Think Like Jesus
Notes
Transcript
text: Phil 2:1-11
1 Therefore if you have any encouragement in Christ, if any comfort from His love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any affection and compassion,
2 then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being united in spirit and purpose.
3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or empty pride, but in humility consider others more important than yourselves.
4 Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.
5 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus:
6 Who, existing in the form of God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
7 but emptied Himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in human likeness.
8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to death— even death on a cross.
9 Therefore God exalted Him to the highest place and gave Him the name above all names,
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
PRAY
Introduction
This is a difficult passage to preach, for two reasons.
First, because it is an extremely convicting passage. As I hold my own life up to the standard of God’s Word, I fall so far short of meeting this standard of thinking like Jesus and truly living in humility toward everyone. And it will be convicting to you also, if you are alive. That makes it hard to preach.
Second, the glorious truths of the second part of the passage are so wonderful, and I feel so inadequate and incapable of expressing the wonderful, amazing truths here. This passage alone is worth a lifetime of meditation and application. But I have just a half hour or so.
When was the last time you observed someone who was genuinely humble? Please, don’t tell me it was when you looked in the mirror this morning!
Thursday night, I was up during the middle of the night thinking about my message. And as I thought about humility and what it looks like in action, God brought to mind some people we worked with in Mexico.
About an hour away from the city where we lived, in a small town, probably about the size of Mesick, lived a young pastor and his family. About halfway through our time there, God put it in my heart to work with a small town ministry, and I got connected with this pastor and church. He had no formal training in the Bible and knew very little about the Bible and pastoral ministry, but he was the one left in charge of the church in this small town.
I had the opportunity to work with him and his family for a year and a half, and over that time taught them many things from the Bible, answered their questions, and helped train him in ministry as a pastor.
Whenever I would go, they would receive me warmly, and they were always eager to hear and learn more about the Bible. More than that, they were always very generous with me. They always served me a nice meal, and they sent me back home with tortillas and often fruits or vegetable for the family. And on almost every visit, they gave me an offering, usually somewhere between 100-200 pesos (5-10 USD), a very generous amount for this poor town. They also learned early on that I like to drink cold water, and they always made sure to buy me a bottle of cold water when I visited. I never demanded any of these things and rarely even asked for anything, but they were always very generous.
Most of these people live on less than 10% of what the average American makes, and yet they are happy and give freely from the little that they have.
In fact, the word humble in Spanish (humilde), is used more often to describe a person’s economic status (poor) than their character (humble). I think one reason for that is that there seems to be a connection between how much wealth and power a person has and how they treat other people.
Those who have very little money and power tend to treat people better than those with lots of money and power. The more resources you have, the harder it is to keep a proper perspective of yourself and others around you. God warned the people of Israel in Deuteronomy to beware lest their wealth should lift them up in pride. The more you have, the harder it is to be humble.
This is why the humility of Jesus is so stunning. He had everything, for all eternity. And He gave it up to serve the Father and us and to save us from our sins. As Paul said in 2 Corinthians 8:9, For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich.
That’s what humility looks like in action. Sacrificing your comforts, conveniences, and resources, for the good of others.
Humility is the attitude that leads to actions of love toward God and others. If we are to grow in love, we must grow in humility.
The Basis for Thinking Like Jesus
The Basis for Thinking Like Jesus
(v. 1)
The basis for thinking like Jesus is the unity we share in the gospel, because of who Jesus is and what He’s done for us.
1 Therefore if you have any encouragement in Christ, if any comfort from His love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any affection and compassion,
The word Therefore at the beginning of v. 1 takes us back to the end of chapter 1, where Paul dealt with the need for unity in the midst of the suffering that the Philippian believers are experiencing. He says again in v. 27 of chapter 1,
27 Nevertheless, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in one spirit, contending side by side for the faith of the gospel,
There is a way of living that corresponds to the gospel of Christ. As citizens of His heavenly kingdom, there is a way we ought to live - namely unity. “In one spirit” he says. The reality of your salvation is that you are united to Christ, and by extension, you are united with everyone else who is united to Christ. We are one spiritual family. This is the reality, but the way that we live doesn’t always correspond with reality.
Paul says, live in the reality of the gospel. You are one in Christ, so live like it.
