|
|
|
PRESSING ON TO KNOW JESUS
Series: A Series In
Philippians - Part Two November 22, 2009 |
| This morning we are going to
begin with something a bit different… a Calvin and Hobbs cartoon: "What if mom and dad won’t take me back because I seceded? What if they tell me I can’t rejoin the family?" "They HAVE to take me back! I’m their stupid KID, right?" "RIGHT!" "…The operative word being “STUPID”." Don’t you love Calvin’s humility? We are approaching Thanksgiving. This Thursday, most of us will be gathering together with family and friends for an entire day of eating… a day set apart to give Thanks. I like what Erma Bombeck says about Thanksgiving: “What we're really talking about is a wonderful day set aside on the fourth Thursday of November when no one diets. I mean, why else would they call it Thanksgiving?” And Johnny Carson says: “Thanksgiving is an emotional holiday. People travel thousands of miles to be with people they only see once a year. And then discover once a year is way too often.” Thanksgiving is a great holiday, isn’t it? Lots of food, family and friends. I would suggest, though, that for much of America, Thanksgiving is missing one key element: Christ-like humility. As a Christian, I am convinced of three key truths: One: God is the creator of everything, including me. Two: God loves me very, very much. And three: The only way I am going to experience true Life is by making my life all about Him. Many people will agree with number one: “Yep, God is the creator of everything, including me.” And many people will agree with number two: “Yep, God loves me very, very much.” But it is my experience that we human beings often have trouble with number three: making life all about Him. This is the root of humility: making life all about God because we recognize that this is the only true path to life. Remember Calvin? Humility is recognizing that we are stupid like Calvin… stupid for running away from the One who loves us and cares for us. And true humility comes before God and says, “I have been blowing it… why am I so stupid as to think true life is not found in you? Life is all about you!” So what can we do to return to God and make life all about Him? I am convinced that this is really the essence of being thankful to God. How can we be thankful this Thanksgiving? The best way to show to God that we are truly thankful for the abundant Life that he gives us is simply this: to want more! And the best way to want and get more LIFE is to continue to grow in making life all about Him. Are we on the same page? The essence of humbly giving thanks to God is simply this: making life all about Him! This morning we are continuing our series in Philippians. Please turn with me to Philippians chapter two. As we look at Philippians chapter two, we will see five clear ways we can in humility make life all about Jesus. The first is this: Take the Problem Seriously We all know that the first step to solving a problem is recognizing that we have one? Looking at the first four verses of Philippians 2, we see that the Philippians had a problem… Paul writes: 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 rivalry 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. What was their problem? First, they are not unified. Second, they are being selfish. No doubt these two are connected, right? A bunch of selfish people cannot be unified. If I am committed to making life all about me, and you are committed to making life all about you… well, we are probably not going to get much accomplished together. It is to people like this that Paul writes: “let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.” And it is to people like this that Paul writes: “In humility count others more significant than yourselves.” What does it mean to count others more significant than myself? It means to value others more than I value myself. It means to want what is best for others… And what is best for others? What do I know that everyone around me needs? A closer walk with Jesus. A big part of making life all about Jesus is making life all about helping each other make life all about Jesus! The problem is pretty clear, right? We so easily think only about ourselves and what we want… and Paul here lovingly commands us to grow in considering others. Do we take the problem seriously? Do we recognize that we are missing out on the LIFE that God has for us in Christ by thinking only about ourselves? Do we understand the severe consequences of not being all about helping others grow in Christ? And once we take the problem seriously… then we are ready for the solution. And this brings us nicely to the next thing we can do to make life all about Jesus: Hunger for Christ-likeness Paul continues in Philippians 2:5-8: 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 made himself nothing, 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. What a beautiful passage this is! Paul highlights the humility of Christ, but note why: to encourage us to be like Him! Paul begins with: Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus Do we really want to be like Jesus? Do we recognize that Jesus is the ideal? Do we really see Jesus as the model? Do we really want to be like him? Paul commands us: be like Jesus. And how are we supposed to be like him? who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, Certainly we are not God… so there is no ‘equality with God’ for us to grasp. But isn’t this Paul’s point? Here is Jesus… God in the flesh… and he didn’t hold onto such greatness as a reason to make everyone serve Him. What did he do? but made himself nothing, 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. Jesus made himself nothing. How did he ‘make himself nothing? First: he took the form of a servant, becoming a man. God became flesh. Second: he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death. How are we supposed to be like Jesus? We are supposed to follow his example and be servants. We are called to give up our own rights… we are called to willingly lay down our lives. For what? Why did Jesus serve us? So he could bring us into a relationship with God. He was obedient… so committed to obedience to the Father that he died. How committed are we to obedience? And why did Jesus die on the cross? He died on the cross so he could bring us forgiveness and eternal life. He died on the cross in our place! Do we have a hunger to be like Jesus? There are people all around us who need to know the love that Jesus has for them. Our friends… neighbors… acquaintances… people have a deep need for Jesus. How much will we give up so they can know him? Jesus gave his life so we could know. How much will we give up so others can know? But giving up our lives for the gospel.. so others can know Jesus… that is really the only way to have LIFE anyway. Jesus himself said: “Whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” Do we want this abundant life? Do