Discover Joy in Christ through Humble Service

made with Proclaim

Mark Welch

Fairlawn Parkersburg

Sermon • Submitted 2 years ago • Presented 2 years ago • 48:05

Philippians 2:5–11

0 ratings

· 32 views

Files

Notes

Transcript

Sermon Tone Analysis

Emotion

Language

Social

View more →

Philippians 2:5–11 ESV

Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Lou Holtz was asked recently to describe the major differences between today’s football players and football players 50 years ago. He thought about it for a second and then quickly responded, “50 years ago, athletes talked about their responsibilities and how fortunate they are to play the game. Today’s athlete talks about their rights and what they are entitled to with no real sense of appreciation.” I think that is a pretty good comparison by Mr. Holtz and it is a mentality that is very concerning to us as Christians.

We live in a world that promotes self gratification and glorification. There is an attitude and belief we should always be looking out for our own best interests and desires. Instead of serving others we oftentimes want to be served and treated with the utmost respect. That is the exact opposite of how Christ acted when he was on earth. Christ was God himself and had the most right of anyone to be self boasting and demand others to serve him. Thankfully, He chose a different route and that was the route of being a humble servant.

Today, we are going to be talking about servanthood and how that is an important aspect of being a Christian. Talking about being a servant does no good unless we support that discussion with action! We are called to action and are called to imitate Christ. One way is through servanthood.

As Christians, we are to imitate Christ. Can you imagine how different our churches would look and act today if we actually did imitate Christ through our humble service? Instead of serving to gain accolades, attention, or a feeling of pride we would simply serve others out of love for them and for our heavenly father. We need to have a Christlike servant’s heart that is filled with humility instead of pride and arrogance.

We are sinful in nature and will always defer back to our sinful nature without intentionally seeking Christ. It is in our nature to want to glorify ourselves and it is in our nature to think of ourselves first. We need to realize those tendencies and choose to actively seek after Christ and allow Him to fill our hearts with His love, His spirit, and His glory. If we are successful in doing that, then we will be able to imitate Christ.

Choose to have an attitude like Christ

Philippians 2:5 ESV

Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus,

I had a communication class in college that dealt with the subject of being reactive. The teacher taught that we all have a choice in the way we handle our own attitudes and that by default, we have a tendency to be very reactive. An example is saying, “you make me mad”. This is being reactive to a situation and not taking responsibility for your own decision and attitude. God has given us the capability to chose our attitudes.

Paul was in prison in Rome. A lot of people would choose to have a poor attitude about being in prison. Paul however took it as an opportunity to serve God and spread the message of Christ. He chose to have a positive attitude.

Paul is explaining the depth of humility that we as Christians should have. It isn’t simply being partially humble but we are to be completely humble. Paul uses Christ as an example. Christ was God in flesh and could have easily demanded everyone to bow down and worship Him but instead he chose to be a humble servant. Paul is instructing us to have the same attitude that Christ had and to be fully humble in all that we do and in return, we will bring Glory to God. It is a choice and a decision that we can make.

Notice how this is a choice and it takes action on our part. The only way to have this mindset in us is to assume the responsibility of having that mindset in all we do. Paul is saying for in our relationships with one another, to have the same attitude of mind that Christ Jesus had/has.

Let that sink in. In our daily situations, conversations, actions, etc. - is our mindset and attitude that of God’s? If so, then why do we have bitterness, anger, deception, jealousy, envy, and evil intentions in our daily lives?

Our attitude is a choice

I have two young children and it amazes me at how they can instantly choose their attitudes. I can remember one time when our oldest wanted a toy that his sister was playing with. They were starting to argue over the toy and we told them to do the right thing and share the toy by taking turns. As soon as our daughter was finished, she sat it down and our son started playing. Everything was good until our son set the toy down for a second, and our daughter immediately picked it up to play. Now our son got made and said he wasn’t finished playing and through a fit about the toy. We wouldn’t allow him to get the toy back because of his poor attitude. After some time he was completely fine again. He chose to get upset about the toy and we too often choose our emotions. Our attitude is a choice and it’s a choice that we all make.

Attitude is a choice. Every day and multiple times a day we need to intentionally and purposefully choose to have an attitude like Christ. It won’t happen by accident as we are born sinners, but we can choose to be like Christ and he will be faithful to help us along the way. The next time you find yourself in a challenging situation, take a moment to think about what type of attitude would Christ exhibit and then choose to act like that. It is important to realize that we will not always succeed in this and that we will fail from time to time. God is faithful and if we turn our attitude over to him and allow him to be in control, then we will be successful in mimicking his attitude. The starting point is that we need to simply strive and make a conscious effort to imitate Christ in his attitude.

Choose to be Humble like Christ

Philippians 2:6–8 ESV

who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

Why did Paul say, “in the form of God” instead of simply “as God”?

Paul uses the word, morphe which translates primarily to the word form or shape that something takes. The answer to why Paul worded it this way is that Paul is emphasizing the mindset of Christ. Christ willingly and actively took on the form of a slave. Christ is God in reality but Paul uses a metaphor to show Christ’s mindset and willingness to form into a slave for our benefit.

Grasped = taken advantage of

Eliminate the but

Read verse 6 without the word, “but” - now the point of the passage is clear. That is glory indeed; but to heighten the glory Paul emphasizes two realities: first, that “being in the form of God” means being equal with God; second, that in Christ’s “being in the form of God/being equal with God” he displayed a mindset precisely the opposite of “selfish ambition” and empty glory. Christ emptied himself of his own glory to become a servant for us.

