The Upside-Down Kingdom

Name: Alexander Gligor

Text: Philippians 2:1-11

God’s Call to Worship

Pg. 654

Isaiah 57:15 CSB

For the High and Exalted One, who lives forever, whose name is holy, says this: “I live in a high and holy place, and with the oppressed and lowly of spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly and revive the heart of the oppressed.

Pg. 1063

Hebrews 4:16 CSB

Therefore, let us approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in time of need.

God’s Greeting

Pg.1031

Galatians 1:3–5 LSB

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for our sins so that He might rescue us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.

Application of the Law

Pg. 1006-7

Romans 12:9–21 CSB

9 Let love be without hypocrisy. Detest evil; cling to what is good. 10 Love one another deeply as brothers and sisters. Take the lead in honoring one another. 11 Do not lack diligence in zeal; be fervent in the Spirit; serve the Lord. 12 Rejoice in hope; be patient in affliction; be persistent in prayer. 13 Share with the saints in their needs; pursue hospitality. 14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice; weep with those who weep. 16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud; instead, associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own estimation. 17 Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Give careful thought to do what is honorable in everyone’s eyes. 18 If possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. 19 Friends, do not avenge yourselves; instead, leave room for God’s wrath, because it is written, Vengeance belongs to me; I will repay, says the Lord. 20 But If your enemy is hungry, feed him. If he is thirsty, give him something to drink. For in so doing you will be heaping fiery coals on his head. 21 Do not be conquered by evil, but conquer evil with good.

Small Exposé

How easy it is to abandon the things we ought to do and embrace the things we ought not to do.

Allow the mirror of God’s Word to not only expose your sin and shortcomings but to highlight your need for grace. Your need for mercy. your need for a saviour.

A saviour not only for the evils that lie out there in the world, but also the evil within.

Where does your sin lie? What do you struggle with?

Use this list to test and see where you fall short.

Confess these thing to the Lord.

Prayer of Confession

Lead in prayer

Small exhortation

Though our sins are many, like an ever rising tsunami, barrel towards us to engulf and consume us.

We have an even greater saviour. A saviour that walks on the waters and commands the winds and waves to be still.

Turn with me to Luke 1:68-79 pg. 908-9

and as we read this passage, let us lift our eyes from the depths of our sin and look to the dawn where we see light of the world descend upon us.

Gospel of Grace applied

Pg. 908-9

Luke 1:68–75 CSB

68 Blessed is the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has visited and provided redemption for his people. 69 He has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David, 70 just as he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets in ancient times; 71 salvation from our enemies and from the hand of those who hate us. 72 He has dealt mercifully with our ancestors and remembered his holy covenant— 73 the oath that he swore to our father Abraham. He has given us the privilege, 74 since we have been rescued from the hand of our enemies, to serve him without fear 75 in holiness and righteousness in his presence all our days.

The Lord has shown us His covenant faithfulness. A covenant that he instituted and carried out on our behalf.

Why?

Luke 1:77–79 CSB

77 to give his people knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins. 78 Because of our God’s merciful compassion, the dawn from on high will visit us 79 to shine on those who live in darkness and the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.

What a joy it is to be reminded that the incarnation of our Lord Jesus, was the fullest expression of His faithfulness to us, His people, even though we still fall short and sin against our Lord.

He has already lavished His grace upon us.

I would like to encourage the Music team to come up now and lead us as we together offer up a response of praise to our Lord for the freedom and hope we have in Jesus.

Response in Song

Sermon

Introduction

We’re gearing up for Christmas and we get so excited for the many benefits it offers for us.

Time off work, presents, family time, celebrations, everyone being in a good mood (hopefully)

all well and good. praise be to God for these things.

What is Christmas?

The word Christmas literally, is Christ mass.

Christ meaning the messiah or anointed one Jesus.

While mass which is taken from the latin ‘missa’ can be traced to refer to the procession of the communion/ Lord’s supper or the worship service. either way something is being sent forth for the people to receive.

And on Christmas the most important thing we celebrate is the incarnation of our Lord, Jesus Christ, the greatest gift we could ever receive.

But what makes this gift so grand, is what it cost.

How often do we use Christmas to consider what it cost to receive such a gift?

probably not at all.

we tend to care more about what its in it for us than what it cost the gift giver.

This is the love of self. sadly we are all victims of it.

By recognising this we are able to expose the greatest sin that dominates humanity: pride.

We so easily take things for granted because of pride. we act as if we were owed such a gift.

Its as natural to us as the air we breathe.

Consider how pride dominates our way of life.

We live in a world of self-promotion.

what separates the common man from the elites of society can be boiled down to individual status of a person.

How does one compare to the other.

The way of the world seems to operate on the idea of the survival of the fittest.

Those who perform best will succeed most in life.

Consider your own place of vocation.

In your workplace, who is most likely to gain promotions and the favour of your boss?

The one who puts their head down and quietly fulfils tasks or the one who “gets it done” and proclaims publicly their achievements?

More often, it is the latter.