we hunger to be like Jesus? And the next thing we can do to humbly make life all about Christ is this: Acknowledge the Rewards Because Jesus gave up his life for us… and was obedient even to death, listen to the reward in verses 9-11: 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… because Jesus served us by obediently dying for us… God exalted him! Jesus gave himself fully… he died. And the reward? He was exalted. No doubt Paul is telling us this to remind us that the best way to be exalted is to humble ourselves and serve others just like Christ. We all have a desire to be great. We want to succeed. We want to make a difference. We hunger for power! Paul here tells us how to be powerful! Paul here tells us how to be great! Paul here tells us how to find great success! Serve. Serve like Jesus. We might be reminded of what Jesus said to his disciples: “Whoever wants to be great among you must be your servant.” Acknowledge the rewards of being a servant. Humble yourself, and God will exalt you. He did it for Jesus, and He will do it for us. And the next thing we can do to make our lives all about Jesus is this: Never Give Up! Let’s continue in Philippians 2 starting in verse 12: Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, It is hard to continue to obey, isn’t it? When Paul was there with them, it was easier. And now that he is absent, he pleads with them even more… obey. Do you have a Paul in your life? Someone who really encourages you and teaches you? Or did you? How do you continue to obey Jesus even when that person is gone? When it is just you and God… how do you grow? I think this is at the heart of Christian maturity. Do you give up? Or do you seek God on your own? When it is just you and God, do you continue on in your faith? Are we in the Word? Are we a people of prayer? And listen to what Paul says next: 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. Don’t give up because it is God who is working in you! Keep working hard at growing in your experience of salvation in Jesus. And how are we going to be able to do this? It is God working in us. It is God who gives us the desire to grow and the power to accomplish it. Have you in the past had a deep hunger for complete dedication to Christ? Can you remember a time when you wanted so badly to be holy and completely devoted to Jesus? Have we lost that passion? Did we lose it long ago? Don’t give up! Let us rekindle the passion! Why should we never give up? Because God is never going to give up! Let us continue in verse 14: Do all things without grumbling or questioning, 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. Part of not giving up is just resting in Jesus and doing what he has called us to do… day in and day out. Don’t complain. Don’t grumble. Don’t question. Press on. Continue the pursuit to be blameless… continue standing strong even though the world around us is so twisted and mixed up. Continue to shine the light of Jesus. Don’t give up! Hold onto Jesus and his promises of LIFE. And look at verse 17: 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. Not giving up means being like Paul… continuing to pour out our lives for others…and rejoicing in the privilege of giving our lives for others. Pouring out your life for others is not easy. But it is worth it. Press on! Don’t give up! And lastly… the fifth way Philippians 2 tells us to make life all about Jesus: Keep in mind the good examples First, let’s look at Timothy: Verses 19-24: I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, so that I too may be cheered by news of you. For I have no one like him, who will be genuinely concerned for your welfare. They all seek their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ. But you know Timothy's proven worth, how as a son with a father he has served with me in the gospel. I hope therefore to send him just as soon as I see how it will go with me, and I trust in the Lord that shortly I myself will come also. Notice what Paul says of Timothy: For I have no one like him, who will be genuinely concerned for your welfare. They all seek their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ. What does it mean that Timothy is genuinely concerned for their welfare? Are consumed with passion to help each other grow in Christ? What does it mean to seek not your own interests but to seek the interests of Jesus Christ? What are our interests? Our interests are what we think about the most… what we spend our time on. Our interests are what we are most passionate about. Is our life passion to see the Kingdom of God grow? And consider verse 22 again: But you know Timothy's proven worth, how as a son with a father he has served with me in the gospel. I want it to be said of me that I was loyal to one purpose: the gospel. I want to be one who lives for one thing: the advance of the Kingdom of Jesus! Isn’t Timothy a great example? And now, let’s look at Epaphroditus. We read in verses 25-30: I have thought it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus my brother and fellow worker and fellow soldier, and your messenger and minister to my need, for he has been longing for you all and has been distressed because you heard that he was ill. Indeed he was ill, near to death. But God had mercy on him, and not only on him but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow. I am the more eager to send him, therefore, that you may rejoice at seeing him again, and that I may be less anxious. So receive him in the Lord with all joy, and honor such men, for he nearly died for the work of Christ, risking his life to complete what was lacking in your service to me. Notice how he is described: A brother… a fellow worker… a fellow soldier… a servant to Paul. And “for he nearly died for the work of Christ, risking his life…” What does it mean to ‘risk your life’ for the work of Christ? It means to put it all on the line for the gospel. It means to hold nothing back, even life itself. It means living for Jesus to the max. Are we living for Jesus to the max? Are we holding anything back? What is one thing that you can do this week to take the next step in holding nothing back in living life for Jesus? Timothy and Epaphroditus did it. Paul did it. They made their lives all about Jesus. We can do it, too. We can, in humility, make our lives all about Jesus. And let’s remember, that is what life is all about! Remember what Jesus said? “For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” What is the only way we can truly celebrate a meaningful Thanksgiving? It is by thanking Jesus for life. And what is the best way to thank Jesus for life? Making life all about Him. Let us have a fantastic Thanksgiving… let us make life all about Jesus. Let’s pray. Lord Jesus, thank you. Thank you for life. Thank you for serving us. Thank you for dying on the cross for us. Help us to continue to have LIFE by growing in making life all about you. Amen. |