This unity in the gospel not only affects the way that we live and treat each other as believers, it also leads us to contend side by side for the faith of the gospel. Because we are united in Christ, we are to work together for the advance of the gospel, so that more and more people hear and believe the good news about Christ.
As we do these things, we will be opposed by those who reject the gospel. And sadly, when we are dealing with rejection and suffering of any sort, it often requires more effort to remain united in our gospel living and gospel proclamation. So we must work all the harder to stand together in the face of opposition.
1 Therefore if you have any encouragement in Christ, if any comfort from His love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any affection and compassion,
The things that Paul mentions here in v. 1 are not things that are optional or that may or may not characterize Christians. When he uses the word if four times here, he does not mean that these things may or may not be true. Rather, it almost seems to carry the force of since or because. Because these things are true of you, this is how you must live. The things he mentions here are true of you if you’re a believer.
you have encouragement in Christ,
you have comfort from His love,
you have fellowship with the Spirit,
you have affection and compassion from the heart of God.
And because these things are true, Paul commands us to think a certain way - to think like Jesus.
The Command to Think Like Jesus
The Command to Think Like Jesus
(v. 2-5)
2 then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being united in spirit and purpose.
3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or empty pride, but in humility consider others more important than yourselves.
4 Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.
5 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus:
There is a Greek verb in these verses that is repeated 3 times. It’s translated 3 different ways here, so maybe a little difficult to recognize in English - but twice in v. 2 and once in v. 5 we find a verb which means to think a certain way or to have a certain attitude or way of thinking.
being like-minded
united in purpose
let this mind be
There is a certain way that the Philippians (and we) need to think, a kind of thinking that should characterize us as Christians.
Why is the way that we think so important?
Because right thinking —> right living; the way that we think leads us toward certain actions. So if we want to have the right actions, we need to start with the right thinking.
Paul says that the right kind of thinking matches the way that Jesus thought. Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus… And as we’ll see,
Thinking like Jesus means thinking with humility.
When we think with humility, we will pursue the interests of others above our own as Jesus did. And we will find, as Jesus did, that pursuing the interests of others above our own leads to the greatest joy.
I think we can say biblically that there is a strong connection between humility and love. I believe that humility is the attitude that leads to the actions of love. Love means pursuing the good of others, and humility is the way of thinking that leads toward that kind of love. Like Jesus, we are to have the attitude of a servant, leading us to serve others as Jesus did.
But before Paul gives us the greatest example of humility, he gives us the command to think with humility.
2 then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being united in spirit and purpose.
make my joy complete - for Paul it was a cause for joy when believers live like believers ought to live. When those whom he won to Christ and discipled in the faith grew in their faith and obedience to Christ, that made him happy. He wasn’t only interested in giving them instructions, but in seeing them live out the truths of the gospel. It made Paul joyful to see God at work in them as they pursue unity through humility.
being like-minded - what made Paul’s joy complete? That they would be like-minded - that is, that they would all share the same way of thinking, and he goes on to clarify what that looks like. To be like-minded means…
having the same love - sharing together in love: receiving God’s love and loving the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength; loving one another as believers, and letting his love flow through you toward everyone.
being united in spirit and purpose - literally, sharing one soul, thinking one thing - that is, being completely united in our focus and our purposes in life
Being like-minded also means…
3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or empty pride, but in humility consider others more important than yourselves.
Do(ing) nothing out of selfish ambition or empty pride - selfishness and pride are the opposites of humility. Being proud means thinking more of ourselves than we ought to, forgetting that everything we have and everything we are comes from God, not from ourselves. Being selfish means thinking about ourselves and our own interests first - what’s in it for me, what’s best for me. Paul says that nothing that we do should look like that - when people look at what we say and do, they should not see selfishness and pride, but rather…
but in humility consider(ing) others more important than yourselves - the opposite of selfishness and pride is the humility that counts other people as more important, more significant than ourselves. It’s more important for me to serve others than to be served by others, because I count their needs as more important than my own.
And v. 4
4 Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.
Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others - humility doesn’t mean neglecting your own needs or never doing something that you want to do, but that it is not your first or only priority to pursue your own interests. Rather you focus your attention on other people and what they need.
