J.O.Y. PT. 2
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Yourself Last!
Yourself Last!
Our theme, the church and me in 23 comes to us from these verses.
24 And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: 25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.
The next few weeks we are getting into a new series titled J.O.Y.
We will be wrapping up our year with these three sermons, then two weeks of Christmas, followed by a year end wrap up.
1 If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies, 2 Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. 3 Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. 4 Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. 5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: 7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: 8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
*open prayer*
Last week we began this series with the simple concept of putting Jesus First!
Something that, like many things, is easily preached, but a lot harder to put in practice.
Jesus First was the message last week.
This week, Yourself last.
There are a lot of areas we can explore in the Bible when it comes to selfless acts.
But we are starting off this morning a simple understanding of the attitude of Christ, who even thought is God in flesh, put himself last in the ultimate act of Love.
What does this verse mean in Matthew?
16 So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen.
Is this talking about physically?
Socially?
Spiritually?
We are going to explore that out with the example of Jesus himself.
1 If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies,
If there be any consolation…
What does that word mean?
Consolation-
the action of stopping someone from being angry
How appropriate that we find this word in a sermon series titled “joy”.
Where do we find this consolation???
This comfort of love?
In Christ.
So how did Christ maintain a state of Joy, even while the world around him turned on Him?
In spite of the betrayal, the pain, the physical and emotional damage directed his way… Jesus still put others ahead of Himself.
Have you ever found yourself in a position of betrayal?
Is that not the worst feeling in the world?
When those you love and trust intentionally turn on you?
Think about Jesus
15 No, nor yet Herod: for I sent you to him; and, lo, nothing worthy of death is done unto him. 16 I will therefore chastise him, and release him. 17 (For of necessity he must release one unto them at the feast.) 18 And they cried out all at once, saying, Away with this man, and release unto us Barabbas: 19 (Who for a certain sedition made in the city, and for murder, was cast into prison.) 20 Pilate therefore, willing to release Jesus, spake again to them. 21 But they cried, saying, Crucify him, crucify him. 22 And he said unto them the third time, Why, what evil hath he done? I have found no cause of death in him: I will therefore chastise him, and let him go. 23 And they were instant with loud voices, requiring that he might be crucified. And the voices of them and of the chief priests prevailed. 24 And Pilate gave sentence that it should be as they required.
Taking time to read this chapter is kind of hard to do.
My heart breaks as I think of the ultimate act of betrayal actively takes place.
Completely unjustifiable, and with malice in their hearts, they cried out “crucify him!”
I understand that there is a lot of pain out in the world today.
I don’t think any of us are that naive to say otherwise...
But i truly cannot imagine the pain Jesus took that day.
Honestly I don’t know what would be worse, the emotional pain of that moment, or the physical torture and death that would soon follow.
What Christ did for us is so much more than even His death on the cross...
John says it this way...
16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
He gave....
That’s what Jesus did for you and for me....
He gave.
Think about it, Jesus did not sin, it was our sins that brought death, and our sins that put him on the cross that day.
23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Jesus was not putting himself first, even though He deserves to be first, he put you and he put me first...
How do you convey that type of love to the world?
The world lacks joy and peace because they lack an understanding of that kind of Love!
2 Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.
You can fill up on joy having the same type of love fill your soul.
The apostle Paul wrote this to the Philippians knowing the love of Christ in their life would bring him joy.
There is something critical to understand here...
The type of love that Christ displayed at Calvary,
The type of love from Galatians 5, (the fruit of the spirit)
The type of love that is therefore found in every true believer in Christ...
That type of love would compel us to put others first.
That type of love forces a desire in our hearts to share the Gospel.
At the moment of salvation those fruits of the Holy Spirit take hold in your life and there is an explosion of love unlike anything you have ever known that fills you.
You cannot contain it, or describe it, but you need to tell others so that they too can experience a love that is truly indescribable.
Maybe you are here today and you have never felt that type of love?
Maybe you forgot what that felt like.
Maybe you have been resisting God for so long you no longer feel that way.
Maybe its time to rededicate your life to Christ.
When you keep God first, keeping others ahead of yourself becomes natural.
3 Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. 4 Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.
Selflessness, an attribute of Christ that is underappreciated in the church today.
It seems a lot of times people do things for “advancement” or “promotion” and not really for selfless reasons.
Vainglory means “empty glory”.
When man thinks too highly of themselves. Another word would be “conceit”
When we live with the feeling that we are so important, or so able, or so talented, we are out of God’s will. We are working against the unity Paul pleaded with the Philippians and all Christians to have.
Men seeking praise from others is a driving force in today’s society.
But that is not the example Jesus gave us, and yet he is the one that deserves all the Glory, all the honor, and all the praise.
How many of us, if given the option, would take it as far as He did.
How much betrayal, heartache would you endure?
How many lashes from the Roman Cat of 9 tails would you have taken?
As the flesh is ripped from your body?
How much praise was Jesus receiving during all of this?
Yet, where every one of us would fail, Jesus succeeded.
Lowliness of mind has traditionally been viewed as weakness in the pagan world.
To the ancient Greeks, manhood was centered around imposing your will on others.
Voluntarily making yourself submissive was viewed as cowardly or disgraceful, so you were compelled by society to be “strong” and dominating.
This is what makes it even harder to do what Jesus did.
He, going against society, going against the glory he was justified in receiving, came down from the throne room of God and humbled himself to manhood.
Putting himself last.
6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: 7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: 8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
Jesus took it all the way.
He not only had a love for others, He not only rejected the will of the flesh and submitted to the will of the father, but He displayed such a love.
The world is filled with people who don’t know this type of love.
Its often been compared to the love and joy you feel when a child is born.
Most parents can’t wait to pick up a phone and start making those calls, announcing to the world the good news.
What stops us form doing the same with the Gospel?
Can we not just call or talk to someone with the sole intention of telling them about the love of Jesus?
If this type of love is in you, it should be almost uncontainable.
5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
If you now the love of Jesus, the same type He displayed on the cross, dwell on it.
LET IT..... Let it fill you and drive you.
That is the ultimate direction of a true “christian”.
Are you suppressing that type of love today?
Is there resistance in your heart today of this type of love?
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
Are these fruits filling your soul every day?
Maybe your in hear today and you truly never have had such an experience...
A peace that paces all understanding, a love that drives you to put yourself last, a shield of faith that protects you from spiritual harm...
If you never had that, would you consider submitting to Jesus today?
8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.
God gives grace....
Amazing Grace...
Would you come to Him today?
*close prayer*