The Reason We Live (2)

Trading in Selfie-ness for Service

Selfies, a picture of me, myself, and I.

For many today, taking and posting selfies is a way of life.

Google states that 93 million selfies are taken and posted on its platforms every day

and Samsung states that most people will take over 25,000 selfies in his or her lifetime.

This is the selfie generation.

Now, even though I can appreciate a good selfie, I have to wonder just how far our “selfie-ness” reflects our selfishness.

There was a time when it was assumed that the earth was the center of the universe.

People believed that the sun, moon, and all stars revolved around the earth.

Then Copernicus arrived and revolutionized our understanding of the universe and our place in it.

Copernicus was the first to discover that the sun dose not revolve around us, instead the earth revolves around the sun.

The universe does not revolve around us, no, the earth is just one piece in an ever moving, ever expanding cosmos.

As individuals, we often feel as though we are the center of the universe as though everything revolves around us.

“My needs, my wants, my hopes, my dreams.”

We are so egocentric and full of “selfie-ness.”

Truth be told, our society repeatedly reinforces our egotism with talks of self-esteem, self-help, self-determination, self-love, and self-fulfillment.

We buy into the idea that everyone has the right to “pursue happiness,”

and that everyone has a right to the American dream.

If I were to give a slogan to describe Western culture

it would be “Buy happiness for Me, Myself, and I.”

Friends, we are in need of a Copernican revolution!

The apostle Paul provides the inspiration and solution for that revolution in today’s text

If you have your Bibles, Please turn with me to Philippians 2: 1-3

Philippians 2:1–3 ESV

So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.

See! I told you we would get to chapter 2

It reads:

“Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind.

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit.

Rather, in humility value others above yourselves.”

The first word in this passage jumps out at us, “therefore.”

We must ask ourselves what is “therefore,” there- for?

This adverb tells us that the information about to be shared is connected to the previous thought.

It may help to remember that Paul wrote Philippians as a letter without the separated chapters and verses.

So, let’s quickly look back and find what “therefore,” is there-fore.

Philippians 1:27-29 reads,

Philippians 1:27–29 ESV

Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel, and not frightened in anything by your opponents. This is a clear sign to them of their destruction, but of your salvation, and that from God. 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,

“Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel, and not frightened in anything by your opponents.”

We learned last week that to live our lives in a manner that is befitting of the gospel we are to fearlessly come together in unity.

On a side note, we had a wonderful gathering last Thursday as several churches united to pray for the National Day of Prayer I hope you will join us next year If you missed it.

Now returning to Philippians 2:1-2, Paul is saying, “Therefore” since unity and fearlessness are indicators of a life befitting of the gospel complete my joy by living in unity-

Philippians 2:1–2 ESV

So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind.

So point one this morning is a continuation of last week’s discussion:

1. We live our lives in a manner befitting of the gospel of Christ by living in unity with our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ.

“Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit.

Rather, in humility value others above yourselves.”

In the Greek, this passage is one long compound sentence.

It contains several “if-then” clauses where Paul says “if” this…

“then” that.

If if if,

then, then, then.

This is not by accident.

Paul intentionally gives the “if” encouraging statements before the “then” command statements because God loves to edify us even as He gives us instruction.

Theologian John Piper explains

God “…loves to lavish us with encouraging reality before and as a basis for any commands.” End Quote

The “if” in verse 1 does not indicate uncertainty.

As I read these “if” statements my emotional response is of course there is encouragement from being united with Christ, of course I have comfort in love.

That is the response Paul intends.

He is using the rhetorical device- pathos, to appeal to our emotions.

Thus, the word “if” in this passage can be interpreted as “since.”

“Since you have encouragement from being united with Christ, since you have comfort from his love, since you have a common sharing in the Spirit, since you have tenderness and compassion.”

Then complete my joy by being together in unity.

Friends, Paul is obsessed with church unity!

Over and over again in his writings he returns to that ideal.

Why?

Because God is passionate about unity.

We cannot live a life in a manner befitting the gospel alone.

