THE GREATEST THEME—THE GREATEST HYMN

THE GREATEST THEME—THE GREATEST HYMN Philippians 2:5-11 October 11, 2009 Given by: Pastor Rich Bersett [Index of Past Messages] Introduction What’s your favorite spiritual song, worship chorus or hymn? If you had to choose one or maybe two, which one(s) would win? Why did you choose the one you chose? Think about it. When it comes to worship songs there are a few key criteria by which we tend to “rank” our favorites: Inspiration – does the music/words “inspire” me? Does the lyric move me, lift me above my own worldliness? Is the music particularly appealing to my soul? Maybe just one instrument? Theology – Is there some great biblical theme dealt with in this verse? Does it proclaim the gospel (ie, He came from heaven to earth to show the way, from the earth to the cross my debt to pay, from the cross to the grave, from the grave to the sky, Lord, I lift Your name on high. Worship – Does it help me/lead me to worship the Lord? Some songs in some seasons tend to instantly move us into the holy of holies; they bring us almost irresistibly into God’s presence. Holy, Holy, Holy Mighty to Save Amazing Grace. Familiarity – Is it “familiar” to me? Have I hade occasion to sing it many times and allow a whole history of emotional expression to build up around its singing? For me, O Love That Wilt Not Let Me Go, Grace Greater Than My Sin, It is Well with… If you were to put the question to most of the first century Christians, my guess is that a majority would respond that the “Christ Hymn” or the “Hymn of Christ” was their favorite. What song was that? It is one that was most certainly sung in Christian gatherings most regularly, along with other favorite texts out of the Psalms. Philippians 2:6-11 is very clearly a poem that was, most scholars agree, set to music and sung in Christian worship services from the earliest times. In Philippians 2, Paul makes use of the hymn, much like I might do when preaching or teaching on the topic of “mercy” and I might slip into a brief recitation Jesus paid it all—all to Him I owe! Sin had left a crimson stain—He washed it white as snow. Even though I wouldn’t stop to reference the title or composer of the song, it would be familiar to those listening, and they would get the point. So, here in this section of his letter where the apostle Paul is urging Christian unity and mutual servanthood, he turns to the supreme example, the Lord Jesus, who, as He himself said, came not to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many. Make no mistake about it: Jesus is our example. While it is wrong to limit Jesus’ earthly ministry to saying He came to be an example for humankind, ignoring the primary work of Christ—to save lost humanity, it would be equally wrong to leave out the truth that Jesus lived His life conscious that He was leaving us an example. After washing the disciples’ feet He said He had given them an example, that they should do as He had done. Whether that is to you a literal service to be rendered or symbolic of all manner of servitude to brothers in Christ, the point is clear: Follow my example by loving and serving one another. Read text of Philippians 2:5-11 Our Lessons from Philippians 2:5-11 Verse five gives us our bearings in discovering what we are to learn and obey from the Word before us. Paul exhorts his readers, both first and twenty-first century, with these very direct words: Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus . . . We must let this command govern our coverage of the Christ Hymn, even though we are appropriately tempted to lose ourselves in the loftiness and grandeur of this greatest of all Christian hymns. We do well to remember that verses 5-11 are illustrative of the point of selfless service, to which we are called. Three things stand out to me in Philippians 2, especially verse five: 1. We are called to be conformed to Christ. As impossible as it seems, we are called by God to conform to the image of Christ—to become like Him. Ridiculous, you say? Right. Just about as ridiculous as the living God, Creator of all things, deciding to reduce himself to the form and nature of one of His creatures. And all to save those creatures who had willfully spurned his commandment and his love, rejected him outright at every turn. And He, the almighty, the exalted, the King, deigns to humble himself (is humble a strong enough word?), empty himself, degrade himself to mere mortality so he could run after them and redeem them? Of course it’s ridiculous! The whole idea of salvation of undeserving humankind is ridiculous! Now, the question: is He who is willing and able to incarnate in our insipid nature, also willing to help us to conform to the image of the incarnated one? 2. We are enabled to be conformed to Christ. There it is. You see, we are not called to do the impossible with just our meager resources! That’s . . . impossible! When God calls you to grow in His grace, He always gives you His grace with which to grow. Every believer is endowed by God’s own Spirit to enable them to grow into Jesus’ image. In fact, you are predestined to just that (see Romans 8:29, et al). And here is how it works: Understand what God wants you to do, and then step out and do it, believing His power will help you. 3. We have an example to help us conform to Christ. Finally—and this is what Paul is getting at as He uses this great hymn to illustrate—Jesus Christ is our example. In other words, God has given us an example to follow. In order to know how to become what He wants you to be, look to Jesus. Jesus did not love power and authority so much as to be tempted to cling to it Jesus willingly obeyed the Father, even though he had to empty himself of all his privilege Jesus lovingly saw others, who were way beneath himself, as worthy of his sacrifice – and such a sacrifice! Practical Exhortations for God’s People This is a good place to try to bring down to a practical level what exactly the apostle Paul is exhorting us to DO. May I encourage you to make a few notes here. You don’t need a pencil to write them on your hearts. First this observation: more than another list of behaviors, you need an attitude like Jesus’. That’s what verse five said way back at the beginning. So we want to get the attitude of Christ in us. How do we get the attitude of Christ? By obedience, like we said earlier. Hebrews 5:7-10. During the days of Jesus' life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. Although he was a son, he learned obedience from what he suffered and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him and was designated by God to be high priest in the order of Melchizedek. Come to understand what God wants you to be like and step out in faith and do it, trusting his power to get it done. So, here we go: things to do today and tomorrow in your humble, obedient, servant-hearted efforts to follow the example of the One who loved you like this: 1. Meditate on God’s Word about your attitude and calling 2. Compare yourself to no one but Jesus Christ 3. Practice volunteering 4. Maintain a vision of Jesus as your example and your power. 5. Consider your reward THEREFORE GOD HIGHLY EXALTED HIM… Conclusion – Whatever the cost October 2, 2006, was a dark day for the Amish community of Nickel Mines, Pennsylvania. That morning, a local milkman named Charles Carl Roberts barricaded himself inside the West Nickel Mine Amish School. He was armed with three guns, knives, and over 600 rounds of ammunition. When police attempted to intervene less than half an hour later, Roberts opened fire on 11 girls—all less than 14-years-old—killing 5. After these brutal acts, he turned his weapon on himself and committed suicide. It was a dark hour, but as more news became available in the days that followed, a new story began to emerge—one full of courage, faith, and love. According to two of the survivors, when 13-year-old Marie Fisher began to understand what Charles Carl Roberts intended to do, she made a request. "Shoot me first," she said, "and leave the other ones loose." As the oldest child in the group, she hoped that her death might somehow spare the other children or provide more time for their rescue. Immediately after this request, Marie's younger sister Barbie added one more. "Shoot me second," she said. News of the girls' bravery and sacrificial love impacted millions of people across the country after the story broke. But according to Rita Rhoads, a local midwife close to the family of the two girls, their faith also affected their attacker. "He asked them to pray for him," Rhoads said. "I think that's amazing. He recognized they had something he didn't."     [ Back to Top]