October 2, 2022 - Consider others better than yourselves

Not most it like it's not really tough but we're going to pretend that stuff for a bit. And I'm not talking about the political leadership and I'm not talking about our neighbors and I'm not talking about or even are weak dollar. It's tough. Being a Canadian because we're too polite. You don't believe me. Okay, you know, you're Canadian. If you've ever been in this situation, can you play the first video?

Will it play?

It's not playing. Oh, you're missing all the jokes.

It's not an image. It's a video.

What? What converted into an image? Okay. So basically let me explain. This guy is sitting there at the corner in the guys. Going to cross a thing. He says you go. No you go, no you go. So you go, you don't know you go. No you go. No, you go. It's tough being Canadian because we're too polite at Corners. If you ever been in a four-way stop, which will be the next video. That's probably an image is there sitting at these at, at a four-way stop and it's like, okay, you go and meet you and then you go do. And it's, you get really mad at some point or accepting Canadian. If he ever open the door, I do this regularly. Someone else is coming through. Do you go first? So you go first. So you go, first. You can't. It's it's tough being polite. But essentially, what that is, I'd like us to consider that's painfully polite.

As Canadians were painfully polite. And I want you to understand today, what I'm talking about is not you being painfully polite to one another. It's not that you put up with stuff and inwardly, you're seething. It's not that you you know you your smile and Nod and you put on a mask and you're not real with the person whose offending you but you're being offended.

Yeah, there we go. Oh, I'm sorry. Canadian. Anyway, it, we don't need to watch those videos now. Anyway, the the

Is the point is, I don't want you to hear what I'm saying and think 00. Yeah, I better put on a plastic face when I come to church. What we're talking about today is way more life transformative. It is Holy Spirit driven, you can't do it on your own ability. You can't will yourself to love this way. It's it. We are dependent on Holy Spirit to be able to live this way. What am I talking about? What we're going to read? Start reading from Philippians chapter 2, And I'm reading in the old New International Version and what we have on the screen. All we do have 84 in the screen so you'll see what I read. I had the British version for a while. This is small. This is my old Bible. If you have any encouragement from being united in Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same, love for one, another in spirit and purpose, do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility, consider others better than yourself. Each of you should not only look to your own interests but also to the interests of others. Your attitude should be the same of that is Christ. Jesus. Who in being very nature, God did not consider equality with God, something to be grasped, but made himself nothing shaking on the very nature of the servant to being found in human likeness. Do you need any human likeness and being found in the appearance of, man? He humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even death on the cross, therefore, God, exalted him to the highest place and gave him a name. That's above every name that the name of Jesus, every knee shall 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 Therefore, my dear friends as you have always obeyed not only in my presence but not much more. In my absence, continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling for it is God who works in you two willing to act, according to his purpose, do everything without complaining or arguing so that you may become blameless and pure children of God without fault in a crooked, in the freak generation in, which you shine, like, stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life in order that I might boast on that day, that I did not run or labor in vain for nothing. But even if I am being poured out, like a drink-offering on the sacrifice and the service coming from your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you. So you should be glad and rejoice with me. Can we bring?

Lord, I Thank you that you are God and we are not

because Lord, we can trust you. We can trust you to enable us. To every good work. Prompted by faith. We can trust you.

Finish the work you started in US. We can trust you to finish the work. You've started in others. And Lord, we want to thank you for your goodness and realized today, once again of your your crate, love that you have for us. In Jesus name, amen.

So there's a lot to unpack and all these verses and I did read it fairly quickly to get it all in, but I want to start by focusing on Philippians 2:3 in for where he says do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. What is selfish ambition in vain conceit? selfish ambition is saying or thinking, I need to do it to look good or to avoid looking bad. That's selfish, ambition. Being conceit is thinking or saying I deserve this.

Selfish ambition will result in US feeling busy. Being conceit is right to pry that goes before a fall. The fruit of selfish ambition in vain conceit is not something we want in our lives. But the fruit of selfish ambition and being conceited. Something we've all experienced in our lives. And we may continue to experience it if we don't take what Paul is telling us you're seriously and learn to apply it in our lives. Now, the interesting thing. To me is selfish ambition and vain conceit or two of the ways that were advertised to in our world. you don't believe me next time you see a car ad, see that purse that car go down the street and everyone turn their head and all That's selfish ambition, I need that car. Lincoln seat February, I guarantee you the ads will run telling you to go to Cancun or somewhere else in Mexico. And and the message is that we'll use the word you deserve this. And in February, I would have to agree that we all deserve to be somewhere else rather than the middle of winter here and please get what I'm saying. I'm not saying it's bad to have a new car. I'm not saying it's not good to go on a trip. It, it looks are good thing. I'm saying that Paul has told us right now to do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. You can't let those be the reason. Motives matter.

