

That is, they needed to think alike and have the same values and attitudes.

ii.

They needed to have a baseline agreement on what was most important so that they could all work together to achieve it.

iii.

Paul was saying that they needed the same shape.

iv.

In fact, Paul said they needed to be shaped into Jesus’ likeness.

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This brings us right to our passage this morning:

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Philippians 2:1-11 Read

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In essence Paul is saying here that our role model should be Jesus Christ

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In this passage I see the attitude of Christ which is four fold.

·         Let’s take at look at the Four Traits of Christ’s attitude.

*Outline*:

I         *He thinks of others, not himself*.

(vs.

5-6)

A      As God Christ did not need anything, he had it all.

All the praise of heaven and earth was his.

He created it all and reigned over it all.

B       Verse 6 is very interesting in what it says:  “Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,”

1        Christ did not think of himself, he though of others.

2        His outlook (or attitude) was that of unselfish concern for others.

3        This is “the mind of Christ,” an attitude that says, “/I cannot keep my privileges for myself, I must use them for others; and to do this, I will gladly lay them aside and pay whatever price is necessary/.”

4        Illustration

a         A reporter was interviewing a successful job placement counselor who had placed hundreds of workers into their vocations which they enjoyed.

1)      When asked the secret of his success.

The counselor replied:

a)      “If you want to find out what a worker is really like, don’t give him responsibilities—give him /privileges./

Most people can handle responsibilities if you pay them enough, but it takes a real leader to handle privileges.

A leader will use his privileges to help others and build the organization; a lesser man will use privileges to promote himself.”

b        Jesus used his heavenly privileges for the sake of others – our sake.

5        Lets compare Christ’s attitude with Lucifer

a         Isa.

14:12-14 “How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning!

/How/ you are cut down to the ground, you who weakened the nations!

For you have said in your heart:  ‘I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation, on the farthest sides of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High.”

b        He once was the highest of the angelic beings, close to the throne of God.

c         But he wanted to sit ON the throne of God.

d        Lucifer said, “I Will.”

Christ said, “Thy Will be done.”

e         Lucifer was not satisfied being a creature he wanted to be the creator.

f         Christ was the creator, yet he willingly became man.

g        Lucifer was not satisfied being a rebel himself he invaded the “Garden of Eden” and tempted man to follow him.

1)      Adam had all that he could ever need; in fact he was the king of the earth.

Gen.

1:26 God gave them rule or dominion over everything.

2)      But Satan said, “You shall be as God.”