Taking the Next Step - Week 3

Review - If you remember we have been in a series entitled, "Taking the Next Step." We've been viewing our christian life as a series of steps.

Week 1 we talked about taking the step from Church attendee to Jesus Follower

Last week we talked about stepping into community. We said that we never follow Jesus alone.

Tonight we want to talk about how Jesus calls us to step into the world - to bring healing and hope to a world that is messed up.

The Secular -

Biblical Background - In the book of Philippians, Paul explains how Jesus took a step - He stepped out of Heaven, out of eternity, and into Time. Into our world - so that you and I could be saved. He tells us that we are to be like Jesus, and he lays out what that looks like.

Biblical Content - Check out Philippians 2:3-11

Philippians 2:3–11 NLT

Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too. You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross. Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

So here is the question - How do we make a difference in the world?

By being different from the world. But what exactly does that look like? It happens when we are like Jesus. But what exactly is it about Jesus that we should model?

Body

Humility

Paul says here that we are to Be humble

He gives us the example of Jesus

Jesus was willing to give up his own rights and privileges in heaven to come down and give himself for you and for me.

We must interact with others in Humility

Humility doesn't mean thinking less of yourself - It means thinking of yourself less.

Humility is powerful

Humility says I don't have all the answers

Humility listens to others and

Illustration - Imagine that we had someone who is proud - we've all know those people. They have an opinion about something and they are proud. So let's imagine that this proud man says 2+2=500 And we are all like - No, umm..2+2=4. And he starts arguing with us, and finally we just give up and leave him alone. You see his pride keeps him from knowing and learning the truth. Humility is powerful because it enables you to learn to see from someone else's point of view.

Humility gives you a bit of flexibility in life.

The world says, "It's all about you." It's all about what you want and what makes you happy

Jesus shows us the real path to honor and the real path to success is learning to be humble and often give up what we want.

Service

We must look for ways to help those around us

We must look for ways to make the places we live, go to school, work, ect., better places.

Obedience

Jesus' life was one of Obedience to God.

The center of his life wasn't about anything else - If he needed to make a decision the deciding factor was this - Is this what the father would want?