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November 16, 2003 |
"Philippians"
Know Him, Knowing Joy |
Pastor Brian Shimer
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"Have This Mind in You"
Philippians 2: 1-11
1If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, 2then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. 3Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. 4Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.
5Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: 6Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, 7but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. 8And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death — even death on a cross! 9Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, 10that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
| | I.
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This passage is divided in the NIV into two paragraphs, first verses
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one through four and then five through eleven. In the original language there were two sentences for the same material. Paul had two thoughts he was sharing; the second thought supported the first. The second thought or paragraph was the one that Paul used to substantiate or make possible the actions described by the first.
We have heard this passage already in the NIV. Now I would like you
to hear it again a few more times. I want you to listen to the Word and allow the Word to speak to your heart.
Note words that surprise you on your hand out. Note questions that you have on your hand out as well. And note one phrase above the rest that strikes you.
First hear it from the KJV, c 1611.
Now, listen to Moffatt's translation from 1922
Did you hear his different approach to the first paragraph?
Moffatt restructured the English with the preposition "by" to show instrumentation. What Christ has given each person is the means for unity and love between us in the body of Christ. We have what it takes.
Listen again to how he began verse 5: "Treat one another with the same spirit as you experience in Christ Jesus." And the reason Paul speaks about Jesus is not to set up an impossibly high standard, but to substantiate the source of our actions. What we experience being IN CHRIST we then live.
Now, hear the 1960 NASB translation.
And now, listen for the Lord to speak through the 1993 Message Translation.
Finally, listen again for the 1997 New Living Translation.
Take a moment and share with a neighbor the phrase or insight that you jotted down which struck you the most.
Now, everyone join hands. Experience a physical unity one with another for a moment. Let's ask the Lord to touch our hearts significantly through the Word today.
| | II.
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Paul begins with their experience. Can you relate to what Paul wrote?
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With Jesus have you experienced any Encouragement? This word is a word picture of God coming alongside to help. It is the same term used for the Holy Spirit! We have a God of Encouragement!
Have you experienced any comfort from his love? Comfort means "speaking
near" -like a mom bringing her son comfort by leaning her head down next to his and whispering something in his ear. That is this kind of near comfort Jesus brings!
Have you experienced the fellowship of the Holy Spirit? This word speaks of that common sharing with God's Spirit, the joy of that fellowship.
Or Have you ever experienced His tenderness and compassion for you? This is that depth of mercy God shows. Jesus had such compassion on the crowds and fed them, healed them, preached the good news to them. He has this kind of compassion on the widow and raised her dead son to life (Luke 7).
Paul says "If, if, If" for he knows they have experienced these benefits. He invites them to bring him fullness of joy by not only experiencing Jesus personally but also bearing the fruit of Jesus corporately by having true unity. Be One-minded, one-loved, one-souled, he says. He wants them to have the same concerns, same affections and same disposition with one another as they live beneath and with the same Lord.
Because they all have the same Lord working in their lives, there is an instant unity they can experience together.
Tell someone next to you: "Wow, are we ever unified in Jesus!"
To see this fruit would fulfill Paul's Joy for he is continuing on with them for their progress and joy in the faith (1:25). He is praying for their unity. To see them fully unified would then be answered prayer. I always know when someone has been praying specifically for something that concerns me. I am sharing something God has done and they all of a sudden jump up and down and say: "ALRIGHT!"
Unity Paul says is the fruit of humility, so goes on to give two negative and positive commands:
First, "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit,"
HEAR THAT? Nothing.
And Part two: "but in humility consider others better than
yourselves."
We can do this simply by thinking: "I'm going to put my interests aside in order to help this brother or sister take a step ahead."
And Second, "Look not only to your own interests, but also to the
interests of others."
Notice, Scripture does not teach to ignore all your own affairs, but to expand the borders of your life to include others.
Paul then says, "your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus."
"The same as Christ Jesus" sounds like a high goal doesn't it. But notice, Paul is calling us to humility, so he says, here is the best example I have, Jesus. Look at how he "did nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit" and look how he "looked out for your interests."
| | III.
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What was the attitude, or thinking of Jesus in his incarnation?
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A. Jesus was truly God but did not cling to his status nor his prerogatives as God, instead "made himself nothing"
He emptied Himself. How can I do the same?
Noticing what Jesus did, the question we can ask is this, where do we find status that we need to release? What false ideas of self are we clinging to, hoping they will bring us happiness? Our steps to humility will be to be emptied of these. Prayer is a place to begin: Lord,…
I let go of the search for status in work, in looks, in possessions
I let go of my desire for control or power
I let go of my desire for affection, esteem or approval
I let go of my desire for security or survival
I let go of the desire to change my current situation,
feelings, or thoughts or events…
To welcome Jesus with his encouragement, comfort, fellowship and compassion into the mess of our false ideas is a great step in humility.
B. And then Jesus took the very nature of a slave -- here the matching term of his deity was used of his humanity. He was Very God and became very man.
As Jesus became fully human, so must I. When I sin I am acting against that which God redeemed me to become.
When Jesus became man he gave mankind a new beginning point. He lived a new kind of life. To be fully alive as a human being after Jesus is to be living fully in relationship to God moment by moment, day by day. It is to live humbly aware of my failings, confessing these, and walking ahead joyfully trusting God moment by moment with the whole. As John wrote in 1 John 2:6: "Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did." Jesus walked as a servant, then so must I offer myself to serve God.
C. Jesus was born in likeness of man "Found in appearance as a man." This speaks of the outward appearance now. And from this position He humbled himself -- went lower still-- became obedient to death EVEN DEATH ON A CROSS.
The Book of Hebrews records that Jesus "learned obedience through the things that he suffered," and do we expect to learn obedience any other way? But it also records that Jesus endured this path with his eyes not fixed on the difficulties of the journey but on what God had ahead. It was because of the "joy set before him" (Hebrews 12:3).
Jesus lived with perspective. To be fully alive as a person we too must have perspective. We must not live any current situation as if in it is all the meaning and reality of our days.
But we must live the current situation remembering the long view. We are alive in Jesus today and this current situation is not eternity. Our whole lives are only the blink of an eye from the eternal perspective. So, live well, repent daily, and keep your eye on the joys promised ahead for all who believe. "with joy the master welcomed him saying, well done good and faithful servant!"
To say this another way, Jesus lived with the "therefore" in view. It is in our text.
"Therefore God highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every other name 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."
As we bend our knee to Jesus we join this chorus of those who bring glory to God.
Humility is not thinking badly of ourselves but thinking greatly of Jesus.
Have this mind in you, says Paul. The mind that approached life with perspective and a joyful willingness to go down in order that we all could follow Him up again. It is a journey through humility to unity and then His prayer for us all can be fulfilled that we would be one and the world will know that He was sent from the Father.
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