Think back to the new command that Jesus gave us in John 13: 34

to love one another as He has loved us.

You cannot fulfill that command by yourself.

The “one another” in that command assumes a community.

In his sermon on Philippians 2 Skip Heitzig shares a poem

John 11:35 ESV

Jesus wept.

by Jessica Nelson North called the Tea Party:

“I had a little tea party

this afternoon at three.

'Twas very small,

three guests in all,

Just I, myself and me.

Myself ate up the sandwiches,

While I drank up the tea.

'Twas also I who ate the pie,

And passed the cake to me.”

I, myself and me-

that is not the one-another community that Jesus has called us to.

We are called to live in unity with other believers, to love them as Christ loves us.

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

As I read this passage, the phrase,

“complete my joy,” continually jumps out at me.

Why did Paul include it?

After encouraging us with his “if” statements he could have gone right into the 4 “then” commands

1.“be of the same mind,”

2. “have the same love,”

3. “be in full accord,”

4. “be of one mind”

Instead he inserts “complete my joy,”

or “make my joy complete.’

Piper suggests that the reason Paul includes that clause is because,

John 11:35 ESV

Jesus wept.

“Paul loves to model for us how we are to show the worth of the gospel- namely Joy in gospel unity.” End Quote

Paul, bound in chains- facing capital punishment for the crime of being a follower of Christ

feels the imminent threat of torture and the breath of the executioner as he writes this letter to the Philippian Christians.

Yet these circumstances do not keep him from joy as long as he knows that his fellow brothers and sisters in Christ are harmoniously united.

Paul is not ambiguous here.

He is not talking about an elusive feeling of wellbeing or a superficial display of unity like holding hands around the campfire and singing kumbaya.

No, God is calling us to engage in the difficult work of unity.

We are given four direct commands:

1.“be of the same mind,”

2. “have the same love,”

3. “be in full accord,”

4. “be of one mind”

Notice in verse 2 he repeats the word “mind” twice.

In Greek the word Paul uses for “mind” here

is not the same term used back in Philippians 1:27 where we are encouraged to strive side by side for the faith of the gospel with one “mind” or psuchē meaning “soul.”

The Greek word for “mind” in Philippians 2:2 is (Fron-eh-oo)

phroneō and it means:

“To have understanding or to think.”

Friends, what you think

matters.

What you think about God, what you think about others, what you think about yourself.

Unity starts with a harmony of views.

Moreover, for unity to take place we must understand one another.

This leads to the second of these instructions-

“have the same love.”

John 11:35 ESV

Jesus wept.

Paul Tournier states,

“It is quite clear that between love and understanding there is a very close link...

He who loves understands, and he who understands loves.” End Quote

Command 3 is to “be in one accord” or “be united in spirit.”

The Holy Spirit in me resonates with the Holy spirit in you.

Command 4 repeats command 1:

we are to be of one mind.

The Greek here means that we are to have

-the same understanding

-to think, judge, and direct our thoughts towards the same objective or purpose.

The “sameness” that we are being called to does not mean that God wants us to be alike, with the same talents, same dress, same tastes, same ideas, same opinions-

He isn’t looking for automatons or creepy Stepford wives’ duplications.

Instead, what Paul means by “same” in this verse is a harmony of views or attitudes.

John 11:35 ESV

Jesus wept.

Piper explains that this same mindset is,

“a humble demeanor to serve others at cost to ourselves.” End Quote

Philippians 2:5-11 tells us where that mindset comes from.

Philippians 2:5–11 ESV

Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 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.

“Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.

And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

Therefore (There’s another one) 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.”

Christ humbled Himself.

Jesus served us- giving all that He had out of love for us.

That is the truth that binds us together.

We are each to have the mindset of Christ.

So to summarize verse 2: we are to be joined together in a humble demeanor to serve others at cost to ourselves, tied together with mutual love and affection, and united in our understanding.

What do we have to do individually to have harmony within our church family?

Point two this morning answers that question.

