The Mind of a Servant Philippians 2:5-11
Notes
Transcript
Philippians 2:5–11
Subject: Christ’s love
Theme: Christ’s self-giving love
Thesis: Christ’s self-giving love calls us to make ourselves servants of others and trust God with the results.
Principle: Christlike love notices the needs of others and moves toward them in service.
Introduction
We come this morning to what many believe is one of the oldest and most beautiful hymns in all of the New Testament.
Some scholars think these verses were sung as a hymn in the early church, long before Paul ever wrote them down.
And here in Philippians 2, Paul takes that hymn and he places it right in the middle of a very practical conversation about how we treat one another.
Last week, Paul called us to a very different kind of life together.
He told us not to act out of selfish ambition or conceit.
He told us to count others as more significant than ourselves.
He told us not to look only to our own interests, but also to the interests of others.
That sounds good when we hear it in church.
It gets harder when we have to live it.
Because we naturally notice our own needs first.
We know when we are tired, when our schedule is full.
We know when someone has inconvenienced us, overlooked us, or asked more of us than we wanted to give.
So when Paul says, “Look to the interests of others,” there is an obvious question:
What does that actually look like?
Paul does not lay out a list of practical tips for becoming more considerate, He points us to Jesus.
And in showing us Jesus, Paul gives us one of the fullest descriptions of Christ in the NT.
Paul shows us Jesus because our consideration of others is not something we naturally manufacture on our own, rather it is developed from following Jesus.
Paul shows us that following Jesus with our lives is supposed to shape the way we live with one another.
Jesus, who possessed all the glory of God, willingly took the place of a servant and provides the example for His followers to seek to live by.
Jesus did not use His position for His own advantage, He set it aside and became a servant for all.
And in doing so He entrusted Himself completely to the Father’s sovereign purpose.
He did not have to control the outcome every time he served someone else.
I want to be careful this morning because Paul does more than say, Jesus was humble, so you be humble.
And if we look at the passage that way it becomes strictly about moral goodness.
What Paul really does is he shows us the mindset of Christ.
And as we look at Jesus, we are going to see the kind of love that ought to increasingly shape life together in His church.
Christ’s self-giving love calls us to make ourselves servants of others and trust God with the results.
5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so 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.
1. Look at the mindset of Christ.
1. Look at the mindset of Christ.
5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus,
Verse 5 is the doorway into the verses that follow.
It is the lens that we have to read the verses that follow through.
Paul told the Philippians to not live out of selfish ambitions, count others as more significant than themselves, and look to others interests.
Now he says, in order to do this, look to Christ.
When Paul says to have this mind among yourselves, he is not saying to get this information in your head.
He is talking about a mindset, the way we are to think.
Use this as the default for which you view your own interests, but also the interests of others.
Verse 5 clarifies Paul’s intended audience - have this mind among yourselves.
So the instructions Paul is giving is not for developing a better private attitude.
It is about life together as Christians.
Paul continually points his readers Jesus.
Just to pick one, in Romans 15 he points the Romans to the example of Christ.
After telling believers to bear with one another rather than simply pleasing themselves, he prays (verse 5) that God would grant them “to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus.”
For Paul, Jesus is not someone we believe certain truths about.
Who He is shapes how we treat the people around us.
The end of verse 5 is interesting.
The ESV says, “which is yours in Christ Jesus.”
Most other translations say something like, “which was also in Christ Jesus.”
It is actually a difficult verse to translate.
Very woodenly translated it reads this mind in you which also in Christ Jesus.
The traditional translation emphasizes Jesus as our example: have the mindset that Christ had.
And that is certainly part of what Paul means, because the next verses show us exactly how Christ thought and acted.
But one thing I appreciate about how the ESV translates this verse is that it shows how Paul does not intend for us to stand at a distance from Jesus and somehow imitate Him through sheer determination.
The mindset comes from our identity in Christ.
When it comes to our identity, our true self exists as the person God created us to be and is being redeemed through Christ.
Identity is such a big topic in our culture right now -
The fact that our identity is found In Christ carries profound implications.
The significance lies in recognizing that we don’t discover our authentic self through introspection or self-seeking, but rather by pursuing God, since finding God means finding our deepest self.
Authentic identity cannot exist apart from relationship with God, because genuine life itself depends on connection to the Source of life.
Our identity’s foundation rests in this life-giving relationship.
