Side by Side Humility - Philippians 1:27-2:11

[IF YOU DON’T HAVE A BIBLE…]

We are in a sermon series called “Side by Side For the Gospel.”

We’ve been studying the book of Philippians and allowing God to really just bring us back to the basics of what it means to be his church.

After we wee scattered for so long… getting back, and getting focused on what God wants for his people.

So we’ve said that OUR goal for this fall is to partner together in the pursuit of knowing and proclaiming Jesus.

We want to strengthen our relationship with Jesus and with each other so that we become an effective witness in the world.

And today we are going to see how that side by side partnership ONLY works when we learn to embrace the posture of HUMILITY that reflects the gospel.

The title of today’s sermon is “Side by Side Humility”...

Now I would suggest that the subject of humility is probably one of the most impossible subjects to teach on...

Because as soon as you bring it up, people think you are trying to be an expert on humility… or somehow they think you are setting yourself up as the example of humility.

I once read a book about the topic of humility written by a popular pastor… I thought it was a great book… and this guy seemed to know what he was talking about...

Until several years later, he was forced to resign from his church… and one of the main reasons was that he had demonstrated arrogance and was a bully in his leadership....

and I’m like, “So… should I throw this book out then?”

Nothing that he said in the book was wrong… but knowing ABOUT something and embodying it can be two different things.

So it’s with much fear and trepidation that I approach preaching on humility...

And I’m holding onto the way Paul described true preaching 2 Cor 4:5…

“For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake.” (2 Corinthians 4:5, ESV)

I want you to know that I don’t preach to you week after week because I have this all figured out… I preach to you because Christ has US figured out… and he has a word for us that we need to hear today about humility.

Humility is foreign to this world and to our flesh.

Our culture is all about making ourselves look MORE successful… be MORE in control… feel MORE self-satisfied… more independent.

On social media we make sure our voice is heard and our image is polished.

Even in the church, we put on our Sunday best and make sure people don’t see the blemishes...

We often focus on our own preferences and comfort… and want to be confirmed in our own ways of thinking.

The very essence of sin is saying, “I know better than God.”

But Jesus transforms all of that way of thinking.

To come to Jesus, we have to admit that we are nothing and he is everything.

We have to admit that we can’t achieve success… we aren’t in control… we ARE dependent.

We have to confess that we are sinners in need of a Savior.

Ultimately we have to lay down our own preferences and comfort so that we can stand side by side for the gospel of our LORD Jesus Christ.

Humility is foreign to this world and to our flesh… but we have a God who humbled himself and TOOK ON flesh so that we would be humbled before him.

Humility is the greatest reflection that we have come to know Jesus… and when it is demonstrated in Christ’s church, it becomes the greatest platform to proclaim Jesus to others.

So here’s the big idea for today:

Big Idea: Pursue humility in community to reflect our humble king to the world.

Humility in community… that’s what’s needed for gospel witness.

Your Bibles are open to Philippians 1… Just to remind you of the context of this letter:

The Apostle Paul is writing something like a missionary prayer letter to one of his partner churches in the city of Philippi in Northern Greece.

So far in the letter he’s greeted them… he’s thanked God for them… he’s prayed for them…

And most recently, he’s reflected on his own current situation: living at his own expense, chained to a Roman guard under house arrest because of his gospel ministry…

We learned last week how he brought clarity to his circumstances by focusing on Christ’s gospel priorities… he said, “These chains… this suffering… really only serves to advance the gospel.”

That was his perspective on suffering… and we will find out that it was meant to be an example for all believers as well.

Now at the end of that section that we studied last week, Paul assured the Philippian Church that he believes he will be released from prison... at some point he even hopes to visit them...

He believes God still has work for him to do there in Philippi.

But it’s not time for that visit yet… and so he has ONE primary concern until that time...

Look at verse 27… [Read]

Do you hear Paul’s urgency as you read this? Notice he says, “ONLY” at the beginning of v. 27… the NIV interprets that “whatever happens.”