We're told to look out, not only for our own interests but also the interests of others.

It is. Being Canadian without painful politeness. It is offering the other two go first through the door, but laughing about it instead of seething inside

It's not a smile and a wave when you're inwardly seething that you've been offended. Does it really matter? What? That's a great question. I'm so glad you asked. What did Jesus say in John? 13:35 said, he said your love for one. Another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.

That is the criteria. The world needs to see. They need to see that we care for each other and love each other. And I got to say what we've shown them over the years over my lifetime is not that

We've decided that we're going to be known by what we stand against. What we disagree with what offends us?

And we need to repent of that. We need to change that in our attitudes. Because we need to be known by our love for each other.

As a Christian and etiquette Canadian. I often apologize to non-christians for the way that we treat them often. It's a great segue, they love to be apologized to And really I its heartfelt because Christians have done stupid things to them.

We, we can't look out for our own interests and don't think about how it affects those around us. It has to stop.

Simple example. Okay, did you come to church today to get something from God? Or did you come to give something to someone else?

She the ones who came to give something to something up and someone else, you either know, intuitively or you have learned over time through trial and error. And it's the generous who prosper in those who who refreshes others. Will they themselves? Be refreshed. If you want to be refreshed and get something from God, you got to come here to give something to others.

It's calming and raising your voice with others. It's giving that handshake. It's sharing that laugh. It's taking time to pray for someone asking how they're doing. And taking time to really listen, letting them be seen and then and know that they're heard.

We are not called to come and look at the back of each other's heads and leave.

It's a refreshing others that were refreshed. It's a blessing others that we're blessed. We have to look out for the interests of others. We can't demand our own interest, be honored.

it goes on to say this,

we value others above ourselves, not looking out, not looking for your own interests, but looking for the interests of others, we do this because of what Christ did for us, It's not we don't do this to look good in the eyes of others. We don't do this to even look good in the eyes of someone stranger who comes in and sees how much we love each other. We do this because of what Christ has done for us.

Then it goes into this wonderful stirring. Poem that a human being very nature. God did not consider equality with God, something to be grasping. The Divine took on the creation Creator took on the creation. I love you could be made us from dirt and breathe into us, and then decided that he would come in our place and take under himself.

We can't have time to communion and not remember this. We can't gather together or not. Remember what God did for us. He came and took her place.

This and that I should have died with, he took on himself. So that I might live.

Paul's excitement goes into what what has happened and what is going to happen? It in the name of Jesus, every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God, the Father We don't have an option that we either bow Arnie now and see. Jesus is Lord or we Bauer name the leader and know the trouble is coming.

We will all bow.

How many rapes there for? Bruce. 12. beer for meeting because of this because of what Jesus did and is doing and will do

This is how you should live.

Just two things. First of all, he says to continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling

Why? For it, is God who works in you two will enact in order to fulfill his good purpose.

Just to be clear. We are saved. We are being saved and we shall be saved. We are saved the moment we named. Jesus is Lord. The moment he comes in. We are seated in Heavenly places ruling and reigning with him. That is our spirit. We are being saved. We are being made more and more and more into the image of Christ. He is transforming us day-by-day moment-by-moment. Issue-by-issue Problem by problem. He's transforming is more and more into his image and we shall be saved one day when the trumpet will sound of, the Dead will be raised and all who are left behind will be transformed in that moment and the change, the immortal will take on immortality and our bodies will be with him forever and ever.

And our souls and our spirit. Everything will be together. The way we were supposed to be the way that we were made to be in the garden.

So why do we have to work out our salvation with fear and trembling if it's God that works in US.

Paul says, the same thing to the church in Corinth a little bit differently. 1st Corinthians 15:10, he says But by the grace of God, I am what I am. And his grace to me was not without effect. No, I work harder than all of them yet, not I, but the grace of God that was with me.

this is, The dance, we are in with Holy Spirit and with God the father and with Jesus.

