Unstoppable #2

How many of you know people who are extremely selfish? Don’t point.

How many of you would identify yourself as selfish?

Let me see your hands.

I would say I am for sure. I love what I want to do.

I don’t know if you know this or not, everyone lean in with me. You’re selfish. If we take an honest look at our lives, we would see that we are more selfish than we would like to be. We want to do what we want to do and if we are honest we get a little upset when that does not happen.

Here’s the deal: I’m not as selfish as I used to be, but I am still selfish and I am learning from Jesus how to not be.

In this series of Unstoppable Joy, we are looking through the book of Philippians about how we can find joy in the midst of any circumstance we go through. Last week, we looked at how we can have joy in the midst of pain and tonight I want to talk to you about how we can experience joy when we choose to empty ourselves.

What do I mean by that?

If you have been around church, you probably heard this Christianese talk about being filled up by the Holy Spirit. And that we need to empty ourselves in service. In simple terms:

When you are full of yourself, there is no room for Jesus.

As Jesus followers, and I know not everyone in here is, we are to be like Jesus. Christians literally means “little Christs” and we are to take the posture of Jesus. As we go through tonight, we will see what that is like. Paul, who is the author of this letter, was in prison and reflected on Jesus and this was what he said…

Philippians 2:1–4 CSB

1 If then there is any encouragement in Christ, if any consolation of love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, 2 make my joy complete by thinking the same way, having the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose. 3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility consider others as more important than yourselves. 4 Everyone should look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.

Could you imagine how different our lives would be if we took these few verses seriously? Basically, Paul is saying…

Think of others as much as yourself.

If we think of others as much as we think of ourselves, we would think of others a lot. When we think of others, we become united with Christ.

How often do you think about yourself? Really. Think about it. It is a lot more than we think about others, isn’t it? Do you know how I know? Watch people when they walk by a mirror or glass store front where they can see their reflection.

We do this every time… [walk and pretend to see yourself in the mirror, stop, check yourself out, continue to walk]

I know you do! I do it. Just admit it.

As we get older, we forget this because people are more independent. But the same values hold to be true in our relationship with other people. When you think of others more than yourself, Paul is saying you and God are “one in spirit and of one mind.”

How amazing is that?

I don’t know about you, but I would love to be in the same mind and spirit of the Almighty God who knows all and is all powerful. When we value others’ needs above our needs, we are being like Jesus. For that person, you are a picture of the very nature of Jesus because Jesus gave up everything for us. He put our need of forgiveness over His very own life.

“True humility is not thinking less of yourself; it is thinking of yourself less.” – CS Lewis

When you are full of yourself, there is no room for Jesus.

Philippians 2:5–11 CSB

5 Adopt the same attitude as that of Christ Jesus, 6 who, existing in the form of God, did not consider equality with God as something to be exploited. 7 Instead he emptied himself by assuming the form of a servant, taking on the likeness of humanity. And when he had come as a man, 8 he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death— even to death on a cross. 9 For this reason God highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow— in heaven and on earth and under the earth— 11 and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

This is one of the most famous passages of the character and humility of Jesus. Paul, writing from prison, let everyone know that he was experiencing joy from his cell because he had grasped the character of Jesus’ humility and selflessness. He knew we gain joy by giving up everything.

When we take the same posture of Jesus, we will be elevated in God’s eyes. When we go to our knees in serving others, we will stand on the shoulders of Jesus.

Jesus IS selflessness.

Have you ever been so full that you accidently threw up? [

No? Just me?

Many of us are too full of ourselves and I am afraid we are going to pay the price. We can miss out on the amazing opportunity of having unstoppable joy because we are so focused on us that we miss out on being like Jesus and helping other people.

When you are full of yourself, there is no room for Jesus.

Why give up everything?

Because Jesus did.

Look at this again…

Philippians 2:5–8 CSB

5 Adopt the same attitude as that of Christ Jesus, 6 who, existing in the form of God, did not consider equality with God as something to be exploited. 7 Instead he emptied himself by assuming the form of a servant, taking on the likeness of humanity. And when he had come as a man, 8 he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death— even to death on a cross.

This was amazing to understand in Paul’s time. Think about the culture that was around during this time:

• Greek gods always came to Earth but kept their divinity.

• They came to Earth and demanded respect.

• Jesus came, served, was humble, and was murdered on a cross.

• Jesus didn’t need a mighty fist, He opened his hand to give everything He had.

• This is one of Islam’s biggest negative critiques of Christianity.

The word “humbled” in Greek literally means “emptied.” The text illustrates the essential nature of God, that He came to serve and be emptied.

Here is the question that I keep coming back to and it’s something we all have to wrestle with:

If God’s essential nature is being emptied, why is our always to be filled?

Here’s the answer: Because we are selfish beings. It’s a natural state of who we are and because of our sin.

So how do you combat this? How do you empty yourself to be more like Jesus? You serve.

Matthew 20:28 CSB

28 just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

You might be thinking, how can I do that? I don’t have time. I can’t afford to miss the things I am involved in. My answer to you is this: you can’t afford not to.

Next Saturday our church will give up a few hours to serve the people in our city through food and clothing closet.

Don’t want to be full of yourself? Empty yourself by serving others.

Here are two simple thoughts when it comes to doing this practically.

Find a need… fill it.

Find a hurt… heal it.

Find a hurt – Small Groups don’t know if you know this or not, but life can get a little messy. One of the best ways to serve your peers is to do life with them and be in a group together.

Most suffering that seems meaningless stems from our unwillingness to be emptied.

When we are full of ourselves we cannot be filled with anything else, including the Holy Spirit. When we are full of our passions, those desires that are not of God, our hearts are dead to what God has desired for us. When we learn to lean on the Holy Spirit, our hearts begin to burn for what brings glory and honor to God. It doesn’t matter how dark, deep, wide, awful, embarrassing, bad you think your past is, God can change your dead heart into a beating one and change you from the inside out. All you have to do is accept Jesus as Lord of your life and call on His name.

D.L Moody quote:

"I believe firmly that the moment our hearts are emptied of pride and selfishness and ambition and everything that is contrary to God's law, the Holy Spirit will fill every corner of our hearts. But if we are full of pride and conceit and ambition and the world, there is no room for the Spirit of God. We must be emptied before we can be filled." - D.L Moody

When you are full of yourself, there is no room for Jesus.

It has been my experience that when you really come to the Lord, He never sends you away empty unless