STUDY THEME: ONE SOLITARY LIFE. “THE LIFE OF JESUS. 8-26-01

UNIT 8: CHRIST AT WORK TODAY: “THE MIND OF CHRIST.”

PHILIPPIANS 2:1-2, 3-4, 5-8, 9-11.

PLEASE OPEN YOUR BIBLE TO PHILIPPIANS 2.

In the early 60’s Paul had one of his warmest relations with the Philippian believers. This is the first church He established during his second missionary journey. When he was confined in Rome awaiting a hearing before the emperor, the Philippian church sent one of their members with an offering and to stay and help Paul.

The apostle learned ---probably from Epaphroditus (ih-paf-roh-DIGH-tuhs) ---of what could be the beginning of dissension in the church. Thus Paul wrote to express joy in the close relationship he had with them, to thank them for sending money, to inform them of his situation, and to challenge them to act in ways that would avoid disruptive dissension. He had seen in the church at Corinth what dissension could do, and he did not want to see this happen to his beloved friends at Philippi. The heart of Paul’s appeal is in Phil.1: 27-2:11.

In Phil. 4:2 Paul affectionately described the believers of Philippi as “my Brothers, you whom I love and long for, my joy and crown.” Paul recognized in Phil. 1:28 that the believers at Philippi faced external opponents and in Phil. 4:2 internal contentions. One of the burdens of Paul’s heart was the unity of this good church.

Turn with me to Philippians 2:1 and we are going to go through this verse taking our time looking at each segment to discover what God is saying to us today. The apostle recognizes that there is an encouragement not from being around Christ, or near Christ, but in being united with Christ. God desires an intimate relationship with everyone who claims to know Christ. The motivating factor of Paul’s faith is his desire to become all that Jesus wants him to be. He is encouraged because despite his temporary problems, he knows He is on the winning side.

1. PLEASE READ PHILIPPIANS 2:1-2

This passage will show how a church can deal with threats to its unity. When the church’s unity is one its effectiveness will have departed with it. Today’s lesson is one of the most sublime passages in all of Scripture, challenging us to look into the mind of Christ. Once we peer into His divine attitude we certainly will want to adopt it as our own.

In Phil. 1:27 Paul pleaded with the Philippian believers to “let their conduct be worthy of the Gospel of Christ.” That they “stand fast in one Spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the Gospel.”

The world is full of Christians on the retreat, Christians who, when Christianity is difficult conceal, or at least play down, their Christianity. There is a sense in which there is the danger of disunity in every healthy church. It is against this danger that Paul wishes to safeguard his friends. In Eph. 4:3 Paul wrote “Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.” In Rom. 15:5-6 he wrote, “May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Jesus Christ, so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Before we get to the unity command of Vs.2 and Paul’s other commands that relate to unity we must first consider the basis for being united. Vs. 1 provides us with reason enough to remain united together as the children of God.

As a believer we have everything we need to live joyfully. In Vs. 1 Paul, the author of the letter begins with a bunch of “If you have any” statements. It’s his way of telling them, “Hey, look, you’ve got all the ingredients for Joy. I just want you to recognize them.”

In Vs. 1 Paul strings together 4 sentences that begin with the word “if”.

If there is any consolation in Christ/ if there is any comfort in Christ.

If any comfort of love—referring to God’s love for us. God’s love for us should overwhelm us. Who do you know, that if they knew everything about you, including those things we have kept completely to ourselves, would say, “yes, beyond a shadow of a doubt I will die for you.” God sees all the ugliness, and the unlovely sides of us, and yet still wants to claim us as His own.

If Jesus had not loved us, there would have been no Calvary. Since Jesus does love us, that opens the doors for all kinds of possibilities for our lives. Jesus would not love us unless He cared about us. If Jesus cares about us, then we are never in anything alone. There is always hope if we are willing to take it God’s way. We all know that we live in a broken and often times cruel and unjust world. It’s not because God is angry at us and gave us this place as punishment. It’s because God love us, that He was willing to let us make our own decisions. We are the ones that have made the world what it is.

There is a comfort in knowing that God loves us. He shows us His love in Jesus Christ and in the plans He has for our lives. He tells us in Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” There’s not a pain or a hurt that comes into our lives that God does not feel.