He has ONE primary concern whether he is stuck in jail… whether he dies… or whether he comes to visit them: That their manner of life would be WORTHY of the gospel...

That they would REFLECT the gospel in their lives.

And he says that happens… first through...

Humble Solidarity (v. 27)

Dictionary.com defines Solidarity this way: union or fellowship arising from common responsibilities and interests...

I can’t think of a better word to describe what Paul is going for in v. 27…

That they would lay down every other ambition… every other desire in life... and pick up this one thing: reflecting their humble king to the world.

Humility requires that we each lay down “my thing” for “our thing”… for the purposes of CHRIST in his church… the reflection of his gospel to the world.

ONLY let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel.

That word that’s translated “let your manner of life be” is a really interesting word…

If you have an ESV bible, you could learn this on your own by following the footnote, which tells you that the original Greek word has this sense: “live as citizens worthy...”

It was a word typically used for a code of conduct for Roman citizens… if you were going to call yourself a “Roman,” you were expected to live consistently with that identity by “acting Roman...” by “behaving like a model citizen.”

It meant that you you embraced the responsibilities and interests of Rome. That’s what this word is referring to.

And this was especially important to the citizens in Philippi.

Philippi was a city originally populated a generation earlier by ex-soldiers from the Roman military.

So to compare their culture to something today, imagine the patriotism represented in a town that is right next to a military base: that’s the type of culture the church in Philippi is situated in.

They would have loved the idea of living as good Roman citizens.

But Paul takes this word and he turns it upside-down.

Instead of “let your manner of life be worthy of Rome,” it’s “Let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ.”

In other words, “live like a citizen of Christ’s kingdom… pursue the responsibilities and interests of Christ’s fellowship...

Reflect the gospel in the way you live… TOGETHER in Solidarity.

Most of us would hear this phrase “let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel” and think, “OK… Paul is going to talk about my PERSONAL walk with Jesus… maybe my PERSONAL evangelism.

But that’s not where Paul goes with this… look at verse 27 again… what does it look like to clearly reflect the gospel?

First, that they would stand firm in one Spirit… (I interpret that as a reference to the Holy Spirit.. some disagree… it’s not worth arguing about)...

They needed to stand against the tides of culture that searched for common identity in the gods of that day…

They needed to embrace a common identity in the Holy Spirit who indwelled them together.

Second, reflecting the gospel meant that they would have one mind (which we will learn later is the humble mind of Christ)…

Instead of a mind set on promoting Rome... or gaining personal influence in society… their minds were set on serving Jesus.

Third, reflecting the gospel meant that they would STRIVE SIDE BY SIDE for the faith of the gospel (that is, they would join together in the pursuit of knowing and proclaiming Jesus as Lord).

The typical Roman citizen would be deeply familiar with the confession “Caesar is Lord.”

The military families in Philippi would have remembered battles fought side by side to PROVE that point.

But Christians would strive side by side for the confession that that Jesus was Lord... not in military conquest, but in evangelistic witness.

And that would lead to opposition, especially in a city so loyal to Caesar as Philippi…

So they would reflect the gospel in this fourth way… they would not fear their opponents.

Romans loved to use FEAR to maintain order… that’s why crucifixion was such an effective Roman invention… it screamed, “Don’t act up like this guy or else.”

And if we are going to reflect our humble king in that kind of environment, it’s going to require humble solidarity.

I have to set aside “my own thing”… (my own comforts… my own preferences… my own agenda… my own offenses…)

I have to be willing to take up the responsibilities and interests of Christ and his church.

We must make sure that our singular focus is on reflecting Jesus to the world… THAT is our common interest… THAT is our common responsibility.

Illustrate: Let me ask you: What is the thing you desire most for our church? Or maybe think about it this way: if Oak Hill weren’t around tomorrow, and I HAD to find a new church, what would be my top priority? What would be on my “ONLY” list?

(remember, Paul said, “ONLY let you manner of life be worthy of the gospel”… this was his ONLY concern… so what’s on your “only” list?