He wants us, he created us to do work.

Yeah, that's big rocket real anyway.

He wants to partner with us. He wants to work with us, he doesn't press the issue. He wants you to do your part and he's going to do a rest.

It is on you but it's really not on you because he puts the desire in your heart to do the good, you know, you ought to do and then you do the good, you know, you ought to do and you take that step of faith and then he empowers you to accomplish every good work you from the prompted by faith. That's the dance. It's like he's prompting. You're responding, you're doing, he's responding.

You live your life that way.

It's awesome, it's awesome. When you're in that rhythm.

We can't do it on your own her own. It's holy spirit, that makes it possible for us to consider others better than ourselves.

Because we will be quick to be offended will be quick to sit. The band are away will be quick.

Until were transformed more and more into the image of Christ and realize it's only through holy spirit that we could be less of us and more of him.

So the second thing we're going to do because of what he's done and what he's doing.

Is where to do everything without grumbling and arguing. so that we can be blameless and pure children of God without fault in a warped and crooked Generation Y

Because then you'll shine among them, like, the stars of the sky, as you hold firmly to the word of life.

You know what? Those who know you best will only believe about God. It's the transformation they see in your life.

It's the it's the it's Jesus shining brighter and brighter in your life it's you being made more and more and more into me image of Christ.

That's the the people that know you best. They're the ones who comments. Why do you have peace now? You're not normally this peaceful. You're not really. Don't normally have all this Joy.

Hello.

Your love for one another, that will prove to the world that you are my disciples.

It's the Holy Spirit. Empowers you to accomplish every good work. Prompted by faith. We have a roll and he'll help us in the role but we need to do what he shows us to do. So with that in mind, I presented these tool. It's the dude, each other right tool and were using the word, right? To remember, What we're supposed to do.

So the are in, right? Yeah, I change this. I want to make sure it was changed all over, really selfish ambition. Philippians 2:3 of the start do nothing out of selfish ambition. How do you release selfish ambition? This is just the tip. I'm not telling you, this is the way you do it. This is what I've learned to do. It's to pray regularly, Psalm 139 23 to 24. Memorize it have it in your prayer things to pray to God, search me, o God and know. My heart test. Me and know my anxious thoughts point out to me every anything that offends you and leave me in the path Everlasting to everlasting life. So you learn to pray this song and wait for him to answer you. Whenever you don't feel God's presence in your life for his leading in your life or it's been awhile since you felt his presence. Pray. This prayer go to him and wait for him to answer. He's not hiding.

What you can't see.

He wants to reveal it because then our responses to confession and repentance. when he shows us that

For me it's often got okay. I guess you know I felt you let me down again. Nothing you ever let me down, but it feels like you let me know. And I've been pulling away from you cuz I don't want to be let down again. But I know your word says that you stay closer than a brother and so I Repent of that I asked you, Holy Spirit to get fat to do to help me to drop those to you again and deliver unfriended at you.

Question, you can ask yourself.

If you got selfish ambition simply this. Am I trying to look good or no, or not to look bad.

That's in the moments in the moments. When you find yourself doing something in your little anxious about it or you don't you lost your peace about it or you're doing it? No, you're feeling dizziness. Am I doing this to look good? Or not? Look bad. And then my response is confession and repentance to that. The Ian Wright at wanted us to remember. We need to ignore vain conceit. Second part of Philippians. 3 is do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. How do you ignore being conceit? Jeremiah 9:23 to 24, says, This is what the Lord says, don't let the wise boast in their wisdom or the powerful most in their power or the rich Post in their riches. But those who boasts should boast in this alone that they truly know me and understand that, I am the Lord who demonstrates unfailing love, and who brings Justice and righteousness to the Earth. And that I Delight in these things, I the Lord has spoken.

How do you ignore being conceit? You need to take time to be in awe of God. like we just did this morning, when we considered The Creator becoming part of his creation. Whatever. Tool. You need to make your brain hurt at The Wonder of God. Go for a walk in the fall and look at the trees and is more of a lit reaction. Pick up a book of theoretical astrophysics and read it to your brain hurts or something. You know, like it tell you, those do it for me. Those are just, wow. God, he's God of the Multiverse haha. Anyway.

schedule time to regularly be in awe of God and you will avoid being conceit.