If any fellowship of the Spirit/with the spirit. Fellowship is more than being good friends or having a good time together. Fellowship involved a recognition that we serve a common Lord and Savior. It doesn’t come by us singing songs, or getting all worked up. Fellowship comes as a result of day to day living for Jesus Christ.

This is what God calls us to do. Fellowship is one of he reasons God called us. It says in 1 Cor. 1:9 “God, who has called you into fellowship with His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful.” Although this is what we are called to, many of us are missing out on this unity and fellowship because we won’t let go and let God direct the way we live. Sin will always lead to depression for a Christian if the sin is not repented of. It is so easy for us to deceive ourselves in regards to our relationship to Jesus Christ.

1 John 1: 6-7 says “If we claim to have fellowship with Christ, yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, His Son, purifies us from all sin.” Fellowship becomes possible, only as we allow Jesus to become Lord.

God says “being one in spirit and purpose”. We don’t become one for the sake of being one, but rather one in the Spirit of Christ. Not every spirit that wants us to join in with it is of God. Before we give our support let us ask what spirit we are uniting ourselves to. We find in 1 John 4:2 "Dear friends, do not receive every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God”. Before we say I do, I’ll join in, find out what the purpose is behind the spirit you are about to join.

Jesus purpose was to glorify the Father and to do His will. Before we throw in our hat we should ask, “Is the purpose of this to glorify God and to do His will.” If not, we are on shaky grounds to give ourselves wholeheartedly to it.

If any affection and mercy or “if any tenderness and compassion.” Jesus was one of he toughest people one earth. He had no problem taking on a fight with a whole group of men who were selling in the temple. He stood up to the religious leaders of His time and to their faces called them hypocrites on their way to hell. He told the Roman governor, who was surrounded by soldiers, “you have no authority over me.”

But the was a tender and compassionate side of Jesus. Jesus had time to stop a service in order to encourage and welcome the little children. He publicly cried over the people in the city of Jerusalem and even shed a tear for a friend by the name of Lazarus in public. His heart was moved by the people around Him be it a father and mother of a sick little girl, a widow whose only son had died, a blind man on the roadside, a woman caught in adultery and even a rich man who loved his riches more than he loved God. In each of those situations Jesus took the time to try to reach out and touch the pain of others.

God is telling us, “look, if you know what its like to have encouragement from Christ, comfort from His love, fellowship with the Holy Spirit, and the experience of the affection and mercy of God, then, make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose.” Being like minded like Jesus? Having the same love as Jesus? Before you say oh, nobody can do that, keep in mind that Jesus already commanded it on our part in John 13:34 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.”

Paul appeals to us that we be united on the basis of these 4 things ands our experience of them in Christ.

On the basis of the grace of Christ and the comfort we have in knowing Him we are to be united. This expression “united with Christ” suggests being tied together. Our fate is tied up in the fate of Jesus Christ. We know that everything else is gong to pass, but Jesus is going to endure forever.

On the basis of the love of God that we have experienced we are to be united i.e. The love of God which resulted in His sending of His Son Jesus Christ to die on the cross for us sinners. Our love for each other is to abound more and more. We to love each other deeply.

On the basis of our being indwelt by the Holy Spirit, who helps, empowers, acts as a guarantee of our salvation, we are to be united.

What have we got? We have the assurance that we’ve been forgive by God for all the nastiness in our lives. We should be encouraged that we’re united with Christ because it means we get all the good stuff that He ever did. When the Father looks at us He sees Christ and not our sin. In the end we’ll be resurrected in the same way that Jesus returned from the dead. That fact alone should produce Joy.

Vs. 1 is a basic Trinitarian text: meaning that all three members of the Godhead are mentioned together: Christ, Father, Spirit and the fellowship we have with Him. 2 Corinthians 13:14 is a parallel “May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all”.

The point is the unity that characterizes the Godhead is to characterize us as the church. Remember Jesus prayer of John 17 “I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you.”

On the basis of our general and ongoing experience of the affection and mercy of God we are to be united. When we have all that God has done for us in mind and keep it in mind then we will find ourselves staying united.