For some, our minds would first go to the programs… do they have a good children’s ministry or youth ministry or women’s ministry… usually those programs are desired because they meet some felt need of my life stage or family situation. They are focused on what I need.

Others, our mind would go to the people… do I like the people I meet there? Do they seem friendly?

Programs… people… Others would look for the “Polish”… do they have a great kickin’ worship team… or is the preacher engaging and relevant… so that I can ENJOY my time every Sunday. “If I have to spend an hour and a half there, it had better be a good quality production.”

But can I suggest (based on Paul’s words here) that we should ONLY be focused on one question when it comes to our desire for our church: Can I partner with these people in the pursuit of knowing and proclaiming Jesus?

Can I stand with these people in solidarity, knowing that they want to reflect the gospel of Jesus to the people around them?

SOME of those other things might have a place in helping to accomplish that… but all of them must serve that one goal…

It’s not about meeting my felt needs… it’s about reflecting the gospel.

And that will happen most when we pursue humility.

The church is not here for our own interests… WE are here in community AS the church to pursue the interests of Christ together.

[PAUSE… *CALM*] Humble solidarity positions us for this next way we reflect our humble king:

Look at verse 28-30

Reflect the gospel of our humble king by embracing his…

Humble Security (v. 28-30)

Explain: Wherever the gospel is uniting God’s people and advancing into new territory, we will have opponents.

Satan HATES a church that is united around the gospel.

He will do anything he can to disrupt that… he will try to intimidate us physically or financially… he will try to discourage us… to harm us...

And he will use those who don’t know Jesus to do it. That’s likely who the opposition is in this verse.

But when opponents try to intimidate us we can stand secure, knowing that our humble king endured the greatest possible opposition to save us.

Opposition to the church of Jesus Christ is expected to come… the question is, what do we do with it?

Do we retreat in fear? Do we give into Satan’s lies and tactics and try to preserve our OWN sense of security? Or do we stand secure together in Christ?

Security through opposition is a reflection of our humble king… Paul says, This is a clear sign to them of their destruction, but of your salvation, and that from God.

Salvation comes when we are willing to humbly say, “I’m a sinner, not the Savior… Jesus is the Savior. I’m a servant, not the Lord.. Jesus is Lord.”

That’s humility. And it’s at the heart of our salvation… our deliverance is in GOD’S HANDS… and HE WILL DO IT!

And that kind of humility produces incredible security in our hearts.

Humility is not LACKING confidence or security… it’s putting our confidence and security in the right source: Jesus Christ.

When opposition comes and we stand secure, it shows that WE KNOW who wins the battle...

The battle for our salvation is not dependent on us… it’s not dependent on our personal success… our salvation comes from God.

So we don’t need to worry when society tries to intimidate us with physical force or financial pressure… like Paul said just a few verses earlier, “To live is Christ, to die is gain!”

We don’t have to worry when the world says we are out of touch with reality or that we are on the wrong side of history... we know who CREATED reality and we know where history ends!

We don’t need to worry about society smearing our reputations… We have already confessed that we are wretched sinners deserving of hell before the Holy God of the universe… and he has counted us righteous!

What could they say that would make any difference?!?!

True humility comes from being secure that our salvation is from GOD, not us.

Paul reminds them “For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake, engaged in the same conflict that you saw I had and now hear that I still have.” (Philippians 1:29–30, ESV)

Understand this: It is the gracious gift and calling of God that you should suffer and face opposition for the sake of Christ.

It is not an accident… it is not a detour from his plan… it is not a hurdle to overcome so you can get back to following Jesus later: Suffering and opposition IS his path for his disciples.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer once wrote, “When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die.”

We have a Savior who endured the most shameful death possible at the hands of his opponents...

One who took our guilt and shame upon himself when WE were his opponents… so that we could stand forgiven before the throne of a holy God...

We follow a suffering Savior… and that means that we follow him into that same suffering at the hands of those who oppose him.

