Passion (2)
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· 1 viewJesus showed us how to humble ourselves by His example.
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Humble Love
Humble Love
Big Idea: Jesus gave up heaven to come to earth to live as a human and die as a human. Jesus chose humility, and living to serve others, offered up His life as a ransom for many. It was this act of love that caused Him to be given the name above all names.
Prayer: “Lord, help us to put others before ourselves, to be obedient and faithful to your high calling.”
Welcome, church! I am excited to be back with you all once again this week, as we continue in our movement toward the celebration of Jesus’ Resurrection with the series we started last Sunday called Passion.
Remember, while Jesus was hanging on the cross, it wasn’t the nails that kept Him there. It wasn’t the threat of the Roman legions or the hatred of the Jewish elite. Rather, it was His passion for humanity that led Him to take the punishment of our own sins upon Himself. Jesus gave up His life so that we might have eternal life.
As we learned last week, He was fueled by unconditional and sacrificial love. And God the Father, so loved the world, that He gave His one and only son. God gave us the greatest gift, Jesus, through whom we might all experience everlasting life and forgiveness.
And as you may have heard,
Acts 20:35 (NKJV)
I have shown you in every way, by laboring like this, that you must support the weak. And remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ”
STORY: Talk about a time you gave something up so that someone else could have it. For example, maybe a foul ball you caught at a baseball game, or a space in line at some event… Regardless of the specifics, make the point that there is something beautiful about giving away something of value.
In 2 Corinthians 9 the Apostle Paul is talking about generosity and giving. He concludes the section by proclaiming,
Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!
The gift He is talking about is, of course, Jesus. And it was a gift to all humanity that Jesus left His heavenly post to be with us.
He was fueled by love, as we’ve already discussed, but if love was the fuel then there were also several other additives present in the life of Jesus. As we’ll learn today, one of those irreplaceable additives was humility.
Jesus was and is the humble king who serves a world in desperate need.
Main Message
Let’s look together at a specific passage of scripture that helps us understand how Jesus displayed His passion for humanity while both on the earth and on the cross. Turn with me to Philippians 2:5-11. This is the Apostle Paul writing, and here’s what he has to say about Jesus.
Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus,
who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God,
but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men.
And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.
Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name,
that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth,
and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Notice that Paul calls us to have the same mindset as Christ before we are told what that mindset is.
I wonder how many of us have some level of a conditional faith.
“God, I will go and do what you are calling me to do, but only if it aligns with my own priority list, schedule, and comfort zone.”
Paul, more than many, came to understand that those who are used by God for great things are often outside of their comfort zones.
He knew that all of his life had to be surrendered to God.
Which begs the question for us today, have you surrendered everything you have to God?
Have you surrendered your thoughts to God… your mindset?
Think in Humility
Think in Humility
George Bernard Shaw said,
“Those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything.” George Bernard Shaw
And if you’re going to think like Christ and have the mindset of Christ, I imagine most of us here today, need some fairly drastic mental reform.
Thankfully, the Bible has some very specific instruction and encouragement about the mind and the thoughts therein.
One of the most well known comes from the book of Philippians which says,
Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.
So often our thoughts wander off into deep and dark territory.
We can get ourselves “stuck” somewhere and even begin to believe things that simply aren’t true.
I’m sure there are some here today who would say they struggle with this very thing.
The antidote, Paul says, is to focus your thoughts on true things, noble things, praiseworthy things, pure and lovely things, anything that is admirable.
Which is easier said than done obviously, but it’s a good reminder for when the mind starts to wander.
And it’s a great place to start if you want to have the mindset of Christ.
But the other encouragement, from Romans 12:2 gives us some extremely practical mindset advice:
And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
Do not conform to the patterns of the world, they’re not going to give you the mindset of Christ.
Instead, be transformed by the renewing of your mind, through the power of the Spirit through the reading of the scriptures and prayer.
Then, you will better know the will of God. And the will of God was at the forefront of the mind of Christ.
In the gospel of Luke we get a picture of Jesus praying to God on the Mount of Olives;
saying, “Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done.”
Jesus was in anguish as he prayed. Even still, He humbled himself and gave himself to the will of God which led to the cross.
Act in Humility
Act in Humility
Jesus had a humble mindset and posture. As Paul relates in our Philippians passage;
who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God,
but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men.
Jesus acted in humility in the most unbelievable way.
He did not count His Godly nature as something to take advantage of or hide behind.