The apostle is pleading for a willingness to be able to work together. We are not ever going to always agree on everything. There is a time to discuss and disagree, but after decisions have been made, there is a time to move beyond fighting for the sake of fighting. The kingdom of God is not to become a battleground for personalities or for groups. The kingdom is for bringing people to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.

Please pay careful attention to what these Vs. 3-4 say. Here’s the heart of the matter when it comes to looking beyond yourself. In these verses Paul follows up the unity command of Vs. 1-2 with commands that relate to unity.

2. PLEASE READ PHILIPPIANS 2: 3-4

Please understand that Paul was speaking to a robust, healthy, growing church. Even a church that’s moving in God’s direction can drift away from interdependency. When it happens effectiveness flies out the window and joy is depleted. People can revert back to dependency. Dependence is focused on you. Independence is focused on me. Interdependence is focused on us. Interdependence recognized that we need each other. Interdependent people combine their own efforts with the efforts of others to achieve the greatest success. Not only do we achieve at a maximum level, but, interdependence brings joy to our lives. We go beyond what we thought was possible.

On the flip side is a church made up of a bunch of individualists. They think that they’re area of service is the most important. They’re egos drive their ministry . They become territorial and possessive. We must have interdependence, people who are both inwardly and outwardly focused. When we begin to look beyond ourselves something wonderful happens.

Vs. 3 begins “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit.” Ambition can be dangerous but selfish ambition is always deadly in the kingdom of God. The apostle is saying, leave all personal agendas outside the kingdom of God. The kingdom is not looking for people trying to put themselves forward. It needs those who are willing to be meek.

Meek comes from the word that means “power under control.” This is far different from weakness as some understand meekness to mean. In fact power under control is just about the greatest kind of power there is and the only kind that can be trusted. Power out of control infringes on human rights. Anyone who lacks the inner strength to control that power becomes a threat to others. Selfish ambition is power seeking its will ahead of what’s the will of God for this situation.

There’s no greater liberation than when Christ reveals to us, that our own selfish nature is our own worst enemy. The devil does not even come close to it. Because of our selfish nature, if the devil did not do a thing to us, we still would not choose to serve God on our own initiative. That is why Jesus said, “no one comes to me, except the Father draws him.” Even when we are sure that we are right, and we’re doing this project or this thing, or this relationship for God, we need to examine ourselves. Self crops up so quickly and so undetected that its really kind of scary. It ought to keep us humble before our God.

Now for every negative we have in Scripture telling us what not to do, there is a positive, which shows us a better way of behaving. It’s never enough to stop doing something for God, without starting to do something else for God. The Scriptures tell us, “but in humility.” That’s enough to get some of us down already. We associate humility with humiliation and defeat. God sees humility as something every Christian should possess.

Humility is not walking around with your head hung low, and softness in your voice, and a pious look on your face. Humility begins with the realization that God is God, and we are but dust. If God could stoop low enough to humble Him self and become human, then surely we ought to be able to humble ourselves and realize that we are nothing more than human beings with frailties, faults, and shortcomings.

We all have come to the same cross to have our sins forgiven. Romans puts it this way in 12:3 “For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you.”

To many people think that because they hold a certain position they are entitled to more than others. A true story illustrates this point rather well. Christian Herter was running hard for reelection as governor of Mass.,. and one day he arrived late at a barbecue. He’d had no breakfast or lunch and was very hungry. As he moved down the serving line, he held out his plate and received one piece of chicken.

The Governor said to the serving lady, “Excuse me, do you mind if I get another piece of chicken. I’m very hungry.” The woman replied, “Sorry, But I’m supposed to give one piece to each person.” He repeated, “But I’m starved,” and again she said, “only one to a customer.” Herter was normally a modest man, but he decided this was the time to use the weight of his office and said, “Madam do you know who I am? I am the governor of this state.” She answered, “Do you know who I am? I’m the lady in charge of chicken. Move along mister.”

Once we allow the spirit of humility to take control of us, God says to “consider others better than yourselves.” This is not something that comes natural. As a matter of fact, the whole American dream is wrapped up in becoming better than everyone else, making more money, than everyone else, winning more games than everyone else. Beginning to consider others better than our selves, is a step in a whole new direction.