A lot of times I see the church… I see myself... shrinking back from reflecting our humble king because we are afraid of suffering and opposition… Think of all the things that are scary about that...

We are afraid that we might lose relationships because of Jesus…

We are afraid that we might not answer a question right and then look like an idiot....

We are afraid that if we spend time with unbelievers to introduce them to Christ, we might not have time for all the other pursuits we have set our hearts on.

We are afraid that we might lose our job or our status in the community.

We are afraid that we might fail.

But humility looks all of that fear in the face and says, “It’s not about me and how I look to the world… it’s how the world sees Christ through me.

My salvation and my identity come from him.

He wasn’t afraid to embrace suffering… I can find my security in him when the opposition comes.”

As each of us pursue that type of humble security in Jesus, we will be a bright reflection of Jesus to the world.

But we have to be careful… because the greatest threat to reflecting Jesus doesn’t come from the outside… it comes from inside our own hearts.

Look at how Paul continues in 2:1-4:

If we are going to reflect our humble king, we need to pursue..

Humble selflessness. (2:1-4)

Explain: As Paul moves them closer to the foundation of humility, he starts pulling on their heartstrings a little bit… He makes 4 statements to get them thinking about the benefits of the gospel… Just consider these in your own life as I read them slowly in question form:

Have you been encouraged through your relationship to Christ?

Have you ever been comforted by his love? Maybe through another believer

Do you enjoy any true relationship with Christ and with other believers through the Spirit?

Have you ever experienced any affection from Christ… or sympathy from his people?

For any true believer, the answer to those questions HAS to be a resounding YES!!!

Jesus has moved toward us in humble, selfless love.

He has filled us and empowered us with his Spirit...

He has made a family out of those who were his enemies...

He looked upon you with mercy and compassion...

But before Paul calls for their humility, he adds one more reason just to pull on their hearts a little more… he says “complete my joy.”

In other words, “Do you want me to be happy, sitting here in this dusty apartment under house arrest?”

Talk about laying it on thick!

If you want me to have joy, do this one thing… relate to each other with humble selflessness.

“complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind.”

Well that sounds like a great ideal… but is it at all realistic???

Do you know how hard it can be to get everyone on the same page in the church???

How do we get to this kind of unity? Paul tells us how: Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.” (Philippians 2:2–3, ESV)

Selfish ambition or conceit… looking to our own interests… is the default position in the human heart.

Illustrate: We don’t have to teach our kids to put themselves first. Perhaps you’ve seen this play out in you own life, kids… or maybe in someone else;

Little Johnny receives a new toy for his birthday. His brothers want to play with it before he even has a chance. EACH of them say, “Me first.”

What have they done? They have each vocalized the selfish ambition that characterizes every human heart.

Or how about this one: mom or dad says, “It’s time for bed.” And your kids don’t even LIKE bedtime, but they are RUSHING to the top of the steps saying, “I won!!! NO you didn’t!!! Mom, he wouldn’t let me go first!!!!”

What are they saying? “I, in this moment, think that my victory climb to the pinnacle of the staircase means that I am better than my siblings.” Empty conceipt.

Or how about this: you say, “Susie, you need to clean your room, we have guests coming tonight.” And the first three words out of her mouth are “But I want...”

What is she saying? She is saying, “My desires are more important than the needs of our household.”

Selfish ambition... conceit… looking to our own interests… those are the default positions of the human heart.

This just carries over into adulthood in more sophisticated expressions. Here are a few ways it can show up in the church...

Some people desire control… they have selfish ambition and conceit...

They want things their way… So they judge anyone with a position of authority, assuming they must just be a proud dictator trying to usurp their personal autonomy...

Sometimes they will push and posture their ways into leadership positions…

Others won’t try to lead at all… they just make Monday morning quarterback critiques of everything that goes on.

Sometimes people look to their own interests by pursuing convenience…

So they only gather with God’s people when it fits with their schedule or is easily accessible.

They only serve in ministry if they are “feeling up to it” that day.