Let’s be honest. We all fall far short of this standard, don’t we. Even in our best, most loving relationships, we are often selfish and proud, thinking of ourselves as more important, looking out for our own interests first and foremost.
Later in this same chapter, Paul commends Timothy as an example of this kind of humble service, and he notes how rare of a quality it is: In Phil 2:20-21 he says concerning Timothy,
20 I have nobody else like him who will genuinely care for your needs. 21 For all the others look after their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ.
I think that we all detest pride and selfishness when we see it in others, but we are often blind to it in our own lives.
And we all love to see when someone serves in genuine, selfless humility for the good of others, but today, just like back then, it seems to be a rare quality.
Even so, this is the standard to which we are held by God’s Word.
Let me give you a few examples of what this kind of humility might look like in action:
When I’m sitting on the couch and Rebekah walks by and I smell a dirty diaper, rather than pretending I don’t smell anything and hoping Sarah will take care of it, I get up and change her diaper.
When I’m busy watching a baseball game and one of the kids comes up and asks me for a drink of milk, I put aside the game for a moment to meet their need.
When the sink is full of dishes, I don’t just hope someone else will take care of it. I wash them.
When I see a piece of trash on the floor here at church, I don’t wait for someone else to clean it up. I take care of it.
When I see a visitor arrive to church, I don’t wait and hope someone else will make them feel welcome. I go over and talk to them.
When I have a disagreement with someone, I put aside our differences to show them the love of Christ.
I would encourage you to consider what humility looks like in your particular circumstances and the people you deal with. This attitude of humility will lead to loving actions of service for the good of others around us, even at great cost to ourselves.
To clarify the high standard to which we are being held, Paul tells us in v. 5 who sets the standard of humility:
5 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus:
This mindset of humility, this humble way of thinking to which we are called as Christians, is the very attitude that Jesus Christ Himself had. Jesus is the perfect example of humility, and we are to follow His perfect example.
Please note that this is a command. Not a suggestion. Not an option. We are commanded to pursue humility in the same way that Jesus Himself demonstrated it.
And when we fall or fail, we must confess and forsake our sin, seek His forgiveness, and get back up and pursue this standard of humility.
Jesus’s Way of Thinking
Jesus’s Way of Thinking
(v. 6-11)
So what does perfect humility look like?
6 Who, existing in the form of God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
7 but emptied Himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in human likeness.
8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to death— even death on a cross.
9 Therefore God exalted Him to the highest place and gave Him the name above all names,
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Let’s go through these verses and see what perfect humility looks like.
6 Who, existing in the form of God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
Who, existing in the form of God - Paul starts off this beautiful poem by reminding us who Jesus Christ is - He is God. Specifically, God the Son. And while He was born in Bethlehem a little over 2000 years ago, He is the Word of God who has always existed. He is the eternal Son of God who shares the very nature and essence of God.
did not consider equality with God something to be grasped - the eternal Son of God who shares the nature of God the Father is equal to God the Father. The Son has eternally shared the glory of the Father as Jesus asserts in His prayer in John 17. Yet the equality that the Son shared with the Father, He did not consider it something to be grasped, to hold onto at all costs. But rather,
7 but emptied Himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in human likeness.
but emptied Himself - Let us not think for a moment that when the Son of God became man in order to make men sons of God, that He stopped being God Himself. God the Son did not lose His deity when He took on flesh; rather He emptied Himself by covering His deity in human flesh. For a time, He veiled His glory and let go of His rights and privileges. One of my favorite Christmas carols, Hark the Herald Angels Sing says it this way,
Veiled in flesh the Godhead see, Hail the incarnate Deity. Pleased as man with men to dwell, Jesus our Immanuel.
His Godness was hidden for a time, and only a few times did He reveal His glory in great ways to His followers.
taking the form of a servant - He took the form of a servant or slave; being equal with God the Father, the Son lowered Himself to serve the interests of the Father by His obedience in carrying out the plan of redemption. Not only that, but He also served us, those who are much lower than He is, by giving His life in our place to save us. Jesus said, The Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many. We might think also of how he lowered Himself to wash His disciples feet at the Last Supper. The greatness of our King Jesus is that He uses His authority to serve, unlike most of our earthly authorities, who are more interested in being served.
being made in human likeness - The Word became flesh and dwelt among us; He shared in our sickness and weakness and temptation, yet without sin.
