Philippians 2:5-11 – Make me a Servant

Philippians 2:5-11 – To Live is Christ – Make me a Servant

HBI – vs 6-7 As Christ became a servant to then be exalted above all so we are to live our lives for others and not for ourselves.

Þ Intro

- A reporter was interviewing a successful job counselor who had placed hundreds of workers in their vocations quite happily. When asked the secret of his success, the man replied: "If you want to find out what a worker is really like, don't give him responsibilities—give him privileges. Most people can handle responsibilities if you pay them enough, but it takes a real leader to handle privileges. A leader will use his privileges to help others and build the organization; a lesser man will use privileges to promote himself." Jesus used His heavenly privileges for the sake of others—for our sake.

- It would be worthwhile to contrast Christ's attitude with that of Lucifer and Adam. Many Bible students believe that the fall of Lucifer is a description of the fall of Satan. He once was the highest of the angelic beings, close to the throne of God, but he desired to be on the throne of God! Lucifer said, "I will!" but Jesus said, "Thy will." Lucifer was not satisfied to be a creature; he wanted to be the Creator! Jesus was the Creator, yet He willingly became man. Christ's humility is a rebuke to Satan's pride. [1]

- Continuing the theme of verses 1-4 we go on into the example we have been given of what it means to think of others as better then ourselves.

- We go to the example that was given us in our Lord and savior Jesus. Jesus who came to serve and to save the lost.

- What does it look like for us to think of others as better then ourselves? How can we become bondservants in the service of our Lord and saviour?

Þ 1a) Phi 2:5-6, Christ Jesus was in the form of God and of equality with God.

- I am going to get into a little grammar for you guys. Not English grammar but Hebrew and Greek Grammar. There is a literary device called a Chiasm or a Chiastic structure.

- A chiastic structure is a narrative that has a central point that is THE key point of the passage, and the Spirit points to that point by having the narrative around it zero in on it like an arrow. The way the narrative zeroes in on the central point is fascinating: Let us say there are four elements or ideas in a passage that leads up to the central point. Following the central point, the same elements or ideas will be repeated in some way, but in reverse order. There can be any number of elements or ideas. But that they repeat in reverse order around a central point is the key characteristic.[2] (explain ppt slide)

- You can find examples of this throughout the bible, God uses them throughout the bible to point people more to what He is trying to say. There are so many things we can learn about the way the bible is written. All of Philippians chapter 2 is a chiasm for instance and if you would like to know more about it come talk to me later.

- This passage that we are going to go through today is a chiasm. Another interesting thing about this passage is it is a Poem.

- Following this literary structure, we get to what it looks like to Philippians 2:4 look not to his own interests, but rather to the interests of others.

- This continues with the theme before while adding more to the idea. We are told that the mindset we are to have, the example that we are to follow is the one that Jesus set out for us.

This is the first part of the arrow in the chiasm in this passage what we would label as 1a. Philippians 2:5-6 Make your own attitude that of Christ Jesus, who, existing in the form of God, did not consider equality with God as something to be used for His own advantage.

- Make our attitude the same as Jesus, that means that we are to do what we can, to strive to be more and more like Jesus in our lives.

- This is a pursuit that will not be complete till we go to see Jesus again. Though this should not discourage us from attempting it.

- You may think that this is an impossible feat then, so why should we even go about to have the same attitude as Jesus?

- But we can know that this is by no means a new concept to follow. Jesus said in the book of Matthew that we are to take His yoke on us and that we are to learn from Him.

- Do you guys know what a yoke is? It was used for Oxen and other work animals to pull farm implements and wagons and such. It was a burden for them.

- It is a burden we are to carry as well but a different burden as Jesus says not to worry for His yoke is easy and His burden is light. For we are using the strength of Jesus to carry the burden.

- Take the same mindset as Jesus, He will give us the strength to carry it. The example that we are to learn from? What is it that we are to imitate in Christ?

- To live for Christ means that we will live as a servant, that we will use what liberties and strength God gives us to lead others to Him and help others.

- For this is what Jesus did, he did not consider His divinity as something to be used for advantage.

- Before that though we see that Jesus was in very nature God. This is evidence we have of the trinity. Jesus was 100% God, we know that. But He was also 100% man. This is what people call the hypostatic union. The math does not make sense but that is what this is telling us.

Þ 1b) Phi 2:7a, But He made Himself of no reputation.

- And the last part of that verse says that Jesus did not consider equality with God as something to be used for His own advantage.

- That means that Jesus though being God gave part of that up to become man. But how does this work? Jesus was still divine but had limited himself.

- His knowledge was limited, even He did not know when He was going to come back again but He said God did. He got tired and needed to rest. He was tempted, He prayed that this cup would pass from Him.