Sometimes people look to their own interests by insisting on their own preferences…

Whether it’s musical style, architecture of the building, programs that fit our family…

Our default position is to think about our own ambition… our own status… our own interests. We don’t need any help doing that… it’s natural.

But here’s what’s supernatural: to count others more significant than yourself… to look to the interests of others.

This is developed and trained and modeled in the home.

Husbands… Fathers… when you come home… and you’ve had a hard day and just want some “me time”… what does it look like to count your wife and kids more significant than yourself?

Wives, moms… when you have had it up to here with your husband or kids not cleaning up after themselves… what does it look like to look to the interests of others?

Teenagers… young adults… when you have some free time in your schedule… what does it look like to use some of that time to care for the needs of your family or church?

Kids… when your siblings are driving you crazy… what does it mean to put their interests above your own?

Parents, we need to insist on this in our kids. Those three words, “But I want” need to be immediately corrected, or else they will fester into a cancerous sore in adulthood.

It’s developed in the family… and then it’s carried over into the family of families, the church...

Leaders: Elders, Deacons… our place in the church is not a status symbol… it is a call to selflessness.

We aren’t leading people to us… we are leading them to Christ.

We aren’t leading people to fulfill our dreams… we are leading them to pursue Christ’s priorities… there’s a HUGE difference.

It’s going to cost us MORE to lead in the church than it ever would to leave that responsibility for someone else.

I’m so thankful that I see that humble attitude OFTEN in our leaders.

Members, if you are not in a position of leadership: what does it look like to sacrifice your interests and preferences and convenience for the sake of the whole church?

When your Gospel Community is trying to find a time to be together… and they throw out a date that isn’t the MOST convenient, but you could do it… what does it look like to say, “This is important, I’m there.”

When you are asked to serve in ministry that isn’t your first choice, but it’s what is needed, do you joyfully and willingly do it? Do you consider what that ministry needs, even if it might make you uncomfortable sometimes?

When the worship team starts leading a song that isn’t your favorite, but it is still true… do you sing it out FULLY because you are encouraging other believers in your singing?

For the church to stand side by side for the gospel, every person needs to be thinking with humble selflessness...

Not, “I’ll do my part when they do theirs.”

Not, “They didn’t show me love, so I’m not going to show them love.”

No, remember where Paul started this exhortation: with the idea that CHRIST has given me all the encouragement and comfort and love and fellowship and affection and sympathy and joy I will ever need… because of HIM I can pour myself out for others.

Humble selflessness is the overflow of our experience with Jesus. It’s his gospel that sets us free to have the mindset of humility.

Look at verse 5-11

We reflect our humble king when we pursue humble solidarity… humble security… humble selflessness… and finally this...

Humble Service. (2:5-11)

Paul says, “Have this mind among yourselves...”

Explain: The word translated mind has the sense of “mindset.” It’s a common understanding… a common way of thinking.

But this common way of thinking isn’t dictated by any one person in the church.

It’s given by Christ himself.

The mindset is OURS in Christ Jesus.

When we come to faith in Jesus, we come to a humble king who is both an EXAMPLE of humble service and the WORTHY RECIPIENT of our humble service.

So Paul breaks out into what most people believe was part of a hymn that the early church sang about Jesus.

In this hymn, we see...

Four Attributes of our Humble King:

Humble Identity:

Though Jesus was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself... taking the form of a servant... being born in the likeness of men...

The word form is not merely his physical body, but his “nature.”

The Son of God is FULLY God in his nature… he has all of the attributes of God… he existed in perfect oneness with the Father and the Spirit from eternity past…

He is always all-knowing… all-powerful… all-sufficient…

And though he always has that form, he did not count that position a thing to be grasped...

That doesn’t mean he couldn’t attain it…

It means he didn’t selfishly hold onto it… he didn’t hold it with a closed fist...

It wasn’t a thing to be held onto for personal advantage.

Instead, He WILLFULLY emptied himself.

Now this is important… because the early church spent a LOT of time making sure everyone understood what this meant...

For the Son of God to EMPTY himself, it does NOT mean that he stopped being God.