While both workers fulfil their tasks sufficiently, the system of the workplace and the world as a whole predominantly functions on promoting the loud and proud.

Consequentially, the usually reserved person is then tempted to step out and likewise start self-promoting lest they get left behind.

This causes us to feel that our way of life is dependent on how well we self-promote and self-glorify our abilities.

The problem with this mentality is that in order for us to rise up, we must inevitably bring others down.

We have to think of ourselves first and ensure that we are viewed by the world as better than those around us.

Thus causing us to see our fellow neighbour or colleague as competition, someone to surpass rather than serve.

Yet, in v3 of Paul’s letter to the Philippians we are called, as Christians to “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.”

The apostle Paul, is painting a radically different picture for what true greatness is.

This raises a very important question for us as the Church.

How do we live in true unity when pride and self-glory comes so naturally to us?

In out text today we will be able to see that Paul’s answer for this very problem is not found in a self help book at the store or an app on the phone.

The answer is found in the person of Jesus Christ.

By following the example of Christ in his humiliation we see that the gospel is “V” shaped.

That we must first be brought low before we can be lifted up.

in essence, the way up is down.

True Unity is achieved Through Humility - vv1-4

With the precision of a surgeon, Paul cuts right to the heart of the matter with tenderness and delicacy.

Observe with me in Philippians 2:1-2 how Paul chooses to inspire the church to unity

Philippians 2:1–2 ESV

So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind.

He list’s five blessings that is shared by all believers.

1.encouragement in Christ

2. comfort

3. fellowship with the Spirit

4. affection

5. compassion

Rather than pointing out flaws and ways to improve.

He affirms five wonderful truths that are theirs in Christ.

Gifts of grace that they have received.

Paul is fixing their gaze outward from themselves on the good, the true and the beautiful.

Prompting the church to see the blessings that they posses, so that they would inspired to complete his joy in maintaining true unity.

He’s spurring them on.

But if they have so much good going on for them why does Paul feel the need to urge them to complete his joy?

What are they lacking?

The answer becomes clear in the following two verses as Paul directs our attention inward.

Philippians 2:3–4 ESV

Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.

What we see is that selflessness is not a natural inclination of ours.

As image bearers of God, we were made to reflect God’s glory, but due to the the fall of mankind in Eden, the birth of sin in the heart of man through Adam our first father and representative, Pride as become the default setting.

the very things Paul warns us not to do, we naturally feel inclined to do.

We seek glory, but the glory we seek is our own.

We want to make ourselves God’s rather than exalt the god that made us.

Thats why often times we struggle to maintain peace and choose instead to create discord with those whom we ought to love and strive to out do one another.

Paul remedies this temptation that exists in all of us through the reminder that the true unity is not achieved through feats of individual greatness.

But rather, through humility, by lifting up others.

Paul wants us to see that true greatness is outward focused and sacrificial.

Imagine a church where instead of every one asking “ who noticed me?” would say “whom can i serve?”

How united and God-honouring would that church be?

Sadly that’s not the norm.

Churches a more often torn apart from within by selfish ambition and pride than just having bad theology.

while we may have great doctrine in the church, it is of no merit if the church is divided and filled with individualism.

In football terms you can have a full team of world class players, but if they cannot work together, then they wont be very effective in winning games.

A healthy church is not defined by our individual feats.

But our unity.

Transition…

Paul calls us to empty ourselves, of our pride and vanity.

To view ourselves as equal to our fellow man, sinners in need of grace.

There is no hierarchy in the church.

The ground is level at the foot of the cross

It is there in our lowliness where we find christ.

Who is the perfect embodiment of humility.

Christlikeness is Achieved Through Humility vv 5-8

Paul, earlier in v2 called the church to be of the same mind and now again in Phil 2:5.

Philippians 2:5 ESV

Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus,

Notice the connection? Whose mind are we to have?

The mind that we are all called to have, is the mind of Christ.

Jesus Himself, is the very one walked this path, and in doing so, He has given us the perfect model to follow in living out true humility.

By walking the path of humility not only do we achieve unity but also Christlikeness.

to understand this

Paul invites us to gaze upon the mystery of the incarnation as he unfolds poetically in what what is considered today as “ The Christ Hymn” in vv6-11.

It’s so marvellous a truth that Paul couldn’t help but burst into song.

These words ought to flood our emotions.

So as we read them again, allow the beauty and splendor of our Lord completely enthral you.

Read verses 6-7 again:

Philippians 2:6–7 ESV

who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.

Do you hear the descent?

Jesus, who exists in eternal glory, coequal with the Father and author of all life.

stepped down from His rightful place in glory, and humbled himself in taking on human flesh.

The infinite became finite.

The creator entering His own creation through the very people that He had made.

He didn’t descend on cloud of grace.

He was pushed out of the womb of a woman.

Imagine the level of humiliation of an all powerful God crying as baby.

Defenceless and completely dependent.

Why? Why endure such humiliation?

Now the drama of the redemption story begins.

It is only fitting that because through the first woman sin entered the world, for the redemption of the world to be born through the woman.