Put God in his place and let yourself be in the right place. Know that he is God in your knots. And that's a good thing.

Question, you can ask yourself in the moment is, is MI doing it because I think I deserve it. If I'm doing it because I think I deserve it. It's being conceit.

The Lord search me. Show me.

Virginian rate. I want us to remember. Generate real humility. Next part. First three years in humility, consider others been yours better than yourself.

How do you have real humility will real humidity starts with knowing who you are and whose you are. Whose are you 1st Corinthians 6? 19 to 20. Don't you realize that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who lives in you and was given to you by God? You don't belong to yourself. You were bought with higher price, you must honor God with your body.

Humility is not the basing yourself. It's not making yourself Less in a couple of weeks, we're going to talk about honoring each other and honor is actually bring the person so you can look at them eye-to-eye. It's honoring who they are in the image of God. It's, it's Humility isn't putting yourself down.

You're not your own. Your been bought a price, you belong to God.

The other part I think I need to talk about here is with humility. I had a friend at the first church that we are in, he's an older gentleman. And I hadn't seen him for a couple of weeks before the service, I went up to him and he was sitting in the few and I went up to him and said, hey, how you doing? Haven't seen you for your for a few weeks and he said, I've been in the hospital. No one came to visit me and I was shocked. I was like, I hadn't heard that. Did you tell me about this? And I forgot, or you're in a care group? Did you tell them? And they didn't tell me know what your wife was here? Did she told me I told her not to and I started to laugh at him but you need me to come, you know, in the Bible it says if you're sick you call the Elders of the church. The responsibility is on you. Why?

You're just as good as Holy Spirit, sometimes remind us.

It's uh, humility. It's Pride that keeps you from doing that. It's me. I'm going to pick a fence instead of picking up the phone and say, listen I need to talk. I need help. I need to do something. so humble yourself to get help as well, because if you're not,

Got to work on the humility, don't worry, he's making you more and more to the image of Christ.

Uh, In. Right is the hold the same attitude as Christ in this comes from Philippians 5 and 7. It says, in your relationship with one another have the same mindset. Is Christ. Jesus, who is being very nature. God did not equality could not consider equality with God. Something to be used to his Advantage rather. He made himself Nothing by taking on the very nature of the servants speak made in human likeness.

How can you have the same attitude as Christ? Hebrews 12:1. + 2 gives us some Clues here. Says since therefore, since we're surrounded by such a great, huge crowd of witnesses, to the life of faceless strip off every weight, that supposes down especially the sin. That so easily trips us up and let us run the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus. The champion, who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, this regarding its shame, and he's seated at the place of high honor besides God inside God's throne.

It was the joy set before him that made him injure.

It's the attitude that says we're here to serve and not be served.

Jesus came with that attitude, he came with humility and didn't use his godhead.

He could have called the Angels before he was on the cross, but he didn't.

And it was the joy set before him that he couldn't hear all of that.

Question. We all need to have is a my servant to others or am I looking to be served

Am I here to meet the needs of others or am? I'm here to get my own needs met.

There are moments and there are seasons that we go through that. We need our needs mats. Like I'm not saying Put on a mask and be a pretend Christian hear me when I'm saying this. I'm saying there are seasons when we got to say, I can't carry this load. Can you come help me carry it? Are seasons when I just like, I just need. I need you. People. I need help.

Will you be humble enough to ask for it?

It's not.

I believe our general attitude needs to come to be served and not served at to be to serve and not be served.

But I'm not disregarding. The reality of your situation.

But again, we need you to tell us.

Am I serving to others? Or am I looking to be served? The T in right? Is it working to transform with holy spirit's help? Come from Philippians 2, 12 to 16. Their form of dear friends, as you have always obeyed, not only my presents but now much more in my absence continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling for it is God who works in you the will into act in order to fulfill his good purpose. Do everything without grumbling or arguing so that you may become a blameless and pure children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation, then you will shine Among the Stars like stars, like Shine among them like stars in the sky as you firmly. Hold to the word of life. How do we transform? All expands it in Romans 12:1 and 2. So dear, brothers and sisters. I plead with you to give your bodies to God, because of all he has done for you, let them be a living and holy sacrifice, the kind, he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship Him. Don't copy the behavior. And customs of this world selfish. Ambition in vain conceit. Don't do that. Let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you'll learn to know, God's will for you which is good and pleasing and perfect.