Now don’t get the opinion that the Word of God is telling you to start putting yourself down or to feel like you’re a nobody. No, you are special because you have been created in the image of God. What’s being said is this, realize that other people have needs and that perhaps those needs may be greater than our own. We may have to put their needs ahead of our own at times. It goes back to the verse in 2 Cor. 8:13-15, “Our desire is not that others might be relieved while you are hard pressed, but that there might be equality. At the present time your plenty will supply what they need, so that in turn their plenty will supply what you need. Then there will be equality, as it is written: “He who gathered much did not have too much, and he who gathered little did not have too little.”

Genuine humility will promote unity in the church and in our homes. The attitude binds believers together in mutual interest, respect, and appreciation. The world knows what it is to look out for number one, and to be concerned with number one. Unfortunately many Christians have learned the lesson very well also. But that’s not what we are called to do.

Look at Vs. 4. “Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.” Now the Bible does not teach that everyone is to be a martyr giving away all so as to help somebody else. No, God clearly implies here that we are to look after our own interests. If we don’t we are just gong to be a burden to someone else. God is saying, make sure you have enough to take care of your needs, but don’t stop there, restructure your life so that you can also be concerned about others. Have a heart that’s big enough to include the best interest of other people. Now sometimes when you look after the interests of others, it’s going to cost us something. Be it our time, or our energy or our money. There is no way to serve God without having to spend one, two or all three of these things. Let us realize that the people around us, are more important than the things we have.

Now we are not the first “Me generation”. Listen to what Paul says in Phil. 2: 20-21 as he prepares to send young Timothy to Philippi. “I have no one else like Timothy who takes a genuine interest in your welfare. For everyone looks for his own interests, not those of Jesus Christ?” When we care for more than just ourselves it leads to acts of caring. It leads to expressions of love. It leads to intercessory prayer. It results in regular Christian fellowship. It results in the unity of the church.

You’ll find no more beautiful, nor theologically sophisticated verses in the Bible than what we’re about to read in Vs. 5-8. Notice how Jesus Christ, God Himself, though independent and needing none of us, looks beyond Himself.

3. PLEASE READ PHILIPPIANS 2: 5-8

We are now challenged to be united by striving to have the same mind, which was also in Christ Jesus. In many ways this is the greatest and the most moving passage that Paul ever wrote about Jesus. With Paul t his passage states a favorite thought. The essence of it is in the simple statement which Paul made to the Corinthians in 2 Cor 8:9, that although Jesus was rich, yet for our sakes He became poor. But here that simple idea is stated with a fullness and richness, which is without parallel.

Paul is pleading with the Philippians to live in unity and harmony, to lay aside their disharmonies and their discords, to shed their personal ambitions and their pride and their desire for prominence and prestige, and to have in their hearts that humble selfless desire to serve, which was the very essence of the life of Christ. His final and unanswerable appeal for unity is to point at the example of Jesus Christ.

So Paul begins that Jesus was essentially, unalterably, and unchangeable God. The word that Paul uses for Jesus being in the form of God is that Jesus is unalterably in the form of God; His essence, His unchangeable being is divine. However His outward form might alter, He remained in essence and in being divine. John 1:1 says, “In the beginning was the word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”

In the same verse Paul goes on to say that Jesus did no think it robbery to be equal with God; He did not regard existence in equality with God as something to be snatched at. This phrase

Can mean one of two things, both of which are at the heart of them the same. (1.) It can mean that Jesus did not need to snatch at equality with God, because He had it as a right. It was His and there was no need for Him to try to snatch at it. Rather He regarded it as something to be readily relinquished for the higher gain and the greater glory, which would become His through obedience to the death-like principle of the cross.

It can mean that Jesus did not clutch at equality with God, as if to hug it jealously to Himself, and to refuse to let it go. He laid it willingly down, for the sake of men. However we take this, and both meanings are perfectly possible, it once again stresses the essential unchangeable godhead of Jesus Christ.

Vs. 6-8 form a very short passage; but there is no passage in the whole N.T. which so movingly sets out the utter reality of the godhead and the manhood of Jesus Christ, and which makes so vivid the inconceivable sacrifice that Christ made when He laid aside His godhead and took manhood upon Him.