This is the Proto-Evangelion - the first gospel prophecy which we read in Gen 3 being fulfilled.

Genesis 3:15 ESV

15 I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.”

Jesus’ humiliation foretold from the beginning of the world.

But we must progress further down.

The climax of this great Hymn is found in its lowest point.

observe in Phil 2:8:

Philippians 2:8 ESV

And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

The cross was the most degrading form of punishment that could’ve ever been given to a man in the ancient world.

The very word “cross” wouldn't even be spoken aloud.

and yet it is there where the greatest moment in history took place.

Our Lord willingly and sacrificially bearing the sins of His people.

The very hands that flung stars into space now nailed to a tree, out of love for you and for me.

He is our forerunner, the one who has paved the way in which we ought to walk.

Though we would never take a “lower” position than what we think we’re worth.

whether it be a kind of job we’re offered or how much we’re paid.

Jesus displays humility in such a grand way by showing us that nothing is beneath Him.

He stooped to the bottom of the barrel so that all who hear His voice will be saved.

The Gospel is V shaped, but we don’t start up here at the top.

We start down here, at the bottom just as it is written in Eph 2:1-3

Ephesians 2:1–3 ESV

And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.

We were dead, rotting away in the filth of our own sin.

And it was there where Jesus stooped down and waded in the swamp our sin to breathe new life into us and lift us out.

The best part of it all is that according to Heb 12:2 it was a joy to Him.

Hebrews 12:2 ESV

looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross.

The world will have us believe that joy is found in prioritising our own self.

“ Do what feels best to you”

But Christ shows us that true joy is found in following God’s will.

When we forgive a wrong or serve the unnoticed, we are sharing in His joy.

The Christian life isn’t a stairway to climb, its a cross we carry.

Transition…

This is the midpoint of the hymn.

The lowest point of the gospel “V”

Where we meet christ in our lowliness.

But like all good songs out of the low point the melody begins to rise.

and like a phoenix from the ashes, Christ is exalted from the grave.

God’s name is exalted through humility

Philippians 2:9 ESV

Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name,

Notice the connection.

The Therefore in v9 signals that the Father’s delight in exalting the Son is the response to Jesus’willingness to endure humiliation as pointed out in the previous verses.

Jesus’ humiliation wasn’t a cosmic accident.

It was the foreordained plan of God.

This is good news for us.

The path to glory is laid out for us to see.

Like having the answers to the cheat sheet at the back of the crossword puzzle.

We are able to know what the result of following in Gods path is.

Exaltation.

See how the Father has rewarded Jesus in Phil 2:10-11

Philippians 2:10–11 ESV

so 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.

This is the ascension in the gospel “V”

Jesus being elevated to the throne as King over all creation.

But even in His exaltation the humility of Christ is exemplified for us.

The hymn ends with the glory going to the Father, not the Son.

The humility that led Jesus to the cross continues to define His glory.

Jesus’ example shows us that though God is a rewarder we do not seek rewards as the prize for our race.

We as Christians seek to fulfil what the Westminster Catechism perfectly questions and answers right at the start of the catechism.

Q. 1. What is the chief end of man? A. Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him for ever.

This is why on the last day we will be casting our crowns at His feet.

The gifts we receive are His.

Christianity is not a work your way to glory mentality.

Our crowning achievements are the fruit of our union with Christ, through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in us,

So that all praise goes to Him who is our joy and delight.

Transition…

How then can the church live in unity amidst the temptations of pride and self-glory?

By embodying the humility of Christ - by letting His sacrificial love govern our relationships and His humility shape our service - so that His name may be glorified in and through us.

Conclusion

Paul began with a call to humility and ended with a vision of eternal glory.

This is the path of the christian.

Every day we live “Coram Deo” - Before the face of God, not a moment of our lives is hidden from His gaze.

Always remind yourself of this, live consciously knowing that He is in a very real way present with you.

and so in obedience to our Lord we are called to descend into humility.

To abandon our love of self.

so that through our service to Jesus, the name of the LORD is exalted.

In a world so obsessed with the glorification of self and pride, the Church is able to be a beacon of light.

Where the world says “look at me” we say “Look at Him.”

The question on our lips shouldn’t be “ Will people notice me?”

But rather “ Will people see Christ?”

One day every knee will bow and confess Christ as Lord.

Please don’t be mistaken to think that by not caring this doesn’t affect you.

Paul makes clear in v10 that every knee will bow before Him. Whether its is willingly in joy or forcibly in defeat.

Examine yourself consider, in what manner will you bend the knee?

But until then, we, as the Church, are called to be the preview of that glory, the living testimony of Christ’s humility.

Functioning as the literal hands and feet of Jesus.

Carrying out the mission of our messiah.

So that His name may be magnified.

Just as the WC states:

To glorify God, and to enjoy him for ever.

Amen,

Soli Deo Gloria.

God’s Benediction

Pg. 1048

1 Thessalonians 5:23–24 LSB

Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely, and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful is He who calls you, who also will do it.