It does NOT mean that he lost or gave up his divine attributes to become human.

It does NOT mean that he was sometimes human and sometimes God… or half-human and half God.

It means that he SET ASIDE THE PRIVILEGES of his divine status.

He did’t subtract from his divinity…

He added FULL humanity to his already FULL divinity…

Jesus took on a COMPLETE HUMAN nature (not a sin nature, but a complete HUMAN nature such as Adam had in the Garden) in addition to his Divine nature.

And he did this to SERVE God by serving you… he assumed the identity of a SERVANT.

That word “servant” is the same word that Paul used to describe himself in chapter 1 verse 1.

This is the identity that everyone united to Christ needs to assume: SERVANT.

Remember, one of our goals for the fall is to SERVE JESUS in regular ministry...

And we said we want to grow in both our mindset as servants… and that will help us determine our FREQUENCY and the TYPE of serving that Christ wants us to do as a part of his church.

Because Jesus became a servant, we take on the identity of servants. We need to VIEW ourselves through that lens.

Let’s look at what this meant for Jesus to be a servant… Think about his...

Humble Activity:

he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

This is the gospel that saves you… that Jesus went to the LOWEST PLACE for you.

He took your death upon himself.

He made your consequences his consequences… your suffering his suffering.

He endured the most shameful human death… AND endured the wrath of God… in YOUR place… for YOUR sin.

That’s the heart of our faith… and that’s what servanthood looks like.

The mindset of Jesus never says, “This gospel relationship costs too much.... or This service is too hard… or Do they REALLY expect me to do THAT?!?!”

Jesus said, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.” (Matthew 16:24, ESV)

The path of Jesus is the path of the cross… it’s the activity of servanthood… of laying down our lives for Jesus and his church.

And that means we need to follow Jesus in this third way

Humble Submission:

Therefore GOD has highly exalted him...

Even though Jesus had the very nature of God, he entrusted himself to the Father… he submitted himself to God.

In a world COMMITTED to exalting their OWN ideas… of showing everyone how great they are on social media… of tearing down everyone who disagrees with us so that WE look better...

Followers of Jesus entrust themselves to God and wait for GOD to exalt them.

Which, by the way, is not a promise for this life, but for the next.

Because a life lived in service to the king will follow the contours of his life on earth.

He was despised and rejected by men… a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.

But at the lowest place, God highly exalted him… he vindicated him… he delivered him.

And he will deliver us.

We can surrender our lives to his good plan. Even in the midst of suffering and opposition, he will deliver joy.

In the end, EVERYONE will see that a life lived in service to Jesus was the right choice… because Jesus commands...

Humbling Authority:

“Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians 2:9–11, ESV)

In the Old Testament, the name that is above every name is the name “YHWH”… in our Bibles it’s translated in the Old Testament as LORD with all capital letters..

Jesus will be recognized as the One and Only God… Every knee will bow before him!

Every tongue will confess and knee will bow in heaven… the angels and the saints who have gone before us are bowing right now...

Every tongue will confess and knee will bow on earth… Jesus is coming again and he will set up his throne on the earth and he will reign for a thousand years… he will rule in absolute righteousness and justice and peace over ALL the earth... and then heaven and earth will be made one…

and the people who worship him as Savior and Lord NOW will JOYFULLY bow before him then from the earth.

But there will also be every tongue that will need to confess… and every knee that will need to bow from under the earth… from Hell… from the fiery abyss…

Satan… his demons… and every person who does not confess Jesus as Savior and Lord in this life will confess him in the life to come… through weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Because Jesus commands all authority… in heaven and on earth and under the earth. His authority humbles us.

And so the question is… will you humble yourself before him?

Will you give your life in service to this king… who served you in death… and is supremely worthy of your service in life?

Will you find your identity in him… and center your activity around him… and submit your life to his ultimate authority?

He has saved you for that purpose.

Will you stand in humble solidarity and security and selflessness and service with God’s people, reflecting our humble king to the world?