Philippians 2:1-11
Sermon • Submitted
0 ratings
· 5 viewsNotes
Transcript
Illustration:
Illustration:
The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe
“And you,” said the prince, addressing his wife, “what did you think of Cyrus?”
“I did not observe him,” she replied.
Three children find a Wardrobe and they are transported into this other world called Narnia.
“Not observe him!” exclaimed her husband, “upon whom, then, was your attention fixed?”
We haven’t been in this book so lets take a minute to introduce what’s going on here.
The children quickly discover that there is a conflict in Narnia.
A war between those who follow The queen of Narnia and those who follow the untamed but good lion, the King Aslan.
“Upon that dear and generous man,” she replied, “who declared his readiness to purchase my liberty at the expense of his life.”
In the story , one of the children Edmond wanders off and is found by the witch.
The witch entices him with a sweet dessert and Edmond is hooked.
Even when he is found by the other two children, he is quick to wander off again and ends up betraying his other two siblings.
SO there is a scene in which the Witch comes face to face with Aslan, and essentially The witch comes to accuse Edmond and call for his life.
Aslan calls the witch into his tent and they deliberate.
They both come out of the tent and the witch, instead of taking Edmund, seems satisfied with what Aslan has told her.
The next scene, in the movie, is Aslan willingly walking to the Queens camp.
Its here we find the content of the negotiation.
Aslan, the good lion and the standard of good in Narnia, would die in Edmund, the traitor’s place.
The witch lifts her sword and thrust it into the heart of Aslan.
The scene ends.
CS Lewis brilliantly portrays the sacrifice of Christ for us, the traitors who deserve to die.
That part of the movie struck me, almost in tears, thinking of my own sin and punishment I deserved.
The Christian life is all about the story of the sacrifice of Christ, but it does not end there.
We haven’t been in this book so lets take a minute to introduce what’s going on here.
The “Therefore” ties it to chapter 1 where Paul has encourage the Philippian church that will undoubtedly go through suffering and pain in the near future.
The basis of their success as a church will be how well they understand the sacrifice of Jesus and how well they sacrifice for others.
How can Paul can encourage the whole Philippian church?
What can he say to encourage the church to faithfulness?
We are going to look today at what Paul tells the Philippians in order to understand how we should be encouraged to live as a church today.
The Foundation of Unity
The Foundation of Unity
Begin with me here in verse 1
Therefore if there is any encouragement in Christ, if there is any consolation of love, if there is any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and compassion,
Paul expresses the benefits of salvation to all believers.
Believers are:
“In Christ” is key here.
Encouraged In Christ.
This is the predominant way of describing a believer in the New Testament.
In Christ means we have been chosen, called, loved, forgiven, redeemed, justified, transformed, and sealed by His Spirit.
We find every one of those benefits in nowhere else except in Christ.
(We have been given grace in Christ from et
And those things are true of every believer in Christ.
who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was granted us in Christ Jesus from all eternity,
Consoled in love
A real benefit every believer has in Christ is the comfort of His love.
His love is unchangeable by outward circumstances.
For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
This is something that we have within us because of who is in us.
Fellowship of the Spirit
Every believer has the Spirit of God dwelling within them.
It is the Spirit dwelling within us, that empowers our fellowship.
Here’s the reality: Many of you today here are blood relatives of each other. Many of you this week, will gather together as a family to celebrate Thanksgiving apart from a church function.
However, there should be something that unites you that is stronger than a family tree.
A family tree won’t mean anything in eternity. And within the church, The most important thing that bonds us here is not our last name, but rather if we are named with Christ. That’s where the source of our fellowship is here as a church.
Its not us and them. Its not that family and this family. Its not the old members and the new members. Its not the youth and the old. Its us.
Our fellowship as a church is based upon us being in Christ indwelled by the same Spirit.
Affection and compassion
Two things that being in Christ produces in believers toward other believers.
Affection- genuine love displayed.
Compassion- a concern for others who are hurting.
Paul is saying here in verse 1, these are the things which unite you. Unity comes from within.
Verse 1 is a reminder of the foundation of our unity as a church.
