Sermon Tone Analysis

His Example, Our Call

Philippians 2:1–18 (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.

Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.

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.

Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.

Do all things without grumbling or disputing, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast to the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain.

Even if I am to be poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrificial offering of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all.

Likewise you also should be glad and rejoice with me.

Believers have a different mindset.

As believers are united with Christ, we are to have the same attitude as Christ, one of humility.

Paul expresses the same thought in Ephesians 4:2: “Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.”

God Incarnate…Immanuel…God with us.

2:7.

Jesus made himself nothing or “emptied himself.”

Scholars refer to this important statement as kenosis, from the Greek word.

By becoming a man, Jesus did not lay aside his deity.

Charles C. Ryrie sheds light on this event: “Christ didn’t become any less God, but he chose not to use some of his divine attributes.

This involved a veiling of his preincarnate glory (John 17:5) and the voluntary nonuse of some of his divine prerogatives during the time he was on earth (Matt.

24:36).

For God to become a man was humbling enough, but he was willing to go even further.

Christ could have come to earth in his true position as King of the universe.

Instead, he took the role of a servant.

The Creator chose to serve his creatures.

Believers are called to have an unselfish mindset towards this life.

Believers are workers.

Paul conveyed the closeness of his relationship with the Philippians by referring to them as my dear friends.

He commended their past obedience and urged them to work out your salvation with fear and trembling.

He did not say “work for your salvation.”

Observe Ephesians 2:8–9: “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.”

They have been saved by grace.

Now they are to bring the salvation to completion, to live out the fact that they have been saved.

2:13.

This outcome is possible not through human effort but because God indwells you and is working in you.

Christians must demonstrate they are saved by allowing God to work through them.

Salvation is by grace through faith.

Saving faith surrenders all of life to God and his purpose, producing maturity demonstrated in good works.

As Christians mature and allow God to work through their lives, they find God is accomplishing his purposes in them even when they are not aware of those purposes.

Believers hold fast to the word.

How do we shine like stars in the night?

How do we live out this ongoing moral example as children who reflect the perfection of the Father?

We grasp hold of the gospel.

The marginal note in some bibles reads, “hold on to,” the normal meaning of the Greek epexontes.

Only God’s Word can give us direction and power to let God do his work in our lives and keep us pure before him.

Watch where Jesus went.

The one dominant note in his life was to do his Father’s will.

His is not the way of wisdom or of success, but the way of faithfulness.

Oswald Chambers