When identity is received rather than achieved, it shifts from performance-based to grace-based.
The true self finds security and significance through being deeply loved by God,
receives identity as a gift with gratitude and surrender, and is maintained by grace rather than effort and control.
The ESV really helps to bring out the truth that you are in Christ.
And as such, I believe Paul is showing us that this expands out into our relationships with one another.
You no longer have to build an image of yourself that you hope other people will approve of. In Christ, you can begin to live out of who God has already made you to be.
And that changes more than how you see yourself. It changes how you see other people too.
If we all belong to Christ, then the things that normally separate us—our background, status, experiences, or differences—do not have to divide us.
In Christ, we belong to one another as one people.
None of us will reproduce the love of Christ perfectly.
But neither are we left admiring Him from a distance.
God’s grace enables a real, though imperfect, Christlike pattern of life in those who belong to Christ.
Practically this looks like when we catch ourselves absorbed in our own plans, we don’t stop and tell ourselves, I need to be less selfish.
We stop and remember: I am in Christ. How should belonging to Him change the way I see the people in front of me right now?
So verse 5 therefore gives us the lens through which we should read everything that follows.
Transition: So what do we see when we look at the mindset of Christ?
2. Christ’s self-giving love took the servant’s place.
2. Christ’s self-giving love took the servant’s place.
6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
Paul moves into verse 6 showing us that this mindset that Jesus had, was not something developed over time.
It was there from the beginning.
Christ begins from the highest possible position.
He existed in the form of God. He possessed equality with God. He had every right to glory.
And yet, Paul says, He did not treat that position as something to exploit for His own advantage.
He is not saying that Jesus did not understand His position when He says it was not grasped.
The Greek meaning of that word includes.
A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, 3rd ed. ἁρπαγμός
a violent seizure of property, robbery
A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, 3rd ed. ἁρπαγμός
something to which one can claim or assert title by gripping or grasping
Our reading of the word makes us think that Paul means Jesus refused to reach for something He did not already have.
But that is not the picture.
The idea here is that Jesus did not look at His position and say, “How can I use this for My own advantage?”
He did not cling to His status as something that must be used for Himself.
Instead, verse 7 says, “but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant.”
By emptied, Paul is not saying Jesus stopped being God or gave up His divine Nature.
He was and is still fully God and fully man.
He emptied Himself though by taking on true humanity and the position of a servant.
Jesus willingly took a lower place.
9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich.
Jesus is the prime example of self-giving love.
Has anyone seen the show Undercover Boss? The CEO of a company disguises himself and takes an entry-level position in the company he runs.
The illustration breaks down, of course. Those bosses often discover things they did not know. God already knows everything.
But the picture helps us see the movement Paul is describing: the One at the highest place willingly takes the place of a servant.
And with Jesus, Paul takes it much further.
“He humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.”
The progression is clear:
Servant. Humility. Obedience. Death.
And not just any death—the cross.
There was no point at which Christ said, “This is asking too much of Me.”
His service to us had no convenience clause attached to it.
Christ’s love moved toward us all the way to the cross.
That is where this begins to challenge us.
We are often willing to serve when we have time, when it fits our schedule, when the person appreciates it, or when it does not interfere with something we would rather do.
But Christlike love notices the need and moves toward it, even when service requires something from us.
And service will not look the same for everyone.
Some of you can serve in very physical ways.
(Many of you did yesterday!)
You can show up with tools, bring a meal, give someone a ride, or help with a job.
Others cannot serve that way anymore. Your body or circumstances may limit what you can physically do.
That does not mean you have nothing to give.
First Corinthians 12 reminds us that God has arranged the members of the body as He chose.
We do not all have the same abilities, roles, or season of life.
You may not be able to spend the day doing physical work, but you can call someone who is lonely.
You can pray.
You can listen.
You can encourage.
You can give.
You can notice the person everybody else overlooks.
Sometimes simply giving another person your full attention is an act of service.
The question is not, “Can I serve the way somebody else can?”
The question is:
“What has God given me that I can use for the good of the person in front of me?”
Christlike love notices the need and asks, “How can I move toward it with what God has given me?”
That's the mindset Paul is pointing to. Not a dramatic moment. A settled way of living.
This is hard.
I can admit that and relate to difficulty of living this out.
Because taking the servant’s place means giving up some control.
What if our service is unnoticed, unappreciated, or does not produce the result we hoped for?