- Philippians 2:7 Instead He emptied Himself

- As if saying if there is any other way for this burden to pass from Him then please let it pass. He could have called down legions of angels to take Him off the cross. But rather died so that we could be set free from our sin. What an amazing thing our saviour did for us.

- This is when we get to the second level of the arrow, what we label as 1b. Jesus was in very nature God, all God, and all man. Who gave up heaven and came down to earth so that we could have freedom from sin?

- It was put well in a book I was reading when it said that how could Jesus, who never stopped being God, who always was God could take on such a vocation and the humiliation that it comes with. The concern is with divine selflessness: God is not an acquisitive being, grasping and seizing, but self-giving for the sake of others[3]

- What a thing to contemplate, Jesus gave so that we could live. This is the mindset that we are to have

Þ central axis) Phi 2:7b-8a, Taking the form of a bondservant, coming as a man.

- Which is where we get to the central part, the theme, the main point in the Chiasm the point that it all points towards.

- To live a life for Christ we need to take Jesus yoke upon us and learn from Him and what we learn from Him in this passage is very simple yet very important.

- Philippians 2:7-8 assuming the form of a slave, taking on the likeness of men. And when He had come as a man in His external form, 8 He humbled Himself

- Jesus came in the likeness of men, not to be served but to give His life as a ransom for many. Jesus took on the likeness of a bondservant. He showed the true character of God, He poured Himself out for others.

- So for us to be in the image of God we are told to reflect this same character that Jesus did. We to are to become that bondservant for Jesus, to pour our lives out for the sake of others so that they too may hear about Jesus and live.

- But in all things as well we need to pour out our lives for the sake of all those around us.

- To be unified as the body of Christ as we live our lives for Christ, we need to adopt the same mindset as Jesus and pour out our lives for each other. That is truly the only way that we can be unified as the body of Christ.

Þ 2b) Phi 2:8b, He humbled Himself to become obedient to death, even death on the cross.

- This is the point the echoes and reinforces 1b, Jesus humbled himself He became a servant to die on the cross for our sins.

- Jesus lived a human life; God became flesh yet did not sin so that we might live. God’s will for the life of Jesus was to die a truly horrific death.

- You may wonder why, why Jesus even went willingly knowing that this was going to happen to Him? Because we needed that sacrifice to be free from our sin.

- You may think that this is the main point of the passage, the cross and Jesus dyeing for our sin. Do not get me wrong it is of vital importance, but the main point Paul says here is that we are to have the mindset of Jesus.

- That mindset that we are to have is to humble ourselves under the mighty hand of Jesus to the point of being willing to die for Him as Jesus died for us. To humble ourselves and think of other people as better then ourselves.

- And the reason we can do this is because Jesus first died for sin so that we might have freedom.

Þ 2a) Phi 2:9-11, Therefore God has highly exalted Him, to the glory of God the Father.

- And the last point that echoes the first. Because Jesus didn’t use His glory for His own advantage then the result of this is that

- Philippians 2:9-11 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— of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth— 11 and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

- Jesus was exalted and some day every knee will bow, and every tongue confess that Jesus is Lord. Remember this does not say that only Christians are going to bow the knee.

- It says that all people will bow, and every tongue confess. That means whether you like it or not you are one day going to have to do this. So you have the choice to either bow the knee in praise or be forced to bow the knee in anger or pain because you where wrong.

- But not only that as Jesus was exalted above all after His death on the cross so one day we too will be exalted. We will receive new bodies, live in a new heaven and a new earth that Jesus is going to prepare for those who choose to follow Him.

Þ So What?

- As Jesus humbled Himself to the point of death on a cross as a servant then we too are supposed to humble ourselves. To live a Christ centered life in unity we need to humble ourselves.

- We need to come to point of thinking of others above ourselves. We need to not fear death but rather serve Jesus even to the point of being willing to die for Him in wherever he calls us.

- Jim Elliot and a group of missionaries did just this. The spent years training and learning the language of a group of people called savages who w enow know as the Waorani.

- When they finally made contact with the people group, they where speared to death. The families of the fallen missionaries eventually came back and forgave those people and brought the message of the gospel to them which many responded too.

- An amazing story which is a lot longer but summed up for you. So I leave with this question for you, How can you today become a servant for Jesus as the body of Christ so as to point people to Jesus?

[1] Bible Exposition Commentary - Bible Exposition Commentary – Be Joyful (Philippians).

[2] https://www.alittleperspective.com/philippians-2-chiastic-structure/

[3] Fee, G. D. (1995). Paul’s Letter to the Philippians (p. 211). Grand Rapids, MI: Wm.B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.