Instead, He willingly chose to make Himself nothing by trading His Godly nature for that of a servant.
He acted in humility, became human, and was born into a poor family. And the rest they say, is history.
Stories of great humility almost always cause us to take a step back and offer our admiration to those involved.
Obviously the example of Jesus, who gave His very life for those He loved, stands as the “gold standard” of humility and sacrifice.
But maybe these stories are so striking because they’re so rare… I
t’s become almost unbelievable to us that people would take time out of their busy lives to serve and love others.
Which is probably why Jesus told us to act in humility, to serve and love one another, and to give all the glory to God in the process.
Humility is fundamentally about others.
It’s not about thinking less of yourself, it’s literally thinking about yourself, less.
Focusing your time, energy and thoughts on others.
Becoming more “we” focused and less “me” focused.
Humility is so powerful because being selfish is our normal operating procedure.
And Jesus taught us to break the norm, be radical, and love others.
It starts with how you think, it grows into selfless acts of service for others, and it continues in obedience to the great calling of Christ in our lives.
Obey in Humility
Obey in Humility
One of the most important steps we can take as it relates to mirroring Christ’s humility is the step of obedience.
It’s one thing to act in a humble way toward others, but it’s another to obey humbly before God.
Paul says that when Jesus appeared in human form, He humbled Himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross.
Frequently, obedience may cost something while birthing something wonderful.
Do you remember the scene in scripture when Jesus is sentenced to death?
Read Mark 15:1-15
Immediately, in the morning, the chief priests held a consultation with the elders and scribes and the whole council; and they bound Jesus, led Him away, and delivered Him to Pilate.
Then Pilate asked Him, “Are You the King of the Jews?” He answered and said to him, “It is as you say.”
And the chief priests accused Him of many things, but He answered nothing.
Then Pilate asked Him again, saying, “Do You answer nothing? See how many things they testify against You!”
But Jesus still answered nothing, so that Pilate marveled.
Now at the feast he was accustomed to releasing one prisoner to them, whomever they requested.
And there was one named Barabbas, who was chained with his fellow rebels; they had committed murder in the rebellion.
Then the multitude, crying aloud, began to ask him to do just as he had always done for them.
But Pilate answered them, saying, “Do you want me to release to you the King of the Jews?”
For he knew that the chief priests had handed Him over because of envy.
But the chief priests stirred up the crowd, so that he should rather release Barabbas to them.
Pilate answered and said to them again, “What then do you want me to do with Him whom you call the King of the Jews?”
So they cried out again, “Crucify Him!”
Then Pilate said to them, “Why, what evil has He done?” But they cried out all the more, “Crucify Him!”
So Pilate, wanting to gratify the crowd, released Barabbas to them; and he delivered Jesus, after he had scourged Him, to be crucified.
Even Pilate, the one who gets to decide what happens to Jesus, does not believe Jesus has done anything to deserve to die the death of a criminal.
And yet, He does.
This is what obedience to the Father looked like for Jesus.
How often do we pray a similar prayer as Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane: “Lord, may your will be done?”
There is something humbling about realizing how incapable we are to save ourselves.
We are called to entrust that part to Jesus’ sacrifice.
This is what obedience for us looks like day by day.
It looks like bowing before Christ everyday on our knees, inviting Him into our story and thanking Him for His sacrificial love.
And that sacrifice is what obedience cost Christ: His very life.
But what did Jesus’ obedience birth?
The Bible makes it clear that Jesus did not stay dead.
Instead, all of the pain and suffering in the life of Christ served a purpose, just as it does in ours.
Do you believe God can use the hard times in your life for good?
Conclusion
And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.
For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.
All along, God was working in the life of Christ.
The same is true for us.
God is able to use every situation, every frustration, every obstacle, every last thing… for the good of those who love Him.
And as we learn to trust Him, we learn the value of obedience and faithfulness…
Which leads us to look more and more like Christ.
“As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love.
If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.
“These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full.
This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.
Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.
In this passage Jesus invites His disciples, and us, to remain in His love and to keep His commandments.
He invites us to be obedient, and then He offers a new commandment… to love one another as He has loved us.
To lay our lives down for others.
Just like He did.
So consider the road of humility this coming week.
Where are the areas in your life you need to think about others, put them first, and trade your life for theirs?
How can you lift others up, encourage them, and help them feel loved?
Let’s pray together.