Paul addresses that in verses 9-11.
3. Christ entrusted the outcome of His service to the Father.
3. Christ entrusted the outcome of His service to the Father.
9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so 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.
Verse 9 picks up - therefore.
It connects what is about to happen in these verses with what Jesus has done in the previous verses.
Therefore God has highly exalted him
Jesus did not exalt Himself, He obeys the Father, and He leaves the outcome in the Father’s hands.
That is how Peter described Jesus in
23 When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly.
Jesus willingly came down, and the Father exalts Him.
Every knee bows. Every tongue confesses. Jesus Christ is Lord.
Paul reaches back to Isaiah 45 with this phrase applying it to Jesus.
We need to be careful here because this is not a formula that says serve people and eventually God will make your life easier.
It is not humble yourself and God will give you recognition.
Christ's exaltation is unique within God's redemptive plan.
But the principle underneath it gives us confidence.
God is sovereign over the outcome of faithful obedience.
That truth gets to heart of many reasons we hesitate to serve.
What if I am taken advantage of, what if nobody notices?
What if my effort seems wasted?
Jesus example frees us from having to answer those sort of questions first.
We can obey. We can serve. We can love.
And we can leave the results with God.
Here in Philippians, the Father vindicates the Son.
God “highly exalted him”—the Greek word is unusually strong.
He exalted Christ to the highest place and “bestowed on him the name that is above every name.”
Think about helping someone with a job when you know they may never return the favor.
You can spend the afternoon fixing fence, hauling something, sitting with someone who is hurting, or quietly meeting a need—
and afterward there may be no thank-you, no change, and no recognition.
Can I trust God with the outcome?
That's the question this passage puts in front of us.
Because if the result is in His hands, then I'm free to move toward the person in front of me without needing to control what comes back.
We often hesitate because we want some assurance that our effort will be worth it.
Christ frees us from needing that guarantee.
Our responsibility is to obey. God is responsible for what comes from that obedience.
So this week, when you notice a need and have an opportunity to serve, resist the urge to calculate the response first.
Do what love requires, and leave the results where Jesus left them:
in the Father’s hands.
Most of us aren't holding back from serving because we're lazy.
We're holding back because we're afraid of what it might cost us and what it might not produce.
Christ answers both of those fears.
He shows us that service can be costly, and He shows us that the outcome belongs to God.
Conclusion
Conclusion
The world constantly trains us to protect our time, our comfort, our preferences, our status, our convenience.
But Christ shows us another way.
As we come to the end of this passage, I don't think Paul would be happy for us to walk away impressed by the humility of Jesus.
He wants the mind of Christ to begin changing the way we see the people around us.
Because the reality is, most of us won't wake up tomorrow intending to be selfish.
We'll just get busy.
We'll have things to do, places to go, problems to solve, responsibilities that need our attention.
And before long, we can move through an entire day seeing almost nothing beyond our own concerns.
But Christ shows us another way.
He had every right to glory, and He didn't use that position for His own advantage.
He took the place of a servant.
He moved toward us in our need.
He gave Himself all the way to the cross.
And He trusted the Father with the outcome.
That's the mindset Paul puts in front of us.
He isn't telling us to somehow manufacture this kind of life on our own.
We are in Christ. We belong to Him.
His grace enables a real, even if imperfect, Christlike pattern of life in us.
So maybe the question to carry with us this week isn't, am I willing to serve?
Perhaps we can ask something more specific.
Who am I actually noticing?
Who has God put in front of me that I've been too busy, too distracted, or too wrapped up in my own concerns to really see?
And when you notice them, ask another question.
What has God given me that I can use to move toward this person in love?
Maybe it's your time. Maybe it's your strength. Maybe it's a phone call.
Maybe it's a meal. Maybe it's money. Maybe it's simply sitting down and listening.
You don't have to do everything. You don't have to solve everything.
And you don't have to control what happens afterward.
You simply take the servant's place. You love the person God has put in front of you.
And you trust Him with the results.
That's the freedom Christ gives us.
We don't have to protect our own importance.
We don't have to make sure our service is noticed.
We don't have to guarantee that our effort will produce what we hope.
We can simply ask, who can I see? How can I serve? And can I trust God with what comes next?
Christlike love notices the needs of others and moves toward them in service.
So this week, look up. Notice someone.
And when God gives you the opportunity, take the servant's place.