2. We live our lives in a manner befitting of the gospel of Christ by living in unity with our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ by trading our selfie-ness for humble service

Take a look at Philippians 2:3,

Philippians 2:3 ESV

Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.

“Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.”

In this verse we are instructed to put off negative sin attitudes and to put on a Christ like virtue.

A few years ago, my wife accidently dropped her phone, and you guessed it, her screen broke.

Ugly lines crisscrossed the display making it difficult to use.

For months she tried to make the broken phone work.

But it was splintered, broken, and incapable of functioning the way it should.

So she traded in the cracked phone and upgraded to a new one.

Friends, God wants us to upgrade.

To hand in our old, broken, and sinful selfie-ness and to upgrade to the Christ-like virtues of humility and sacrificial service.

The word “selfish ambition” in Greek is (er-ith-i'-ah) eritheia it means rivalry.

It is “acting for one’s own gain regardless of the discord or strife it causes.

The word “conceit” in Greek is (ken-od-ox-ee'-ah) kenodoxia

it means vain glory or empty pride.

Take a moment and think of a time when someone you know acted out of selfish ambition.

Regardless of the discord or strife they caused, they pursued their own gain.

I am confident that each and every one of us has witnessed or has experienced the strife that kind of selfie-ness causes.

The apostle Paul did.

Remember back in chapter 1? verses 15-17,

Paul talked about the fellow Christians who were slandering him.

These were the very people who should have been encouraging and helping him as he was imprisoned and persecuted for his faith in Christ.

But jealous of Paul’s fame and influence, these individuals pursued their own gain no matter the cost to others.

It is pretty awful to be on the receiving end of selfie-ness, rivalry, and vain conceit.

It can corrode a family from the inside out.

It can turn the workplace into a battle ground.

And, like a hurricane, it can sweep through the church leaving devastation in its wake- relationships? destroyed, churches? split apart, or worse… people leave the faith.

Now,

I want you to investigate your own heart.

think of a time when you acted out of selfish ambition, out of pride, out of vain conceit.

I believe that we have all done it.

Oh God forgive us.

I see you- I call you out- I name you- you are rivalry- you are pride- you are vain conceit.

You come into our homes, into our workplace, into our church.

You try to divide us, you try to steal our peace, and kill our joy, you corrupt our love.

No more I say in the name of Jesus!

We are the beloved of God.

He is our Father and we are His.

Together we choose this day to trade in our selfish ambition and pride.

Together we choose to pursue godliness.

How?

How do we do that church?

Look at the second half of verse 3,

“in humility count others more significant than yourselves.”

The phrase more significant than, in this context means that we are to consider others as worthy to be served.

Friends, the love of Christ comes under us and lifts us up.

It empowers us to serve others regardless of their position in society, their skill level, or their immorality.

We consider others as worthy to be served.

Just as Jesus served us.

Piper explains that the key to this verse is humility, lowliness, or gospel brokenness.

He says

John 11:35 ESV

Jesus wept.

“The gospel comes in and breaks us.

It frees us from the mindset of entitlement.” End Quote

Trading in Selfie-ness for Service

For example, this mindset says,

“I worked hard all day, I am entitled to some ‘me time’ when I get home regardless if it means I ignore the needs of my children and spouse.”

So many people have this mindset:

I deserve blessing- I am entitled to receive good things-

God owes me…

Church,

do you want the truth? (pause for response)

The truth is that we are sinners and what we deserve is God’s holy and just wrath.

We stand before the judgement seat of God.

He sees every hidden thought, every secret deed, every hurtful action, and every selfish choice.

What we deserve Is His condemnation.

But, instead, He steps down and shows us mercy.

He covers our sin with grace.

As Piper puts it,

“When we watch Jesus dying for us, we are slaughtered.” End Quote

We ask, who am I that Christ would die for me?

That is humility.

Because we are sinners blessed by God’s grace, because we were given what we did NOT deserve,

we humbly follow Jesus’ example.

We regard others as worthy of being served, just as we have been served by Christ.

We trade in our selfie-ness for humble loving service.

Let us pray.