If we strive, as we are here commanded, to adopt the attitude/mind of Jesus that is communicated to us in Vs. 5-8, then unity in the church will be no problem. Jesus example of willing obedience to God the Father stands for us as an attitude that is to be ours. We need to daily surrender ourselves to the doing of God’s will, obeying—not out of fear of judgment but because we love God. When obeying God in all things is our priority then unity in the church will flourish.

In vs. 7 it speaks of Jesus taking the form of a servant or a slave. While here with us on earth Jesus exemplified servant hood. As Jesus said “I came to serve, not to be served.” In Matt. 20:26 Jesus says, “whoever wishes to be great among you must be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you must be your slave; just as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve and to give His life a ransom for many.” When we decide to serve one another out of love then we will be like Christ and then unity will happen. When we decide to be humble in that no job is too small for us or below us, Billy Graham is the best example of true, natural humility I know. When we decide to set aside any notion of ego, then Church unity will follow

“He was made in the likeness of men; He became like men, but only for a time.” In becoming a man Jesus humbled Himself. The very notion of Jesus, being God, becoming a man smacks of humility. In His life Jesus humbled himself by serving others—He worthy of our praise and worship serving us, even washing His disciples feet. In His death Jesus humbled himself by submitting to dying by means of the cross: the worst of all executions, and according to the Scriptures: cursed is everyone who hangs upon a tree. When we take upon ourselves the humble attitude to Christ then unity will thrive in our church.

Luke 14:11 says “Everyone that exalteth himself shall be humbled; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.” Jesus waited for the Father to exalt Him.

4. PLEASE READ PHILIPPIANS 2: 9-11

Jesus in no way sought to exalt himself. He waited, and let God the Father do that. The Scriptures here speak of how God has highly exalted Him and gave Him the name that is above every name. In 1 Samuel 2:30 God says “Those who honor me, I will honor.”

Paul had descended the ladder to its lowest depths by the end of Vs. 8. In His death Jesus suffered the agonies of the doomed and the damned for us. Suddenly in Vs. 9 the apostle turned around and soared to the heights of Glory. In Vs. 10 the threefold dimension of heaven, earth and hell all confess Jesus Christ as Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

The day will come when men will call Jesus Christ Lord, but they will do so to the glory of God the Father. The whole work of Jesus, the whole life of Jesus, the whole aim of Jesus, is not His own glory, but the glory of God the Father. Paul is completely clear about the lonely and ultimate supremacy of God. He wrote in 1 Cor. 15:28 “When all things shall be subdued unto Him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto Him that put all things under Him, that God may be all in all.”

The one aim of Jesus was to focus men’s eyes upon God. So the follower of Jesus must think always, not of himself but of others, not of his glory but of the glory of God. If we seek to exalt ourselves it is to our shame and the cost is the unity of the church. We must wait for God to lift us up. Greatness and honor in the kingdom of God comes through faithful service—there is no other way. If our attitude is to bring glory to God and not to ourselves, then unity will flourish in the church.

When we have the mind of Christ the unity in the church will be without question, for we will be: servants of one another, willing to die for each other, self abasing for the benefit of each other, not seeking our own glory but waiting for God to lift us up, completely obedient to the Father’s will.

CONCLUSION:

Today our focus has been on unity and the mind of Christ.

Throughout the book of Philippians “Joy in the Lord” is a major theme. In Vs. 2 Paul tells us that a united church will be the “icing on the cake” of his life, the completion of his joy.

A united church indeed brings joy. A divided church which sees people using their tongues as swords, pursuing their own interests, being easily offended and harboring resentment doesn’t bring joy at all.

The command of Vs. 2 to be united is based upon the four if statements of Vs. 1.

Following the three commands found in Vs. 3-5 will promote unity.

1. Doing nothing out of selfish ambition or conceit but rather acting in humility, considering others better than ourselves promotes unity.

2. Looking out for the interests of each other also promotes unity and love within the church. We are commanded to do so.

3. Having the attitude or mind of Christ promotes unity.

When we do these things the church will be united. Maintaining unity and promoting unity in our church is each one of ours responsibility. The starting point is ourselves and our attitude.

NEXT SUNDAY WE LEAVE OUR STUDY OF “THE LIFE OF CHRIST” AND IN NUMBERS 13 WE LOOK AT “JOSHUA: A MODEL OF OBEDIENCE.”

A.V. DAUGHERTY 8-26-01,

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