Be Like Christ

Introduction

In 1992 Gatorade launched a series of commercials called “Be Like Mike.” The commercials featured the basketball superstar, Michael Jordan, six-time Chicago Bulls championship winner dunking the basketball repeatedly.

Michael Jordan inspired a generation of young athletes, who all wanted to be like Mike.

When I was a kid, it was Pittsburg Steeler’s defensive tackle, Mean Joe Green that appeared in a Coca Cola commercial and tossed his shirt to a hopeful young fan waiting near the player’s locker room. We all wanted to be Mean Joe Green when it came time to play football at recess.

However, we know that our childish search to become like our superstars and super heroes do not last in life. We always outgrow these childish ideas.

The Apostle Paul knew that being like Christ was something that we could not outgrow. He assured us that this was the highest goal that a Christian could set for their lives and that we could work towards the achievement of this goal throughout our lives.

Paul wrote a letter to the church at Philippi. This was a church that was in trouble.

They were being harassed by the community in Philippi.

They had been infiltrated by the Judaizers, who were trying to corrupt the Gospel message.

They had some infighting among two ladies in the church.

Paul’s advice to them in Philippians 2 was to point them to Christ...

prayer

Christ is our Great Example

Philippians 2:1–4 NASB95

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, 2 make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose. 3 Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; 4 do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.

Paul wanted to help the church at Phillipi to get past these issues and establish a firm unity based in Jesus Christ. He lists several characteristics of unity in verse 1. These are characteristics for churches to pursue...

These “if then” statements in verse 1 are not intended to cause any doubt, but used as a rhetorical device to build an emphatic case for Paul’s argument. There is no doubt that there is “encouragement in Christ” or “consolation of love” these are found in Christ, therefore they are a supporting argument for unity.

A. Unity of Mind - Cognitively Engaged

“thinking in the same way”This phrase does not mean that we are to be mindless sheep, never questioning, following along in a herd-like mindset. It means that we are to be cognitively engaged with each other. We are to share the same attitudes. This form of unity is an important part of life together. This is why we have Sunday School and Bible study. When we study the word together we share our impressions and findings and grow deeper in Christ together.

B. United in Love - Emotionally Engaged

“having the same love”This phrase indicates that we are to be loving to each other. When we each have the love of Christ for others in the church, we are emotionally engaged.We get to this form of unity when we participate in Life Groups or other forms of small groups. I always teach that Life Groups are a place where we learn together, we serve together, we care for each other’s needs, and we share a meal together. Each of these aspects allows us to become bonded together in love and grow more deeply in Christ.

C. United in Spirit - Spiritually Engaged

“united in spirit”It completely makes sense that as a church we should be united in spirit. The text actually says that the local church should share “one soul.” We are tied together by something much deeper than place or circumstance. This means that we are to be spiritually engaged with each other and spiritually engaged with Christ. We accomplish this through prayer and investing in each other’s lives.

D. United in Purpose - Missionally Engaged

“intent on one purpose”When the team shares an experience they are bound together by that experience.

Ecclesiastes 4:9–12 CSB

9 Two are better than one because they have a good reward for their efforts. 10 For if either falls, his companion can lift him up; but pity the one who falls without another to lift him up. 11 Also, if two lie down together, they can keep warm; but how can one person alone keep warm? 12 And if someone overpowers one person, two can resist him. A cord of three strands is not easily broken.

This reminds me of the “Band of Brothers” concept. Often times soldiers, who are separated from family and thrust into extreme situations will form a brotherly bond that is not easily broken.

We can experience that bond in our churches too because we are united by our mission.

When we are missionally engaged in purpose and serving others through outreach to our community and to our world, then we become united in purpose.

I. If we want to be like Christ, we must have Humility

Philippians 2:3 NASB95

3 Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves;

Some churches just never can claim unity. But these churches will never achieve unity when individuals are so focused on their own traditions, preferences, agendas. When there is a spirit of competition and division in the church, there is disunity.

This phrase “selfish ambition” has the sense of a feud or long-standing rivalry. This is the sense that we can see in our national politics today. There is actually a sense of “division along party lines” in the Greek text here.

When this selfish ambition creeps into church council meetings and business meetings, there is trouble in the camp. These sentiments left unchallenged will develop into a church divided.

“in humility consider others as more important than yourselves”

Then Paul defines humility. He says that humility is considering “others as more important than yourselves.” Now, admittedly, this is hard when you have trouble loving yourself.

II. If we want to be like Christ, we have to Put Others First

Philippians 2:5–6 NASB95

5 Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped,

At first blush this sounds like kindergarten wisdom. But sometimes the simplest wisdom is the hardest to live out in our daily lives.

Jesus said it this way in his Great Commandment...

How Hard is it to Love?

It’s not hard to love people who love us, because we are already getting something from them.

Humility requires us to love people who do not love us back.

Humility requires us to love people who are different than we are.

Humility requires us to love people who do not think like we do.

Humility requires us to love people who are on the opposite side of an argument.

Humility requires us to love people who plot against us and block our agendas.

III. If we want to be like Christ, we have to Give of Ourselves

Philippians 2:7–8 NASB95

7 but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. 8 Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

Verse 7 gives us a picture of Jesus as a servant. The text says that he “emptied himself.” This means that Jesus, who was fully God, chose to lay aside the very nature of God to become something less. That doesn’t mean that when he was on earth that he wasn’t God, but he chose not to act as God during the time that he took on a human form. And he chose to do this willingly so that he could take on the sins of the world

Matthew 20:28 NASB95

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

Even in his sacrifice, Jesus was a servant.

If we want to put on the likeness of Christ, then we must find ways to serve others. How many of us go to great lengths to have others think great things about us.

But Christ did not seek to glorify himself. He sought only to lower himself and glorify God.

IV. Finally, if we want to be like Christ, we must seek to Glorify God

Philippians 2:9–11 NASB95

9 For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Jesus’ entire purpose in coming to earth was to bring glory to God the Father.

Paul was warning us about selfish ambition or empty conceit in verse 3. Jesus entire ministry on earth and throughout time has been to humble himself and glorify God. But because of this practice of emptying himself or pouring himself out as an offering, he found great exaltation and glory when he was lifted to the right hand of Father God.

Conclusion

Being like Christ is the highest calling that we have. It should permeate everything that we do. We should do our jobs like Christ. We should live at home and in our community like Christ. We should show the love of Christ to others at every opportunity possible. And we should seek to glorify God, like Christ did.