Thus, to put the sentence all together, in Christ Jesus God has shown his true nature; this is what it means for Christ to be “equal with God”—to pour himself out for the sake of others and to do so by taking the role of a slave. Hereby he not only reveals the character of God but also reveals what it means for us to be created in God’s image, to bear his likeness and have his “mindset.” It means taking the role of the slave for the sake of others

We are to imitate Christ and follow his example by choosing to be a humble servant.

There is a local construction company that has been blessed financially to say the least as they own many, many businesses and buildings throughout our town. They have a lot of money and influence in our community. Every year, they choose to make a fund drive to gather money that will be given to the Children’s Hopsital and they match whatever amount is raised dollar for dollar. I think each year they raise over a combined $100k through this event. Now, they could have chosen to spend their money somewhere else and they could also brag about how they are able to raise so much money. But instead, they don’t want a lot of accolades or even publicity over the event. They simple raise the money and then match it and donate everything. In return, most people have a favorable opinion of them and their company. That is an example of showing the love of Christ through humility.

We are called to imitate and follow Christ.

Christ is the picture of humility and he chose to be humble on a daily basis. The least we can do is honor Him by choosing to be humble every day.

Ephesians 5:1 ESV

Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children.

The Scriptures are very clear that we as Christians are to imitate and follow Christ. We are to do as Christ would do. Christ chose to be a humble servant for all of us when He didn’t have to and we now in return, should bring honor to Him by also being humble in our actions.

We have a tendency to get caught up in ourselves and our successes. When things are going well for us, we tend to think it is because of our own doing and that we deserve these accolades due to our hard work. While I definitely believe in the benefit of hard work, who is it that makes it possible for us to work hard in the first place? Who is it that allowed us to have these opportunities? The next time you feel proud of yourself for your accomplishment, take a minute to think about who gave you that opportunity, or who blessed you with that outcome. It is all due to Christ working in our lives and not because of our own doing. Remember this and choose daily to be humble in our service to the Lord. One of my favorite verses talks about this very subject.

Philippians 4:11–13 ESV

Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.

Choose to be like minded with Christ, humble, and serve others so that Christ can be exalted!

Paul describes how Christ was exulted and given a place on most high because of his attitude, service, humility, and willingness to die for others. If and when we imitate Christ by doing these same things, then God will be glorified and other people will see the true living God inside of us! Paul explains that everyone will confess that Jesus is Lord whether they are a believer or not. This is an important aspect of Christ in that he is the true living God and nobody can or will deny him in the end.

Even when people are watching

People are always watching. My kids are always watching and paying attention, even when I don’t think they are. I can remember having a conversation with my wife about making plans for Christmas while my children were playing in the room next door. They were being very loud and consumed in playing so we didn’t think they heard anything we were saying. To our surprise, we discovered that they did hear us and knew exactly what the plans were with Christmas. Just like my children, people of this world are always watching Christians to see how they act, behave and talk. We are the representatives of Christ and we must be intentionally acting like Christ so that He can be glorified and so that the kingdom of God can grow!

Another aspect of people watching is the importance of what we do as Christians and why we do it. With our children, we have witnessed them behave a certain way because they knew that we were watching. That may sound like a good thing in a way as they were on their best behavior. In reality though, it may not be a good thing. The important question to consider is how do we act when people aren’t watching? Do we put on a show or act a certain way because people are watching but then change everything once we are out of the spot light? If so, then we have missed the point. Christ doesn’t want us to act a certain way just when people are watching but instead is concerned with our heart and the cause of our actions. The people that are watching us will also realize if our actions are genuine or fake.

A fast way to destroy Chrisitanity is to be the opposite of how Christ thought, acted, and served. People are watching and will notice if we aren’t being humble, servants, and on the same page. We must make an effort every day to do the things of Christ and do them with humility and unity.

We are called to be lights unto the world for Christ.

Matthew 5:16 ESV

In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

Notice how the scriptures don’t say to be a light so that others can worship or praise you. Instead, they say to be a light so that God is glorified. That is the key. We are to act in a way that is pleasing to him, bringing others unto the Lord, acting as servants with humility, and in unity to bring Glory to God and nothing else. We can get so caught up in to ourselves and our own interests that we lose sight of the goal that is to glorify God!

We cannot do any of these things on our own. No matter how much we try and how much effort we put into it, we will fail. We need to fully rely on God to work in our hearts and lives to be on the same page, humble, serving, and thinking like Christ. We have to put forth the effort, but then we must trust in the Lord to see it through. This is part of a true test for Christians. If we are truly followers of Christ, then we must chose to follow him and rely on his goodness and not our own intentions. We will fail, but through him we can succeed and ultimately God will be glorified.

Paul was in prison while writing this book and could have focused on his own situation. Instead, he wrote a letter of encouragement to promote unity, humility, service, and like mindedness with our Heavenly Father. Paul knew the importance of imitating Christ so that the world could witness and experience the love of Christ through us. By our serving others and being humble, we can glorify God.

Paul also knew that it was ultimately a choice to follow after Christ. Paul's writing emphasize the importance of choosing to follow after our Lord but he also realized that end the end, every tongue will confess that Christ is Lord. Paul chose to focus on the gift of choice that we have and encourage his listeners to make the choice to follow after Christ.

The choice is yours

The ways of the world are the opposite of the ways of Christ. That is why we must choose every day to think like Christ, serve like Christ, and to be humble like Christ. Our sinful nature is to instead focus on our own needs, desires, and wants. Even when we actually do a good thing, our sinful nature is to desire honor and appreciation for that good act instead of being humble. If we are successful in doing these things, then God will be glorified, Christ will be exalted, and the world will experience the love of Christ through us. The first step to any of this, is to be aware of our nature and choose to be different. Choose to follow after Christ. Choose to be humble like Christ.

Related Media

Related Sermons