2019 0526 Others Above Yourself
Notes
Transcript
Sermon Tone Analysis
A
D
F
J
S
Emotion
A
C
T
Language
O
C
E
A
E
Social
3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, 4 not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. 5 In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; 7 rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross!
3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, 4 not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.
Value Others Above Yourself
verses 1 and 2 talk about about united with Christ
we must have the same mindset, the same love, the same of everything of Christ
two aspects that need to be considered
the first is having the same mindset as Christ - will look at this in a moment
the second is what flows from being in Jesus - an attitude of others
value others above yourself
5 In the same way, you who are younger, submit yourselves to your elders. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.” 6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.
1 Peter
Peter makes a similar point in his letter
clothe yourself with humility
words are used that are counter to the sin nature within the unrepentant man
submission and humility are attitudes that do not come easily to any man or woman
Interests of Others
humility is the desired state in Jesus Christ
this humility is a God inspired attribute and is not of man
man in his unrepentant state is primarily concerned about himself
Paul puts it thus - looking to your own interests even in good works
eternity is achieved when Christ is at the very centre of our thoughts and good deeds
humility is the looking toward the interests of others in the same way that Jesus Christ did
5 In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:
Same Mindset as Jesus
in your relationships with one another
very plain words here - relationships with one another
no exception to the rule, no special circumstances
in church life - that us together when we meet and when we go out
we put on Jesus Christ and we behave as him
words of Jesus from John 13
15 I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.
John 1o
Christ is our benchmark
we need to do our best in living up to that standard
the Holy Spirit is given to us to help us achieve such a status
it is not impossible, it is not beyond us
for what was prevented by our sin, it is now achievable in Jesus Christ
we can have and do have the same mindset of Jesus
6 Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; 7 rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross!
God in his very Nature
the divinity of Jesus - that he is God on equal status with the Father is an essential cornerstone of Christianity
Jesus is part of the Godhead yet he took the form and very nature of man
he did this willingly so that man kind could be redeemed
this redemption comes to each one of us when we accept in faith Jesus in the fullness of his humanity and divinity
in all things Jesus had a mindset of others - first God the Father and thence to mankind
Took on the Nature of a Servant
servant can refer to the lowly menial position of one man before another
the servant of God is a far more uplifting concept
Jesus took on the fraility of human life, he became a man without any of the divine qualities
there was no all knowing, all powerful, all present that is the hallmark of God
he was just a man, with all the challenges and weaknesses that man has in his daily existence
Philippians: An Introduction and Commentary c. The ‘Way’ of Christ (2:5–11)
His true stature was concealed in the weakness of his mortality, and his glory was veiled in his humanity
what a powerful statement of the servant nature of Christ
weak yet able to achieve glory
mortal yet with the hope of eternity
Humbled Himself by becoming Obedient
Jesus did what Adam threw away
Adam had everything until he was deceived and sinned
Jesus lost everything of his divine glory and position yet
he remained truly obedient unto death
Adam brought death into existence and Jesus consigned death to nothing
this had to be in the state of man with no divinity involved
man alone sinned so amn alone had to be obedient
in our fallen state we were unable not to sin
Jesus in his humble state did not sin
he died so that he may save each and every human being
he served others so must we