8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to death— even death on a cross.
And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself - this is the main action in these verses and Paul’s main point - He humbled Himself. He who is eternal God, humbled Himself. How much more ought we, mere humans, to humble ourselves.
and became obedient to death— This was the reason Jesus came - to accomplish our redemption. The Scriptures teach us that in eternity past, the Father planned to save a people for Himself, providing salvation through the atoning death of the Son, and effectually accomplishing that salvation through the Spirit. The Son’s work, His obedience, was to die in the place of sinners, to secure our redemption. And, thank God, He did exactly that. He was obedient to the point of death,
even death on a cross - one of the worst, most painful ways that anyone could die, Jesus was willing to go there, in loving obedience to the Father and out of love for us.
9 Therefore God exalted Him to the highest place and gave Him the name above all names,
Therefore God exalted Him to the highest place - The resurrection is the Father’s seal of approval on the obedient death of His Son, and the Son’s ascension to His throne at the right hand of the Father is how the Father has highly exalted Him. Could there be a place of greater honor and glory than to be at the right hand of the Majesty on High?
and gave Him the name above all names - what is the name above all names? Looking at v. 10 it might be easy to think that Paul means Jesus is that name; but I believe it’s actually the name in v. 11 - Lord. The name above all names is the name that every tongue will confess, the name that every person will ascribe to Jesus - that He is the Lord of all. It is the name of glory, the name of God Himself that He shares with no one else. It is God’s own personal name, Yahweh - I AM WHO I AM.
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
To understand these verses, we need to know that Paul is drawing this from the OT.
23 By Myself I have sworn; truth has gone out from My mouth, a word that will not be revoked: Every knee will bow before Me, every tongue will swear allegiance.
Who’s talking in that verse? The verse before says,
22 Turn to Me and be saved, all the ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is no other.
To clarify, a few verses before that tells us who this God is:
Isaiah 45:6 (BSB)
6 … there is none but Me; I am the LORD, and there is no other.
This God is Yahweh, I AM WHO I AM.
And now Paul applies the words of Yahweh to Jesus, saying that Jesus is the one to whom every knee will bow, the one to whom every tongue will swear allegiance, calling Him Lord, or Yahweh. Every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is God.
Remember these verses if you ever interact with Jehovah’s witnesses. They deny that Jesus is God, but Paul shows beyond a shadow of a doubt that Jesus is in fact God, He is Jehovah or Yahweh, the eternal God.
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
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, - every knee of every person who has ever lived, as well as every other created being, will bow down and everyone will confess Jesus Christ to be the Lord God. And the last phrase is amazing:
to the glory of God the Father - we might think that this celebration of the Son might take away from the glory of God the Father. But instead, by glorifying His Son, God the Father is Himself glorified. And this is exactly what Jesus prayed for:
John 17:1 (BSB)
1 … “Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son may glorify You.”
The Father gives glory to the Son, and the Son gives glory to the Father, and both the Father and the Son are perfectly and eternally glorified.
This is why our God is such a happy God.
It’s not just because He is sovereign and in complete control of the universe.
God is eternally and perfectly happy because He is a humble, giving God. Each member of the Trinity is pursuing the glory of another, looking out for the interests of the other.
Jesus taught us that the greatest joy comes from giving rather than receiving, and God Himself is the most joyful, because He is eternally giving.
God is perfectly happy.
You want to be happy? Be more like God. Humble yourself, seek the glory of God and the interests of others rather than your own, and you will be happy.
We are commanded in v. 5 to have this same attitude that Jesus had. To humble ourselves, to serve others for their good and the glory of God. But the humble actions start with humble thinking.
We must pursue this kind of humility, and yet we desperately need God to work this in us. It is impossible for us to produce this on our own. Let us look to Christ, and seek God’s help to be the kind of people who honor Him by being humble.
Would you bow your heads with me?
Take a moment to confess the pride and selfishness in your heart. Ask God’s forgiveness for all the times you’ve failed to be humble.
Give thanks for Jesus Christ and His great example of humility and love.
Ask God to make you more like Jesus.
PRAY
(Other examples of thinking like Jesus - Paul, Timothy, and Epaphroditus)
(4:2 - Euodia & Syntyche, two women who were not thinking like Jesus)