This is an important reminder to us. We are a small church with lots of family ties. Thats ok. It can be a good thing, but its not the most important thing.
What
And that foundation will display itself clearly.
He answers how in verse 2:
An Expectation of Unity
An Expectation of Unity
make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose.
Don’t miss the implication here that true believers are united together.
A church that has Christ in common:
Is united in the same thing
In mind
Loves the same things
In love
Is united by the same thing
In Spirit
Is united for the same thing.
The glory of God.
Practically, this is what being in Christ produces. It produces unity. It has to, or Christ i
This is God’s desire for our church. This is why he saves us.
He desires that we be united in mind and love, united by the Spirit, and united for the glory of God.
Today is homecoming. Let’s come home to this.
In order to be successful as a church, we have to be unified, and again this won’t come from us “trying to be more unified.”
Unity as a church happens as a result of each member recognizing they have been united to CHRIST.
There isn’t seven steps I can give you to become more unified as a church.
The only thing I can do is call you to see who you are in Christ and see others in this church for who they are in Christ.
When we forget that the most meaningful truth about us is who we are in Christ, things go haywire.
Paul’s desire and even his joy is bound up in this particular church being like minded, loving each other, united together, and know its purpose and doing it.
Its vitally to our church today to be the same way.
As a church, we HAVE to be likeminded
As a church, we HAVE to be likeminded
United in doctrine. If that is true, if we believe the same thing. We will be united in methodology.
For example: If we believe that salvation is wholly a work of God, accomplished by his grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone, and if we believe that faith comes by the hearing of the Word of God,
Then we will be faithful to preach the Gospel and trust God for the results.
If we believe doctrinally, that the Word of God is sufficiently powerful through his spirit to change lives, we won’t resort worldly and emotionally driven programs and services to try and manufacture a “move” of the Spirit.
It matters that we be like minded as a church.
As a church, we have to love each other and be united in Spirit.
As a church, we have to love each other and be united in Spirit.
A local church cannot be effective if its divided.
Division always produces disobedience.
The church should be known for its love and unity, but so many are not.
As a church, we have to intent on one purpose.
As a church, we have to intent on one purpose.
The goal has to be the same.
How can our church be faithful and obedient to Christ?
It should be noted that our purpose is not:
To fill as many seats as possible on Sunday mornings.
The purpose of our church is not to PLEASE people or entertain people.
The purpose of our church is not just to survive, to keep the bills paid, and to keep the church building looking nice.
In fact, we could do all of those things and still fail in accomplishing the mission of God.
Our purpose must be God’s purpose.
What is God’s purpose?
“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,
Our job and purpose in this church is to do that.
If we don’t make disciples, it doesn’t matter if the building looks great.
If we don’t make disciples, it doesn’t matter if we pack the house.
If believer’s aren’t equipped and being obedient in making other disciples, everything we do here is meaning.
We have to be united in this purpose.
And Satan will attack the local church that makes this its aim.
He will seek to sow division. His goal to render us useless and ineffective.
The sad part is that he is far too often successful.
And he does so through our own pride.
The Enemy of Unity
The Enemy of Unity
Look at verse 3-4
Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.
Boy this is different.
The World around us preaches different message than what Paul just said.
Especially here in the Western World.
We are constantly and purposefully indoctrinated to look out yourself.
The Example of Unity
The Example of Unity
Live your Best Life.
You do you.
Get what you can, by any means necessary.
Do what make you happy. Take what you want.
Thats the message of the world, and by all means those statements are not attached to any specific religion, but it is by all means a religion.
Its idolatry of self.
We live in a world that encourages selfishness.
But thats not the message of the Bible.
Its not the message of the New Testament church.
Its not the message of CHRIST.
In fact, this ideology of self and infatuation with self is as old as the world.
It was selfishness and the desire to better yourself that led Eve to take of the forbidden fruit.
Its the exact bait Satan used with Eve.
Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, “Indeed, has God said, ‘You shall not eat from any tree of the garden’?” The woman said to the serpent, “From the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat; but from the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat from it or touch it, or you will die.’ ” The serpent said to the woman, “You surely will not die! “For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate.
Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, “Indeed, has God said, ‘You shall not eat from any tree of the garden’?” The woman said to the serpent, “From the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat; but from the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat from it or touch it, or you will die.’ ” The serpent said to the woman, “You surely will not die! “For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
It was the desire of self fulfillment and self glory that keyed Eve’s interest. She wanted what she wanted and she took it.
And even after we have seen first hand the travesty and tragedy of her actions, we swallow the same bait hook, line, and sinker and we expect different result.
We look out for ourselves, and I want you to see this morning that this is precisely what Paul warns against as the enemy of unity in the local church.
He says here, “Do nothing selfishness of empty conceit.”
Selfishness and pride have no place in the context of a local church.
It is those two things that rip churches apart and render them useless.
Alistair Begg says “The main obstacle to unity in the church is not hatred of others, but love of self.”
Paul is saying her that can’t be. Not in a healthy church.
Instead:
“With humility of mind, regard one another as more important that yourselves.”
There’s the key to unity and the key to defeating the enemy of unity in the church.
If the enemy of unity is pride and selfishness, then the remedy is humility and selfLESSness.
But this is hard.
its a whole lot easier for me to see what you are doing wrong than it is to see what I’m doing wrong.
Its a whole lot easier for me to see what I’m doing right, than it is for me to see what you are doing right.
We assume the worst of others while we assume the best of ourselves.
But humility and really the gospel demands that we assume the worst of ourselves while we assume the best of others.
He repeats this principle and how it should play out practically.
do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.
Again, lets evaluate.
What does our church membership and our church involvement and our attitude reveal about where we stand with regard to this principle.
And again, I have a hard time with this.
In fact, its hard to even think of a good example of this, because we all are selfish.
But there was someone who wasn’t, and this is where Paul turns our attention now.
The Example of Unity
The Example of Unity
Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus,
Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
Who in the world does that? Who can we rightly look to as our example of selfless humility and love?
Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus,
Church, our example is Jesus.
Our attitude should demonstrate Jesus.
Our heart should demonstrate Jesus.
Our forgiveness should demonstrate Jesus.
who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped,
who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men.
Philippians 2:
If anyone deserved praise, it was Jesus, but he left it.
If anyone didn’t deserve pain and punishment, it was Jesus, but he welcomed it.
In , Jesus gives a clear illustration of his humility
The Lord of all glory washes the feet of a group of sinners, cowards and even his betrayer Judas.
He created them. He created the dust that was on their feet. He formulated the water that he used to wash their feet. Jesus was God and yet he served.
Verse 6-7 is strong theological proof and holds extreme weight that Jesus is and was God in the flesh.
He was and is completely equal in glory and substance with the Father and the Spirit. He was God, and yet he became man.
This is a great mystery, but it is best summarized to say that the incarnation of Christ, his becoming flesh was not done so by subtracting any of of deity.
Rather, his incarnation was adding humanity to his deity, and in doing so, he laid aside what was his by his divine right to humble himself.
In a world that demands rights and privileges, Jesus gave them up and died. For us.
Therefore, He had to be made like His brethren in all things, so that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.
He gave up his rights to die.....for us
Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
I can’t fathom that kind of selflessness, mainly because it seems so absent in my own life.
But this is what Paul is calling us to.
To humble ourselves
To die to ourselves
Imagine for a minute if our church was filled with people who acted like Jesus.
Imagine for a minute if our church had a pastor who acted like Jesus.
Humble, Selfless, Self giving people here for a purpose.
If there’s anything worth coming home to, its that.
Paul is saying in this passage
If we have been united in Christ, we have the ability through his spirit, to be a church unified for the sake of God’s glory, but that will take an active fight and an active mindset to humble and die to ourselves and serve one another as we follow the example of Christ.
We have experienced the great reality of sacrifice for us and now we must sacrifice for others.
And we do so knowing that the one who laid down his life for us has been raised and victory is His and ours through Him.
For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
The three children are fighting a battl
Aslan as the battle rages
The end of the story Aslan gets up.