The Example Of Christ Series

Introduction:

I recently read a great Book about a man by the name of Marshal Taylor. Marshal Taylor lived in the USA in the late 1800’s and he was born to parents that were slaves. Marshal Taylor experienced freedom and he began to know a taste of freedom that his parents never knew. He had the privilege of being around some people who had never been slaves and were wealthy. One of them gave this boy Taylor access to a bicycle. In his day it was unheard of for a black man whose parents were slaves to have a bicycle. He had this opportunity and he learned to ride this bicycle. Eventually he found himself entered in a bicycle race.

At the starting line those who were racing against him told him because he was a black man racing with the whites that they would kill him. They said as soon as they rode out of sight they would get to him, beat him, and leave him dead.

You can imagine what was going through his mind. When the starting gun sounded he was off like lightning, never looking back. He went on to win that race. It was the beginning of one of the most dramatic athletic careers ever know. This man Marshal Major Taylor became the star of the athletic world at the turn of the century. He was known as the fastest man in the world and literally nothing could travel as fast as him. There was no train that could go as faster as Taylor could ride. The automobile had not come along yet. Nothing could travel as fast as Major Taylor on his bike.

He had been poor and suddenly his name; Major Taylor became a household word in Europe and in America. He dined with dignitaries and he was the equivalent of what today would be a multi-millionaire. Here is a man who went from poorest poor to the highest height of riches and fame. Today the Olympic caliber Bicycle Track in Indianapolis bears his name.

Many people enjoy a great story of rags to riches and Major Taylor’s is one of the best. This morning we are going to look at a story that goes in the opposite direction. It is even more amazing. Here is someone in riches. Here is someone in the highest height, who goes down to the deepest depth. One who goes from riches to rags in humility and does so voluntarily.

We will look at one of the greatest passages on our Lord Jesus Christ and we will look at what he did in paying the penalty for your sin and my sin. This is not a story of rags to riches but one who went from Majesty to Humility.

In the book of Philippians Paul has been exhorting his readers to a lifestyle of humility and to put aside selfish interests. He had been encouraging them in this way of humility and now in his final argument for this call to humility he draws upon the greatest example ever known, the example of Jesus Christ. We are going to examine the great example of Jesus Christ and what he did to go the dramatic distance of the Majesty of God to a despicable criminals death on the cross.

Never has anyone gone so far in humility. Never has there been an example like what we find in Jesus Christ. Lets read one of the great passages on our Lord Jesus Christ.

Vs.5 Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:

Vs. 6 Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,

Vs 7 but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.

Vs. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death- even death on a cross!

Vs. 9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name,

Vs.10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven, and on earth, and under the earth,

Vs. 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

I) The Example of Jesus in Humility Vs 5-7

In vs. 5 Paul says, “Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus.” In other words you should think those thoughts that Christ thought. You should have the mind of Christ that was expressed in the incarnation. By incarnation we mean when Holy God became man. That is the attitude we should have, an attitude of humility that makes us willing to give up what we have for the sake of others. We tend to think of our own self-interests. We tend to think of our own rights. We have created a “me generation.” Everyone thinking of his or her own needs and not about those of others.