Question you can ask yourself is MI conforming or to the world or am I being transformed a simpler way to ask that is, does this make me more like Jesus?

Listen. We need to consider each other better than we consider ourselves. Doesn't mean we put ourselves down or forget to ask for help when we need it.

It means as much as we can do.

With whatever resources we have. With whatever strength we have, it might not be much sometimes you why sometimes you soar on wings like eagles sometimes you walk and not grow weary. Sometimes you walk in that faint. there's a difference with the season sometimes, all you can do is just walk and help somebody

Other times you can help him sore. It's okay. Seasons of life. We do what we can with what we've got. Have a good news. Is Holy Spirit. Fills the rest in.

A lot of times it's just getting out of the way and letting Holy Spirit do the work.

you know, when someone suffering, if you were read Jobe lately,

His friends were really good for 4 days, they said nothing. He just sat there. But in the meantime, they were receiving cuz this guy didn't know what he was doing. And when times when you drove start to speak, they ripped into him.

Do you like jokes friends for the first 4 days?

Do each other right to the release selfish ambition you ask yourself. Am I looking trying to look good in or not? Look bad, you ignore vain conceit in my doing it because I think I deserve it. You generate real humiliated, real humility, and my lifting others up, or am I putting others down all about? I forgot that question. That's a good one. Remember that. Go to the same attitude as Christ in my servant to others. Or am I looking to be served transform with holy spirit's help? Does this make me look more like Jesus?

when I was, Doing a lot more.

Premarital counseling.

I had an article that I made the couple's read and bring back to me so we can discuss. And the article was entitled. What if God created marriage to make us holy and not happy.

And that's a question that comes up in my thinking all the time.

What if God made Church to make us holy and not to make us happy?

What if he's designed it? so that those rough edges, we have other people can help rub off. Intentionally or unintentionally, but it makes us more like him.

I've looked in the book. God's goal for us is never to be happy. Happiness is a byproduct. It's not a goal.

Holiness. Holiness is a goal, righteousness, peace and joy. That's the kingdom. Righteousness and Holiness. Peace, and joy. Basically, righteousness is Holiness in my thinking, but

That is that is his goal. That's what he's working in you.

What is serving others? Is the way to make you more like, Jesus and everything. That's truth, Oracle. That's the point Jesus. It's coming with what you have. It's not doing what you can't do. A lot of times, it can be connecting a lot of us can connect others with people that can help.

Sometimes it's a listening ear just to really hear and say, oh that sucks. Sometimes life sucks.

But God is good.

We need each other. and it's not that we need seats in the pews because we can do what we're doing in a house and heard several hoses.

Might even be more effective.

Because when you're in a circle, you got to bring something.

I really liked what I heard this other church to where we just spend some time and quiet reflection, and then the words of Prophecy attack.

I think what I'm going to do, instead, I want to more practical today, Will closing prayer and its 11:50 and you guys are elderly don't leave without talking to people. Don't leave without loving on that. Don't leave without sharing if you got a need or or getting prayer, if you need prayer or praying with somebody, if they need for are like Don't leave here without being the church. Don't leave here without loving each other. Don't leave here without putting others interests ahead of your own.

Can we stand?

Heavenly father. I thank you that you are the one that work in our lives. But you're the one that is making us more and more and more like the son that you love. But you're the gardener that takes the vines and trims off the fruitful branches, so that we can be more fruitful.

You're the one that steps away, the things that will distract us from our true purpose.

Lord, I pray for everyone here. Who needs an answer to prayer?

I join my prayers with theirs and I say yes. And amen to the prayers that they're praying in response to what you put on there Arts.

Poor souls and more souls for healing for transformation for Lord. Whatever is on people's hearts today.

Where does we go from here today? I asked that we could be the church. And love each other with the love that you give us.

And serve each other. Putting each other's interests ahead of Our Own.

I thank you for everyone here and everyone watching online and watching later. Lord God I thank you for the the many who

Make this church their home but Lord may not be here today.

Encourage them, strengthen them. Help them. Bless them.

And Lord me, we leave this place knowing that we've been blessed by you. In Jesus name, we pray. Amen. Amen. You may be seated rickel, with a few announcements and then don't leave without doing applying, okay.