Humble Service

Bible Passage: Philippians 2:1-18

Introduction

Do you believe humility is a trait we value in America today? If you look at our society and the people we look up to, I think we would all agree that’s a resounding no. We make people famous for some pretty silly things these days. During the COVID lockdown time frame Pam and I started watching a lot more YouTube channels. The vast majority of them centered on travel. One young couple we started watching had set a goal to visit 100 countries. They were somewhere in Asia when the lock downs started. They managed to make it back to their home state of Tennessee and after a month holed up in Air BnB they decided to join the van life craze that was taking over. We kept watching. They kept amassing followers. At some point the passed the 1 million mark and started making some very serious amounts of money for recording themselves and posting it on the internet. What started as one year off from work to travel the world turned into now ten years later, they’ve built several businesses and make money from sponsored videos of themselves still traveling the world. They’ve won awards for their YouTube channel and done all sorts of interesting travel, plus endurance challenges and a few years of living in a van and travelling the countryside. Unlike a lot of celebrities these days, they don’t make comments on politics and tell the rest of us how we should live our lives. But they seemed like relatively intelligent young people who found a way to build their own little empire.

Back to my van life diversion. At some point along the way they started having problems with the stove they’d installed in their van, propane stove of course. They did most of the work to build their van and learned pretty quickly they weren’t very good at electrical things. Fortunately in fact they discovered they weren’t all that handy at all. There were frequent problems with things in the van that probably weren’t put together properly. So anyway he did some work to the propane lines, was pretty sure he had it properly connected and start thinking about how to test it out. So he turns everything on, listens for a bit. Doesn’t here any gas coming out so he grabs a lighter. Fortunately, he didn’t blow the whole van up. Just singed his face an hair a bit. I’ll admit, I’ve done some pretty dumb things over the course of my life. When he pulled out the lighter we started screaming NO!!!! After the ball of flame shot back into his face. He looked at the camera and said “I did not expect that to happen.” I guess he forgot to Google, how to check propane lines. Obviously, he’s not the guy to go to if you’re looking for advice on how to DIY pretty much anything. He knows tons about travel and using miles and points to reduce the cost of travel. But he’s not the guy you’re calling for help with your HVAC system or electricity or fixing pretty much anything in your camper / van. Similarly, when I’m trying to find advice on anything other than acting, I don’t look up actors and actresses for their views on the latest Geopolitical happenings in the world. I don’t go to Hollywood looking for advice on how to have lasting joy in my life or how to live a life a humble service. They don’t have the answers. Many have long since lost the plot and think they’re opinions on anything should matter to the rest of us.

1. Humility Matters

Philippians 2:1–4 “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. 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.”

Be of Same Mind

Encouragement in Christ

Comfort from Love

Participation in the Spirit

Complete Paul’s Joy

Have same love for one another

Be in full agreement with one another

Be of one mind with one another

Trade Ambition for Humility

Do nothing from selfish ambition

Don’t look at your own interests

Look out for the interests of others

Paul’s letter continues to answer the question how can we have lasting Joy. That’s why we’re looking at the letter Paul wrote to the Philippians. A person who’s singing hymns and celebrating his imprisonment by writing encouraging letters to his friends might just be the one you want to turn to when you want to understand joy. Paul’s ability to celebrate his imprisonment rather than moaning over his circumstances is inspirational still today. Paul continues to develop this idea by pointing the Philippians toward humility. If you want to know how to experience lasting joy, it doesn’t come from basking in glow of your own accomplishments. One of the popular “newsish” kinds of things you find on Facebook is “whatever happened to this famous person”. They like to have a picture of someone on their worst possible day to bate you in with some juicy gossip on how the star from your teenage years has gone off the rails or is thriving. Vanilla Ice is flipping houses and has his own renovation show these days. Many though have not turned their young stardom into a joyous living. Many are frankly train wrecks that no-one wants to emulate. Getting too wrapped up in yourself Paul indicates is a recipe for disaster.

2. Empty Yourself

Philippians 2:5–11 “Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 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. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 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.”

Have This Mind

Points back to humility

In context of Christ

It was right for God

Jesus Humbled Himself

Didn’t hold on to equality with God

Choose to come to earth in humility

Choose to die for good of others

God Lifted Him Up

Elevated for His humility

Name above every name

All will bow

As if Paul wasn’t difficult enough as a role model, now He turns our attention to Jesus and says “live like He did”. HIs death was the ultimate in putting the interests of others ahead of your own. He did not need to be born. From before the beginning of time He was one with the Father and the Holy Spirit. He lived in perfect union and harmony with the other members of the Trinity. He had no need for salvation, he was already eternally in fellowship with the Father and the Spirit. He could have gone on living without interruption in the splender and glory of Heaven. We can’t even begin to understand the depth to which that level of humility required Him to sink. Going from the White House to the worst Out House doesn’t even begin to describe the depth of His humility. Yet He did it all for you. I struggle with the though of going from conditioned air to unconditioned air. Especially this week, when it’s been so unbearably cold. I’ve watched a bunch of YouTube videos this week on how Vikings, Finnish soldiers, and Russians living in the village of Oymyakon in Siberia where temperature range from -40F to -50F, with a record low of -89.9F. No thank you. Yet that doesn’t compare to the depth of the coldness of separation from the Father that Jesus endured. When He said, “My God, My God why have you forsaken me?” He was enduring that profound and unexplainable separation for the first and last time in history. The humility of separating and dying for things He did not do. Are we willing to endure separation, honestly we can’t because we cannot come back from it. Only He was able to truly give up His life. Our calling to suffer with Him is real, but not to that same level of humility. We were never that high so we can’t possibly experience the depth of it.

3. Work Out Your Salvation

Philippians 2:12–18 “Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure. Do all things without grumbling or disputing, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast to the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain. Even if I am to be poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrificial offering of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all. Likewise you also should be glad and rejoice with me.”

Continue to obey

In absence of Paul

Work out your salvation

With fear and trembling as the Spirit leads

Do All Things

Without grumbling or complaining

Be blameless and innocent

Shine as lights in the world

So In Day of Christ

Paul’s work proves worthy

Your conduct proves out his work

Whether He lives or dies

Have you noticed that we do not live in a world that is empty of grumbling and complaining. The more it happens the worse it gets. Give a person a keyboard and a screen to distance them from the rest of the world and the vehemence with which grumbling and complaining occurs just explodes. The chaos this can generate is evident in our world today. No matter what I feel or don’t feel about immigration in our country, it’s clear that things have gotten completely out of hand. It didn’t just start, it’s been going on for several years now. Both sides of the politics in this country are to blame in my own personal opinion. Both sides stand screaming at one another if you don’t agree with me then you are wrong and evil and etc. etc. etc. No place is safe any longer. Even church services are being interrupted and made a spectacle. We desperately need the intervention of the Holy Spirit. We need the peacemakers to bring sanity back to our country. We need civil conversation to become the rule and not the exception. We need to stop dehumanizing one another by each other with hyperbole and name calling. We need the presence of the savior in the public square. And it must begin with believers on their knees, in humility crying out to God for one another instead of stirring chaos and calling each other names. It will come only when we begin again to share the Joy of our salvation with those around us. When we humble ourselves and do the work God’s called us to do in our world.